Chapter 514: Heart of the Plane

The title of Duke the Conqueror swept through the entire Kingdom of Alduin like a hurricane, and the name Rhonin Darkmountain once more struck the nobility with awe and reverence.

The Glee Highlands marked the border of the Duchy of Ferens, facing the Duchy of Balaton which swore fealty to the Kingdom of Tricia.

Though the fighting here had commenced simultaneously with the Battle of Mist City, it was evidently devoid of such fierce intensity.

To be more precise, the clashes on this front bore a resemblance to children playing house.

Today a small squad of knights would arrange a skirmish, and tomorrow another would stumble into a conflict and trade blows.

After a month of combat, neither side had lost so much as a single encampment, let alone a fortress.

Garrett had shown none of the fervor here that he had displayed at Mist City; perhaps out of foul humor, he had simply let things slide into complacency.

Today, he received firsthand intelligence from Ferens: Rhonin had become a duke.

"I knew my royal father would make such a choice."

Garrett leaned back against the sofa, cradling his head in his hands, his high nose bridge lending a profound, yet somewhat cold depth to his eyes.

"The facts prove he has compromised with Rhonin yet again. A duke, and bestowed with the title of Conqueror—does he truly believe Rhonin will conquer the Kingdom of Tricia for his sake?"

He narrowed his eyes. "Or does he genuinely believe that if Rhonin does conquer Tricia, he will offer it up on a silver platter, allowing the House of Alduin to inherit that supreme glory?"

Ferens gave a low chuckle.

"I have reviewed Rhonin’s records with great care and discovered something peculiar. Whenever he acquires new territory or rises in peerage, his strength undergoes a monumental leap!"

This was an accidental discovery by Ferens; naturally, he could not be certain what connection existed between territory, noble rank, and strength, and for now, it was born of pure curiosity.

"We might well watch whether he experiences another ascension after becoming a duke this time."

"Another ascension? Is he to become a twenty-year-old Legend?"

Garrett shook his head. "Ferens, my uncle, this notion of yours is truly fantastic."

Ferens shrugged helplessly. "It is merely a casual observation of mine, and perhaps it is flawed, but we shall see."

At this, he shifted the topic. "So, how have your deliberations fared over this past period?"

Garrett straightened from his reclining posture and exhaled a long, slow breath. "Only I can check Rhonin’s ambition! For Alduin, and for the Kingdom, I wish to try!"

Hearing these words, the corners of Ferens’s mouth curled upward, and he snapped his fingers in delight. "A wise choice, Garrett. One day in the future, you will surely rejoice in having made so correct a decision!"

"Come then, take me to see him!"

Garrett tightened his fist. "I too wish to see just what heights this power you have so long heralded can elevate me to!"

Over the subsequent month and more, Rhonin journeyed back and forth among the various cities within his ducal domain; aside from organizing certain affairs of great import, his primary task lay in the redistribution of personnel.

As his renown scaled greater heights, professional knights and mages from across the entire Kingdom of Alduin journeyed to him, drawn by his name.

Mages were few and far between, so he instructed Elrond to accept virtually every single one who arrived, further expanding the production of magical potions, herbs, and even magitech weapons and spell scrolls.

As for the professional knights, aside from screening their backgrounds, he specifically ordered McCain to establish a training camp in Mist City, where McCain and Rhaegar together would subject these knights who came to pledge allegiance to training and martial assessments.

Ultimately, the fitting candidates were selected and dispatched to other territories to assume various posts.

In addition, he prepared to establish an inspection group.

This organization drew preferentially from the ranks of knights who possessed griffins, and did not require profound strength—comprising veterans such as Tom and David.

Their duty was not to wage battle, but rather to patrol the various territories, observing whether these newly sworn professional knights committed any transgressions, and ultimately compiling dossiers to be presented to Rhonin.

Concurrently, upon ascending to the dukedom, he also bestowed titles and rewards upon his subordinates.

A vast multitude were directly invested as honorary knights, accompanied by bounties of coin and land.

On the eleventh day of November, Blanche, having toiled for over a month, finally laid all the compiled documents and records upon Rhonin’s desk.

With this, Rhonin’s seventh-tier achievement, 【Conquest of Lands】, was officially completed.

As the familiar text depicting Attribute Points +15,000 and Energy Essence +30,000 manifested within his vision, he had already finalized his preparations to storm the Legendary realm.

"Legend!"

With a sharp snap, he closed the cover of the ledger, rose to his feet, and strode outside.

"Are you going out?"

Seeing Rhonin’s manner, Blanche knew at once that he intended to depart.

"A small matter to attend to, I shall return anon!"

Rhonin smiled and kissed her. "You have labored hard these past days; take a good rest."

So saying, he invoked the Wind Shadow Art and swiftly vanished from Mist Castle.

Watching her husband’s form vanish into the night sky, Blanche could not help but feel intensely curious.

"Where could he be going, to employ even the Wind Shadow Art?"

Leaving Mist City behind, Rhonin arrived at the Mist Mountains.

Sophia had told him that ascending to Legend would provoke a tremendous commotion.

