Chapter 91: The End of the Tyrant

Chapter 91: The End of the Tyrant

In the month of Blooming Frost, spring seemed to pass in the blink of an eye.

The plants in the base began to show a captivating green, and the flower beds burst into full bloom, welcoming the arrival of summer.

Inside the alchemy laboratory.

At the large workbench, Su Nan picked up the newly crafted potion and stared at the pale purple liquid inside the bottle, a satisfied expression flashing across his face.

[Transcendent Potion (Third Tier/Lower Grade): When consumed, it allows the user to enter a transcendent state, where the body passively absorbs energy particles from the surroundings at a slow but constant rate. It also significantly enhances mental activity and the absorption rate of energy particles. Duration: 53 days and 9 hours. Stacking has no effect. The user’s mental power must be 30 or higher.]



Compared to the Supercharged Potion, the Third Tier Transcendent Potion was undoubtedly more potent.

It provided a 24-hour passive meditation state!

Even though passive meditation was much less efficient than active meditation, the long duration meant that the cumulative benefits were still substantial.

Moreover, it retained the effects of enhancing mental activity and the absorption rate of energy particles.

This meant that the efficiency of active meditation was also significantly improved.

"Let’s see the specific effects."

Su Nan uncorked the bottle and drank the potion in one gulp, then sat cross-legged on the ground to begin meditating.

To obtain detailed information about the potion's effects, he conducted tests for five consecutive days, finally gaining a general understanding of the Transcendent Potion's capabilities.

"The Star Ring Meditation Technique can increase proficiency by about 1,500 points in a day, which is about 50% more efficient than when using the Supercharged Potion."

"At this rate, I should be able to construct the tenth Star Ring in about a month."

Su Nan nodded in approval.

A 50% increase in efficiency was already quite impressive.

And this was just the Lower Grade Third Tier Transcendent Potion. The Upper Grade version would further enhance the effects.

The key was the material consumption.

Synthesizing a bottle of Lower Grade Third Tier Transcendent Potion used up a quarter of the latest batch of Silver Moon Flowers.

This was thanks to the improved Silver Moon Flowers, whose effects had been significantly enhanced. Otherwise, it would have required the entire batch to synthesize a single bottle of the potion.

"Silver Moon Flowers have a growth cycle of about 100 days, and the Transcendent Potion lasts for 53 days. This means that during one growth cycle, about two bottles of Transcendent Potion are needed, using up half of the yield."

"The remaining half of the yield still needs to be used for crafting Subtle Activation Potions and Activation Potions for the apprentices to exchange."

After some calculations, Su Nan realized that the Silver Moon Flowers were running low.

Each upgrade in the quality of a Third Tier potion increased the material requirements significantly.

He had tested it and found that to synthesize an Upper Grade Third Tier Transcendent Potion, he would need nearly two-thirds of a batch of Silver Moon Flowers.

Although the duration of the Upper Grade potion would increase to over 70 days, the overall supply still wouldn’t be enough.

The only solution would be to reduce the supply of Subtle Activation Potions and Activation Potions.

This might work in the short term, but in the long run, it would slow down the apprentices' progress, which was detrimental to the base's development and growth.

He was hoping the apprentices would grow quickly to help him with the production of lower-tier potions and the creation of lower-tier puppets.

Therefore, the best solution was to establish a new magical plant garden.

However, due to the concentration of energy particles, the new garden had to be far enough from the base.

This would require personnel to be stationed and cultivate the plants.

Stationing guards was easy; he could send a squad of stone golems.

Or he could have Koy dispatch a squad of soldiers to reside there.

The real issue was finding the right personnel for cultivation.

The base's magical plant garden had a Flower Spirit in residence. He could assign tasks to the apprentices to assist.

If he were to establish a new garden, he would need to ‘recruit’ more Flower Spirits or similar extraplanar beings.

But this wasn’t something he could do immediately.

Whether he could summon suitable helpers depended entirely on luck.

"Setting up a new magical plant garden will cost a considerable amount of gold. It’s best to wait until the war in the Golden Rock Province is over before considering this."

"Moreover, establishing a new garden will take some time. During this period, I can continue to summon extraplanar beings to see if there are any suitable candidates."

"Besides, the Upper Grade Third Tier Transcendent Potion has a mental power requirement. For now, I’ll continue using the Lower Grade version. By the time the new garden is ready, my mental power should be close to the required level."

