Chapter 549: Advanced Magic-Energy Technology

Deep within the blazing sanctuary of the Flame Canyon, a rift of dark shadows tore through the air, flinging two figures violently onto the hard stone floor.

Though Phoenix and Salonas had been teleported away in the nick of time, they had not escaped unscathed from the onslaught.

"Bah!"

The Lord of Flames spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, disheveled and humiliated by the direct brunt of the assault from Ronin and his two companions.

"This Ronin is monstrously powerful, far beyond reason. I daresay he feels stronger than that ancient dotard guarding the Fiend God Island!"

The Fiend God Island was the very place where the Dread Bane King lay sealed, a modest isle situated in the sea a hundred miles northwest of the City of Dawn.

The human race, however, did not call it by that name, referring to it instead as the "Land of Exile," the place where the fiend gods were banished, and where the devastating, bloody war of a millennium past had unfolded.

Salonas rose to his feet, his black cowl that usually shrouded his head now torn to shreds, revealing a bald scalp as pale as his countenance.

He, too, felt a lingering dread in his heart: "He is indeed formidable. With him present, our prospects are bleak."

After the war a thousand years ago, both humans and demons were grievously wounded, and even after all these centuries, they had failed to restore their former resplendent glory.

The Sages and Grand Sages of both sides could be counted on one's fingers, and Ronin's sudden emergence completely shattered the balance.

"If Ronin were merely a Sage, we might still have a way. But he possesses the might of a Grand Sage, and he has another Sage by his side!"

Salonas spoke grimly: "I suspect the humans will begin to turn the tables and launch an offensive against our occupied territories. I suggest we abandon Carthage Town and withdraw everyone back to the Flame Canyon."

Phoenix snorted, his expression darkening with profound displeasure.

The most fertile and bountiful land on the Crescent Continent was the Dawn Woodlands, where the City of Dawn stood; they had managed to seize three territories with great difficulty, and now two were lost, with another to be willingly surrendered.

In all his years of warfare, this was the first time he had been forced into such a compromise.

"Retreat only leads to a slow death. We do not have the luxury of time to wait for you or Ceres to become true Grand Sages, nor can we nurture more Sages in a few short years!"

Although Salonas could utilize secret arts to match a Grand Sage, and Ceres was a peak Sage who wielded a Grand Sage's might through his innate talents, they were not, in the end, immortal beings.

Phoenix’s fiery red eyes gleamed with a ferocious light, "Notify Ceres. We shall concentrate our forces for a decisive battle!"

Salonas felt a chill in his heart, sensing a slight impropriety, "A decisive battle, truly? Though delaying a few years may not grant us a breakthrough, the Lord Fiend God might shatter his seal and descend once more. Then, the tide will turn in our favor."

"We cannot afford to wait!"

Phoenix shook his head and said, "This Ronin grows too quickly, and who knows what secrets he hides within him. The longer time drags on, the more advantageous it likely becomes for him!"

Buzz~

As the two argued, the air vibrated violently; the space ahead of them began to warp, and immediately following, the power of the Dread Bane began to coalesce, slowly forming a massive black face.

"Lord Fiend God!"

"We welcome the descent of the Lord Fiend God!"

The two dropped cleanly to one knee, offering their fervent and sincere salutations.

They had not anticipated that their king could already bleed his power through the seal and transmit it across the distance to this place.

"I sensed the very will of this world upon that man. That Ronin is one blessed by the world's intent."

The mouth of the giant face opened and closed, uttering obscure yet perfectly intelligible sounds to their ears.

"Phoenix speaks the truth. Facing such an enemy, waiting will only work to your ultimate disadvantage! Only a decisive battle can forge a favorable opportunity!"

Phoenix and Salonas exchanged a glance, then bowed their heads in compliance.

"Choose the Fiend God Island as your battlefield. Even should you fall in battle, your heroic souls shall receive my protection, and rebirth will be a mere matter of time."

"We obey your command, Lord Fiend God!" Phoenix declared in a deep voice.

The massive face slowly dissipated, shooting two streaks of pitch-black radiance into the bodies of the two lords, "Go forth, gather your strength, and exert your absolute all!"

After a long while, once the surrounding energy fluctuations had faded away, the two stood up.

The aura emanating from their bodies seemed to have gained a subtle enhancement at this moment.

"I must assimilate this 'Essence of Dread Bane' bestowed by the Lord Fiend God."

Salonas said, "During this period, the Sorrowsoul Knights shall be left to your command."

Phoenix gave a grunt of assent, "The Lord Fiend God has likely sought out Ceres as well. I wonder if he can achieve a breakthrough after receiving the Essence of Dread Bane?"

The Sorrow-Wind Plains once boasted the grandest harbor connecting the Crescent Continent to the Starry Continent, though it was now occupied by the Storm Lord, Ceres.

Just moments ago, the will of the Fiend God had descended, bestowing upon him a new power.

"With this strength, I shall finally step into the realm of immortality!"

Ceres, whose skin resembled withered wood, clenched his fist tightly, "Victory shall belong to us in the end!"

While the three demon lords actively prepared for the final showdown, Ronin arrived at the City of Dawn upon the invitation of Lyne.

Under the guidance of Sophia, he took a tour of the grand city.

The City of Dawn truly lived up to its reputation as a metropolis possessed of supreme magitech; here, Ronin discovered many novelties.

For instance, magitech cars, magitech airships, and magitech firearms existed; conceptually, these were technological products, but they utilized a different energy source—the elements of magic, magitech power.

Ronin also learned from Sophia that the City of Dawn possessed a terrifying weapon of mass destruction known as the "Rainbow of Extinction," which was said to be nigh impossible for even a Sage to withstand should it hit them directly.