To avoid alarming too many souls, he had removed himself far from the city.

The Mist Mountains stretched from north to south, separating Mist City from the Duchy of Ferens, dividing them into two distinct theaters of war.

In the nocturnal mountains, the howling of magical beasts rose and fell in succession, rendering it an exceedingly perilous zone for ordinary professional knights.

Yet for Rhonin, he needed to do nothing at all; the mere aura radiating from his person sufficed to drive the magical beasts far into hiding.

He opened his attribute panel; through the accumulation of this past period, he now possessed 34,713 Attribute Points.

"Breakthrough!"

He invested all 24,632 Attribute Points required for the breakthrough, bringing both his knight and mage progressions to absolute consummation.

Hum—

A vast and grand celestial energy descended from the heavens, as though crossing from another dimension entirely, taking effect upon Rhonin’s form.

Verdant wind and crimson fire—the twin elemental forces formed countless elemental rivers, surging toward Rhonin from all directions and lifting him directly into the upper reaches of the sky.

Simultaneously, the space before him violently contorted and trembled, actually tearing open a planar gate.

"This is the 'Planar Gate' Sophia spoke of!"

Stepping through the planar gate did not lead to another plane, but rather to the planar heart space of the very world they inhabited.

Rhonin’s consciousness had already expanded into this planar gate, and a wondrous spectacle unfolded before his eyes—

A splendid world of stars, wherein he felt as though he stood amidst the starry cosmos itself, profound and boundless.

And at the epicenter of this celestial realm, a colossal sphere of light, as dazzling as the sun, occupied the greater half of his vision.

This was the Planar Heart.

Two beams of radiance shot forth from the Planar Heart, striking Rhonin’s abdominal sea of qi and the sea of consciousness between his brows.

Thump-thump, thump-thump!

Within Rhonin’s body, battle qi and magic power began to transmute, condensing, purifying, and sublimating at a pace visible to the naked eye.

The power of Ultimate Origin, and moreover, both the Ultimate Origin of Battle and the Ultimate Origin of Magic!

These twin currents of Ultimate Origin power flowed unceasingly through Rhonin’s body, continuously reinforcing every cell of his flesh, as well as his spirit.

With the continuous infusion of the primordial source power, Ronin's senses attained an unprecedented level of sharpness.

He could clearly feel the surge of every drop of blood within his body, the tension and relaxation of every muscle, and even the faintest tremor in the depths of his soul.

This was not merely an elevation of power, but a profound understanding and mastery of the very essence of life!

This strengthening endured for a vast stretch of time, only gradually subsiding when the radiance projected by the Heart of the Plane finally dispersed.

It was at this precise moment that a subtle resonance bloomed between Ronin’s heart and the Heart of the Plane, leaving a faint imprint upon his flesh.

This was the Mark of the Plane, signaling Ronin's ascension to the realm of legends, allowing him to break free from the shackles of worldly forces to a certain degree; now, even without utilizing the Wings of Wind or the Wind Shadow Art, he could soar through the sky at will.

Flight had truly become an instinct.

The Gate of the Plane closed slowly, yet the elemental storm outside did not cease.

Ronin closed his eyes and focused his mind, allowing this vast, boundless power to continue washing over his body and soul.

No one knew how much time had passed when the final surge of elemental force was completely absorbed by Ronin, and he slowly opened his eyes.

At this moment, his gaze seemed to contain the very stars themselves, deep and brilliant.

He exhaled softly, and his breath actually carried a faint ripple of elemental fluctuations, as if even the air itself trembled in response.

"Is this the power of a legend?"

Ronin murmured to himself, his voice carrying a mixture of profound shock and eager anticipation.

He felt the near-limitless power swirling inside him, as though the elements of the entire world were now under his control.

He slowly raised his hand, and with a mere thought, the surrounding fire elements instantly converged toward his palm.

With a casual wave of Ronin's hand, an instantly cast second-tier fireball struck the mountain range below, yet its impact was actually comparable to a sixth-tier spell!

This was merely a second-tier spell; if he were to instantly cast a sixth-tier spell, would it not possess a destructive force near identical to the Roar of the Flame God?

Furthermore, it would be a continuous torrent of such roars.

"It doesn't stop there!"

Ronin took a step forward, and a sonic boom instantly shattered the silence of the night sky.

He threw a single punch, utilizing neither battle qi nor combat techniques, relying purely on raw speed to drive the air forward, twisting the trees ahead with the sheer pressure.

If this air punch were to strike ordinary armor, it would indent the steel and crush a knight's chest!

"This is the power of a legend; compared to the Blazing Sun realm, it is more than a single grade stronger!"

Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh!

While Ronin was testing his newfound strength, several sounds of breaking through the air echoed one after another, as Sophia, Rydal, and McCain appeared at the scene.

"Ronin, it really is you!"

An unprecedented look of shock washed over Sophia's beautiful face, "Have you broken through to the legendary realm?"

Ronin felt a touch of helplessness; he had purposely traveled far from Mist City to avoid disturbing them.

Yet he had not anticipated that the fluctuations of his breakthrough would ripple across such a vast distance.

"Let us change locations before we speak."