Putting aside his thoughts, Su Nan temporarily set the matter aside and took out a spellbook to read.

With the boost from the Transcendent Potion, his speed in learning second-level spells had also increased significantly.

At the current rate, it would take about fifty days to master a second-level spell.

The training for segmented casting was also steadily improving, and Su Nan expected to master this technique by the end of the year, after which he would begin training in metamagic techniques.

While Su Nan systematically enhanced himself, the war in the Golden Rock Province was raging on.

The Flashing Army, with the Black Rock Cavalry and the Golem Legion as their trump cards, were sweeping through the battlefield, forcing the Golden Rock Coalition to retreat continuously.

In just a month, all the noble territories in the Golden Rock Province, except for the Marquis of Golden Rock, had fallen.

The once-mighty Golden Rock Coalition, which had been a formidable force half a year ago, was now reduced to a single, isolated figure.

This left many who had been following the war in shock.

While they had expected the Flashing Army to win, no one had anticipated such a one-sided outcome.

It was clear to everyone that the Marquis of Golden Rock's defeat was inevitable.

This highly anticipated war had lost all its suspense.

In the month of Scorching Fields, the sun was intense, and the heat was oppressive, causing people to feel irritable.

However, the atmosphere in the lord's residence of Golden Rock City was tense and icy.

Especially in the study at the back of the estate, servants tiptoed past, fearing they might anger the Marquis and suffer the same fate as those who had been hanged a few days ago.

Inside the study, the atmosphere was heavy.

Kaspar stood by the window, looking at the Marquis of Golden Rock's haggard face, his own emotions complex.

Two years ago, the Marquis had been vibrant and full of energy, with a head of black hair. Now, his face was lined with wrinkles, his hair was mostly gray, and his spirit visibly diminished.

For a legendary knight to be reduced to this state, it was clear how much pressure he had been under recently.

It was also hard to imagine that, just two years ago, who could have predicted that the Marquis of Golden Rock, a dominant figure, would ultimately be defeated by a mere baron?

Especially considering that four years ago, this baron had been indirectly exiled to the borderlands by the Marquis, living a precarious life.

Yet, in just four years, their positions had completely reversed.

Reflecting on it now, the entire sequence of events seemed so bizarre that it felt like a dream.

But Kaspar knew it wasn't a dream.

It was all because of the wizard named Su Nan.

Because of him, Black Rock City had grown at an astonishing rate, transforming into the formidable power it is today.

The High Priest was right; wizards are indeed a breed of beings that defy normal reasoning!

Thinking about this, Kaspar felt a wave of dejection.

The more powerful Su Nan became, the slimmer his chances of retrieving the Divine Blood Amber from him.

Losing the Divine Blood Amber had cost him his position as the commander of Stone Bell City, and now he was merely running errands for High Priest Joris.

As Kaspar's thoughts wandered, the Marquis of Golden Rock finally broke the silence, his voice hoarse.

"High Priest Joris, what brings you here this time?"

Joris, seated across from him, sipped his tea casually and smiled. "I come on behalf of the church to inquire, Marquis, do you still have any confidence in holding back the Flashing Army?"

Kaspar's lips twitched.

He noticed that Joris used the word "hold back" rather than "defeat."

Clearly, Joris was well aware that, given the Marquis's current state, defeating the Flashing Army was an impossible dream. Even holding them off would be a significant achievement.

The Marquis of Golden Rock looked deeply at Joris, his face expressionless. "If I say I have confidence, would your church believe me?"

Joris fell silent for a moment, then shook his head.

"Even if you could hold back the Flashing Army, once Su Nan intervenes, you are certain to die!"

The Marquis's eyes twitched, and he remained silent.

Since losing contact with Hebe and learning that the beastification plague in the Frost-Tainted Province had stopped spreading, he knew that Hebe was likely dead.

What puzzled him was why even Hebe, a veteran wizard with over a century of experience, could not stand up to Su Nan.

The boy had only been a wizard for four or five years, while Hebe had been around for over a century!

Faced with such a mysterious and unpredictable opponent, even the battle-hardened Marquis of Golden Rock felt a twinge of fear deep in his heart.

He had no way to refute Joris's words.

