Chapter 602: Domain Determination

Luo De had once asked Kali Site about the difference between ninth-rank and lower-rank mages.

The elf lady still followed the old rule, first sneering twice at his ignorance.

Then, during the next spell class, she specifically called Luo De over to explain it in detail.

The difference between ninth-rank and lower-rank.

As for the mage profession, the most obvious feature is certainly the Truth Ring that manifests around the caster during spellcasting.

It is a natural phenomenon that appears when magical power reaches a certain threshold and forms a spontaneous connection with the continent's spirituality.

Mages have also discovered two exclusive abilities from the Truth Ring.

【Spell Empowerment】 and 【Truth Immunity】.

The former is simple: forcibly upgrading a seventh-rank or lower spell by two tiers.

Mages below ninth-rank can also enhance spell effects by increasing magical input.

But these methods are severely limited.

Even if you pump more magic into a sixth-rank 【Acid Fog】, no matter how much you boost it, it will never become a legendary-scale spell that covers sky and earth.

【Spell Empowerment】 is different.

A sixth-rank 【Acid Fog】 is directly empowered to eighth-rank; its magical structure and frequency are catalyzed by the Truth Ring's connection to the continent's natural spirituality, instantly maximizing its effect—enough to blanket an entire town.

【Truth Immunity】 is simpler in effect.

It forcibly turns a failed saving throw into a success, regardless of whether the target's stat meets the requirement.

In short,

the Truth Ring can mobilize native terrestrial spirituality to assist spellcasting, and also use that spirituality to substitute for the caster's own saving throw.

Of course,

such god-defying abilities naturally have usage limits.

Generally, a ninth-rank beginner mage can use each effect only three times and once per day respectively.

But such precious abilities are naturally not meant to be used early.

Domain ability.

It is also a crucial technique for ninth-rank mages.

Gray-white radiance spread downward in tassels, bursting like a fireworks ball—white petals transformed into bone spikes, shooting toward Luo De's figure.

Their speed was extreme, their number immense, pouring down like a torrential rain.

"Accumulating honor points?"

【Glory Stair: The home arena fighter gains 'Honor Points' upon hitting the away arena fighter】

One of the effects of the arena's treasure.

Once Honor Points reach a certain threshold, they can even ignore defense—effectively countering Luo De's 【Dragon Scale Art】.

He certainly wouldn't be foolish enough to take it head-on.

With his 【Agility Boost】、【Reflex Evasion】、【Predator's Hunger】's extreme agility, plus the absurd push of 【Repulsion Shu +38】, he swiftly retreated.

He didn't move.

Luo De's face showed surprise—he felt a counterforce rising from every bone in his body, opposing his muscles.

Even his cervical spine twisted his head backward.

He was frozen in place.

"Domain?"

First raise 【Dragon Scale Art】.

Ding-ding-dong—

As the light touched the ground, Luo De finally saw clearly: they were gray-white bone spikes with blood grooves.

The bone spikes were brittle, their power decent, dense and numerous—but useless against +18 Dragon Scale Art.

They shattered into powder upon impact.

【Honor Points: 37】.

"How does it feel to have your bones controlled?"

Vincent remained motionless, a sneering smile on his face.

"Not bad."

Luo De wasn't in a hurry—he scanned with 【Insight Magic Eye】 while using his internal Grass Domain to resist.

【【Insight Magic Eye】 detects Domain resistance!】

【Grass Domain · Verdant Interheal (Luo De): 41】

【Bone Spike Domain · Bone Spine Burst (Vincent): 57】

【Result: Failure!】

"Oh?"

Though it failed, it granted Luo De some mobility.

【Repulsion Shu +38】 exploded—a white mist burst open, hurling Luo De out of the bone spike rain's range.

He staggered.

Crimson lava-like streams surged wildly through his muscles.

He forcibly wrapped his bones with muscle to move.

His sword sheathed in black-gold, he swung a stiff 【Giant Slash+26】—the white spiritual greatsword slammed into Vincent's 【Sapphire Ward】, instantly shattering.

Luo De raised an eyebrow—he immediately knew Vincent had spent one use of 【Spell Empowerment】 on that defense.

The question arose:

Why didn't he just use a ninth-rank spell?

Simple: ninth-rank spells are notoriously hard to learn and slow to cast; most ninth-rank mages are lucky to master one or two.

For convenience, it's better to rely on spells with high familiarity.

"You can still move?"

Vincent stared in shock at the dissipating slash wave.

Domain ability is overwhelmingly dominant against lower-rank individuals—ordinary spiritual arts and spells simply cannot resist it.

Unless

the opponent also has a domain, partially canceling his control.

"You have a domain too? No wonder you drove back Asmodeils, heh."

"Is this something special?"

Luo De's expression was casual—he rapidly extended his Ice Blade Domain, two howling ice trees already sprouting.

【Howling Ice Tree: Within the Ice Blade Domain, one "Howling Ice Tree" grows every five minutes; each tree increases Ice Blade strength by 5%, and can be forcibly grown by consuming 50% of the caster's spirituality.】

His bones being forcibly controlled slowed his movements.

He simply stood still, channeling his spirituality into 【Yudian's Ice Blade Domain】.

Under 【Ability Transcendence】, the spiritual art's proficiency bar shot up and stabilized at +10!

The sky rained bone spikes and ice blades, colliding wildly.

Crackling and popping.

Shards of ice exploded outward; drifting ice mist slowly obscured the spectators' view.

Sain, gripping his waist 【Tremor Soul Blade】 tightly, stared in horror at the scene.

"Can Luo De really hold his own against a ninth-rank mage?"

Captain Carter shook his head: "These bone spikes—even I could withstand them. Vincent the Piercer, one of the butchers from the Fifty-Year Fairy Tragedy, won't have only these tricks."

As he spoke,

Carter froze—he sensed a barely contained spiritual fluctuation behind him from the "traitor" disguised as a common soldier.

Tooth Fairy Fairy

Oh! This new member of Wind of the Hunter is also one of the fairies!

Carter slapped his forehead.

Because Rosalia's physique had no resemblance to a fairy's, he'd completely overlooked it.

That meant the beautiful lady's reason for joining Wind of the Hunter was obvious.

He couldn't help sighing.

He silently prayed: let neither the current party struggles nor the aftermath of the Fifty-Year Tragedy drag me in.

Boom!

Another clash of ice blades and bone spikes shattered.

The number of Howling Ice Trees surpassed ten.

"You chose mana recovery? Is this petty skirmishing really your plan to outlast me?"

Within the white frost mist,

the tall, handsome figure patted the ice tree beside him.

Then he inhaled deeply—visible forest spirituality flowed through the soil and earth into his nostrils.

Luo De's spirituality instantly recovered over half.

【Child of Nature】 isn't a joke—even deep underground, far from forests, as long as your feet touch solid ground, you still get absurdly high recovery speed.

"Heh."

Vincent stood unmoved, sneering.

"Your defensive ability is indeed strong, and I have no use for the extra effects of this arena. I have my own way to ignore your dragon scales."

He raised his bone staff, and a cold, gray-white magical light emanated from it.

"Bloodbone Spiral."

Luo De suddenly realized his bones were mutating and regenerating within him!

Bones inexplicably sprouted spines that transformed into high-speed drills, piercing straight through his chest to his heart.

(End of Chapter)