Chapter 679: Trial Casting and the Stranger

Under the blazing sun, the golden sands of the Death Desert.

By late May, the heat was scorching, rising waves of it warping the horizon.

Luo De shaded his eyes with his hand, watching the witch girl standing alone not far off.

The blazing sun, which seemed to crush even the wind, had no effect on her; the hem of her long dress stirred and snapped without a breeze.

The syllables of the incantation moved in silence.

Five full minutes later, the arm clad in black silk gloves lifted, fingertips gently pointing forward.

In an instant, the sky tore open.

Far away, a blinding bolt of lightning plunged straight from the heavens!

As it fell, the lightning twisted and roared, transforming into a giant blue serpent three or four meters in diameter.

It seemed to frantically burrow into the desert’s sandy ground.

Amid the thunderous crashes, sand grains melted into glass under explosive heat.

Scorching shockwaves exploded outward, unleashing a golden storm.

“Whoa.”

Even Tally, watching before her, couldn’t help but gasp in awe.

The thunder’s roar arrived a moment late, violently slamming against their eardrums.

“A seventh-rank beginner legendary mage—seventh-rank [High Thunder], yet its power already rivals eighth-rank beginner levels. A castrated version of [Spell Empowerment]?”

Luo De chuckled.

Those who have mastered the Circle of Truth gain three daily uses of [Spell Empowerment], a skill that forcibly elevates any spell by two ranks.

Dimea took off from a distant desert dune and landed cheerfully beside them.

“How’s that! Pretty powerful, right!?”

“Too slow to cast. Not even close to ninth-rank—slower than a normal mage casting [High Thunder] by three or four times.”

Sharon the dog-woman crossed her arms. “Still, legendary spells have long enough range and immense power, so it makes up for the drawback.”

Legendary-path mages cast slower and face restrictions on their spell systems.

But the fact that she can use a castrated [Spell Empowerment] at seventh rank makes those two drawbacks trivial.

“Hey, all legendary spells are like this. I can still cast normally, you know.”

Dimea didn’t care, her baby-fat cheeks flushed with excitement.

As an attack-specialized legendary mage, aside from specific high-power evocation spells, her normal spells gain little in strength, and she’s lost the arcane spell progression techniques, making casting even slower.

The complex incantations and heavy material requirements also prevent her from mastering numerous spells or using techniques like [Dual Spell Synergy] like a normal arcane mage.

She’s essentially the rear-line mage, pure and simple.

“By the way, can’t you record it in your arcane spell slots?”

Luo De asked curiously.

“Unfortunately, no. Strictly speaking, legendary spells aren’t just single spells—they’re small rituals combining eight auxiliary spells like [Spell Range Overload] and [Spell Power Overload].”

“I see.”

Dimea beamed, affectionately linking arms with Sharon. “Thanks to Sharon’s good stuff, I made it through seventh rank. You’re truly my best friend!”

Sharon, as always, wore her hair in a neat low ponytail, crisp and efficient.

She shrugged. “It’s nothing. Don’t mention it.”

“That can’t be nothing. That potion must’ve cost a fortune. How much?”

Luo De, intrigued, asked: “Potion? What kind of potion?”

“A white potion. Its energy was incredibly pure and immense—it helped me get through the dangerous phase of my ascension.”

Dimea waved her arm. “But it had serious side effects. Sharon gave me a bunch of Qingxingyaoshui .”

Luo De froze. Why did that sound so familiar?

Wait—

Yesterday, when I asked Doggy to check on Little Ke, she pulled me aside behind a big tree and personally squeezed out a small bottle of [Genesis Dew].

He looked at Sharon, whose face twisted in embarrassment. Sharon immediately turned her head away, staring up at the sky.

“.”

Luo De had to tug her gently, leaning close to whisper: “You know that stuff causes dependency, right?”

“Of course I know. Isn’t that exactly what you want?”

“.”

“I’m joking. I’ve known how to make the dependency-reversal potion for ages.”

Sharon laughed at Luo De’s stunned expression.

She couldn’t help but think this man was too handsome, too fragrant—her skin tingled, and she wanted to bite him hard. But Dimea was here, so she held back.

“So you’re just screwing over your best friend, huh?”

“How’s that screwing? Our regular magic potions contain toad eggs, insect feces, and biological membranes from all sorts of creatures—those are way nastier than yours, and we still drink them.”

“But at least you process them. Pouring raw, unprocessed stuff down her throat—she’ll find out someday.”

“So what? You don’t tell, I don’t tell, and Dimea’s a coward—she’ll never know.”

“. I hope so.”

At that moment,

Tally leaned close to Dimea’s belly, peering curiously, then grinned: “Aha! Master, have you already done the witch? There’s your essence inside her~~”

Luo De and Sharon froze.

Oh right—I forgot this thing can smell essence.

Dimea’s baby-fat cheeks flushed pink. “What are you talking about, little Tally? I’m not like that with Luo De.”

“True. I’ve been clinging to Master all these days, and you’re still a virgin—no signs of being used. But have you been handling it yourself a lot?”

“Aaaahhh—what are you saying, little Tally!!”

Dimea’s face burned red as she frantically pressed her hands over the hem of her skirt, shielding herself.

Detective Tally tapped her chin, then a lightbulb flashed above her head: “Then it’s confirmed—you drank it! No wonder you ascended seventh rank so smoothly!”

Hearing this, Dimea froze.

She wasn’t stupid. She instantly understood—the color of the potion, the flood of Qingxingyaoshui afterward.

Her expression locked. Her throat rolled.

She turned her stiff neck toward Sharon.

Sharon’s ears drooped guiltily. She looked up at the sky again, whistling.

“SHARON!!!”

The two friends’ squabble clearly wouldn’t end soon.

As the chaos spread, Dimea kept shooting embarrassed, furious glances over.

Luo De wisely slipped away, leaving space for the two girls to play.

He also gave Tally’s face a good kneading, making her whimper pitifully before letting go.

No whimpering.

The succubus adored physical affection with her master—she grew more excited the more he rubbed, her legs trembling harder.

“.”

He gave up on her.

Luo De checked the time and decided to head to Shiying Town for lunch. There was a vampire-run blood-food restaurant on Xinlan Street worth trying.

Though it sounded awful.

Patak—

As he listened to Tally’s cooing, he walked into Henry Farm and saw a familiar yet unfamiliar face.

A human little girl.

(End of Chapter)