"You didn't come here just to tell me this, did you?"

Joris said softly, "When our church initially collaborated with you, Marquis, it was because we saw your potential and hoped you would rise to power, controlling the entire Starlight Duchy. In turn, our church could grow and flourish with your support.

“However, that plan has failed.”

“But fortunately, we have other options.”

The Marquis of Golden Rock felt a sense of unease and frowned, asking, “What options?”

“We have found Hebe Gilman’s laboratory in the Frost-Tainted Province and discovered the weakness of the beastification infection. If we present this method to the Grand Duke of Starlight, it will help the duchy quickly quell the disaster. I believe this should be enough to earn us a substantial reward. What do you think, Marquis?”

The Marquis of Golden Rock’s pupils constricted, and his face turned grim.

Upon realizing that Hebe was dead, he had immediately sent people to the Frost-Tainted Province to find Hebe’s laboratory, hoping to discover a way to control the beastification infection. If successful, he would have the capital to rise again.

But he never expected the Church of Starfire to move so swiftly and find Hebe’s laboratory before him.

Now, he was completely out of options!

“Of course, this might not be enough, which is why I’m here, Marquis. I need to borrow something from you.”

Joris smiled warmly.

As soon as he finished speaking, the Marquis of Golden Rock, who was sitting across from him, suddenly sprang into action. He launched himself like a cannonball, hurtling toward the wall by the window.

But in the next instant, he collided with an invisible barrier, sending him flying backward. He tumbled on the ground for a few rolls before coming to a stop.

Ignoring the pain, the Marquis of Golden Rock looked up and was horrified to find that the familiar study had vanished, replaced by a vast expanse of starry sky.

Countless stars dotted the darkness, and a brilliant Milky Way stretched overhead, majestic and awe-inspiring.

He felt as if he were floating in the infinite cosmos.

What’s happening?

The Marquis of Golden Rock’s eyes darted with a mix of shock and confusion.

“Marquis, you’re being a bit too hasty. I haven’t finished speaking yet.”

From over ten meters away, Joris held a book and looked at the Marquis with a smile.

The lackey, Kaspar, had also disappeared.

“Don’t pretend. You just want to use my life to curry favor with the Grand Duke of Starlight. What else could you possibly want from me?”

The Marquis of Golden Rock sneered, his eyes subtly scanning the book in Joris’s hand.

Is it because of that book?

“Thank you for understanding, Marquis.”

Joris seemed oblivious to the Marquis’s subtle movements and continued, “Actually, we’re not so different. We both have contingency plans.”

“Like how you secretly collaborated with another wizard to trigger the beastification disaster without ever informing us.”

The Marquis of Golden Rock snorted but was suddenly alarmed. He felt his strength and martial energy draining away.

This starry sky was actually sapping his strength and martial energy!

Realizing this, the Marquis of Golden Rock wasted no more time. He lunged forward, pouncing like a cheetah, aiming for Joris.

But he passed right through Joris’s body.

“Useless,” Joris said calmly. “You can’t harm me here.”

The Marquis of Golden Rock, refusing to believe it, tried again and again, but he could never touch Joris.

As time passed, the weakness in his body grew more pronounced. Eventually, he collapsed to the ground, utterly drained.

“Out of respect for our past collaboration, I’ll ensure you die with your body intact.”

Joris approached, looking down at the Marquis of Golden Rock with a hint of pity in his eyes.

The Marquis of Golden Rock panted weakly, his voice hoarse. “Don’t act so high and mighty. I’ll be waiting for you to join me. Don’t forget, you’re also responsible for the death of Su Nan’s father. He won’t let you off.”

Joris laughed dismissively. “That’s not your concern.”

“As long as our grand vision is realized, a mere Su Nan is nothing to worry about.”

The Marquis of Golden Rock managed a mocking smile but said nothing more, gasping for breath.

The Church of Starfire is too arrogant!

Just like he was back then.

If he had taken Su Nan more seriously, not given him the chance to grow, and eliminated him early on, he wouldn’t be in this situation now.

The Church of Starfire will eventually follow in his footsteps.

Joris, observing the Marquis’s expression, felt a twinge of irritation. He coldly snorted and pressed his hand on the book’s page.

Hum!

The stars surged forward, engulfing the Marquis of Golden Rock in a tidal wave of cosmic energy!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end