If unleashed upon a city, it could obliterate places of the caliber of Dragon City or Golden Feather City in the blink of an eye.

Ronin surmised that this Rainbow of Extinction likely carried the full-force strike of a top-tier Sage.

However, such a device must incur an immense expenditure; otherwise, they would not have maintained such a delicate, long-standing stalemate with the demon race.

Then again, a weapon of this nature was well worth studying.

After wandering twice through the magic-imbued central palace, Ronin ducked into the grand library, flipping through numerous historical texts to gain a deeper understanding of this world's past.

He planned to have Randall and the others come over for advanced studies once free communication between the two continents was established, bringing back the glorious history to let the citizens of the Starry Continent know their origins and the epic, tear-inducing martyrs of the past.

"Ronin."

Lyne’s figure appeared within the library, "I did not expect you to be so deeply interested in these ordinary books."

Ronin closed the tome in his hand and said with a smile, "After all, a historical fracture occurred on the Starry Continent. Though I've heard much from Sophia, it is far from as detailed as the records kept here."

He returned the book to its shelf, "Speaking of which, I would also like to exchange insights with you regarding spatial magic."

"We can discuss such exchanges at any time," Lyne agreed without a moment's hesitation.

He held Ronin in exceptionally high regard, particularly after hearing from Sophia in private that Ronin was merely in his forties.

A Grand Sage in his forties was an existence far too terrifying to comprehend.

Faced with such an outstanding ally, and in order to end the demonic threat swiftly, Lyne had no desire to hoard his knowledge or conceal any research or secret techniques that could aid in enhancing strength.

"Before that, however, I would like to invite you to attend the Supreme Council of the Human Alliance."

Lyne added, "Furthermore, Lord Prius has the latest intelligence to convey to us."

As they conversed, the two flew toward the central hub of the City of Dawn, which was a magitech island floating high in the sky.

Ronin sensed it briefly; the entire floating island seemed to be driven by magical power, inscribed with array diagrams of almost every attribute—earth, wind, and fire.

When he landed upon the floating island, he perceived that the elements here were extraordinarily dense.

And upon seeing numerous young figures training their battle aura or magic, sparring against conjured elemental constructs, he realized this must be the place where the City of Dawn nurtured its elite transcendents.

Compared to this floating island, Ronin's Northern Crow Transcendent Academy, and even the former royal magic academies of the Alduin Kingdom and the Tricia Kingdom, paled into utter insignificance.

The conditions here are simply too favorable—no wonder the overall strength of the youth in Dawnhaven far surpasses that of those on the Starfall Continent.

The two soared into the grand structure at the heart of the floating island.

The hall was vast and empty, devoid of any others.

Yet as they entered, Roland noticed the platforms lining both sides suddenly glowing. Light flickered and twisted, then coalesced into a translucent figure standing atop one of the pedestals.

“What is this?”

Roland raised an eyebrow, reminded instantly of 3D projections.

Lion smiled and explained, “This is my ‘Arcane-Light Image’—it allows people scattered across distant lands to convene as if gathered in one room.”

As he spoke, he handed Roland a deep crimson ring. “This connects you to the Arcane-Light Image. Even when you’re away from Dawnhaven, you may still attend our meetings.”

Roland examined it closely, marveling, “Newmoon Continent’s mastery of magic far exceeds that of the Starfall Continent—by so much, so very much!”

He turned to Lion. “If possible, I’d like to send people here to study in the future.”

“Haha, a trivial matter,” Lion replied.

He led Roland to sit upon one of the platforms. Soon after, light bloomed across the others.

Two… three… four…

Nine spectral figures emerged in total.

These nine were the leaders of the human race on Newmoon Continent, each possessing at least the strength of a Sage.

“Everyone has arrived!”

Spoke an elder even older than Lion, his arms and face etched with wrinkles as deep as the bark of ancient trees.

“You must be the reinforcement from Newmoon Continent?”

Roland nodded. “Pleased to meet you all. I am Roland Wushan.”

Greetings flowed from many directions; clearly, the atmosphere among the human elite was warm.

After brief exchanges, Roland gained a rough understanding of their strengths.

Foremost was the elder named Pryce, a Grand Sage—rumored to have survived the great war a thousand years past.

Second was Lion, teetering on the brink of breakthrough.

Two others stood similarly poised. The remaining seven were mostly below mid-tier Sage level.

“Enough idle talk for now,” Pryce declared, silencing the gathering. His voice carried weight. “Not long ago, I sensed the King of Nightmares leaking energy beyond its seal. Upon investigation, traces were found in the Blazing Ravine and the Plain of Sorrowful Winds.”

At this news, all present stiffened.

“The Demon God is breaking free?” someone asked in disbelief.

“That can’t be! The seal consumed the lives of our ancestors—it cannot be so easily undone!”

“Do not forget,” another interjected, “when the King of Nightmares first descended upon our world, it slowly corrupted countless humans and magical beasts by spreading its soul-force outward. Unnoticed, it amassed legions of servants. Now that it can project power beyond the seal, it may begin cultivating new followers once more!”

“Regardless of the exact circumstances, this is ill omened for us.”

Lion turned to the elder. “Master Pryce, what do you intend to do?”

“You speak wisely. In recent years, I’ve increasingly felt the seal weakening. If we delay, we risk being caught unprepared.”

Pryce shifted his gaze to Roland. “Now that we have a Grand Sage-level ally like Roland, along with Ridal, Elron, and the legendary dragon, the time has come to take the initiative!”

“We must exterminate the wretched minions of the Demon Gods—Phoenix, Salonas, and their ilk. We must guard fiercely against any among our people being corrupted. And above all—we must seek a way to destroy it utterly!”

For creatures such as this, so long as they draw breath, they remain eternal blights. (End of Chapter)