Chapter 150: Push Hands

"Isn't that right? Now we have a good show to watch. Let them slaughter each other; once they're done fighting, we'll clean up the aftermath—maybe even reap some benefit," the tall, thin Bazer replied sharply.

Bazer is an expert in Curse and soul magic; his sorcery is bizarre and lethal, able to silently infiltrate an enemy's soul, plant a Curse, and let the foe die slowly in agony.

He is spiteful and scheming, and habitually likes to stir up trouble in the Wizard Council, using any means to achieve his goals.

"What are we afraid of? Even if the God of Machines truly arrives, it might not be able to do anything to us. In the Southern Realm we have numerous powerful protective arrays and many formidable Wizards; are we still scared of it?" the white‑haired elder of the Council, Augustin, lifted his cup, sipped leisurely, his tone full of arrogance and contempt.

Augustin commands ancient and mysterious protective and augmenting magic; his spells can strengthen allies and repel powerful assaults.

Over the years, thanks to his extensive experience and deep magical knowledge, he has enjoyed great prestige in the Council, and because of that he has become conceited, utterly dismissive of the crisis in the Northern Realm.

In bygone years, the Wizard Council was the Kingdom's undisputed greatest power, and with its massive organization they bore the responsibility of maintaining the Kingdom's stability.

The Northern Realm, as a vital frontier of the Kingdom, has always been under their close surveillance, every move kept under control.

With the forceful rise of the Western Realm powers, the Wizard Council was brutally expelled in a fierce power struggle.

Since then, the Knight Guild has rapidly expanded in the Western Realm, regaining control over its rule.

At the same time, the Round Table Council seized the opportunity, and with its strong might and brilliant strategy, successfully subjugated the Eastern Realm.

Amid these upheavals, the Wizard Council's sphere of influence kept shrinking, eventually forced to retreat helplessly to the Southern Realm.

After the Wizard Council withdrew from the Northern Realm, the original power vacuum gradually emerged.

Duke Frost Eagle keenly sensed the opportunity, and his inner ambition began to swell wildly.

He schemes to harness the God of Machines' power to shatter the current fragmented state of the factions and thus dominate the entire Kingdom.

After retreating to the Southern Realm, the Wizard Council not only failed to block Duke Frost Eagle's moves but adopted a by‑stander's attitude.

They think that the Northern Realm's chaos will sap other forces' strength while they reap the fisherman's profit.

This indulgent and inciting stance undoubtedly gave Duke Frost Eagle greater boldness and leeway, leading him step by step toward his current madness of attempting to summon the God of Machines.

The catastrophic disaster now looming over the Northern Realm traces back to the Wizard Council's original decisions and inaction.

Unlike the Wizard Council's indifferent, schadenfreude attitude, the Round Table Council is now frantic like ants on a hot pan, pacing the meeting room.

Should the Northern Realm erupt, the Kingdom's power balance will be shattered, and the situation they have painstakingly cultivated will become precarious.

With no other recourse, the Round Table Council can only send an urgent reinforcement request to the Western Realm Knight Guild.

Yet the reply was the Knight Guild's cold, perfunctory response, citing that they had already dispatched an investigation team to the Northern Realm, politely refusing the reinforcement request.

A brief reflection makes it clear that the Knight Guild had long anticipated that the Northern Realm might face such a crisis.

Thus they dispatched Robin and Ailina, two powerful Great Knights, to the Northern Realm early on; ostensibly to carry out an investigation, but in fact to block any future accountability the Round Table Council might demand.

Recalling the great battle that expelled the Wizard Council from the Western Realm, the Knight Guild, though victorious, paid a grievous price.

Four Legendary Knights bled onto the battlefield, one Order Knight was gravely wounded and maimed; their vitality severely drained, they deeply understood how murky the Northern Realm's waters had become and, regardless, did not wish to be drawn in again lightly.

The so‑called investigation team is merely a cover for the Knight Guild and the Round Table Council to maintain a superficial alliance.

The Knight Guild knows that once they intervene in Northern Realm affairs, they could be drawn into endless conflict, draining massive manpower and resources, and possibly suffering heavy losses again.

They would rather watch from the sidelines, waiting for the situation to clear before making the next move.

Yet the Round Table Council can only watch helplessly, anxiously scrambling, facing an increasingly difficult situation alone in the Northern Realm crisis.

Amid the scheming of multiple factions, it ultimately led to Lao Mao's party of Legendary Knights resolutely heading to the Northern Realm.

Originally, with the Round Table Council's overall strength, sending even stronger champions to the Northern Realm wouldn't be difficult. However, the harsh reality is that deep within the Northern Realm hide many equally terrifying powerhouses.

Once those top elites step into the Northern Realm, the region's intricate Magic Perception network will detect them instantly.

At that point, they will be tightly restrained by the Northern Realm's native powers, unable to effectively support the front lines, and even their own safety will be hard to guarantee.

Consequently, sending an Order Knight or a second‑ring Wizard into the Northern Realm might end up being a loss.

Fortunately, Robin successfully broke through the chaos to become a Legendary Knight, an unexpected boon for Lao Mao's squad.

As the group began discussing the next steps, Lao Mao looked at the slightly weary yet excited Robin and said, "Ailen, you just broke through to Legendary Knight status; your combat experience and control over power are still unstable. From now on, stay behind Jialaisi—he is experienced, can protect you at critical moments, and can advise you on how to better wield your newly gained strength."

Hearing this, the other Legendary veterans in the squad nodded in agreement.

In their eyes, although Robin has great potential, having just completed the breakthrough, he indeed needs a reliable senior to guide him amid the Northern Realm's complex and perilous situation.

As the third seat of the Round Table Council, Jialaisi possesses outstanding strength and unparalleled combat experience; with him leading Robin, Robin can both train and remain safe.

Robin felt deep gratitude; he knew Lao Mao and the seniors were looking out for him. He nodded vigorously, looked at Jialaisi, and said firmly, "Lord Jialaisi, please continue to guide me."

Jialaisi gave a slight nod, his voice low yet reassuring, "Stay close to me, don't act rashly; the Northern Realm's crisis far exceeds your imagination."

Robin silently gauged the combat power of Jialaisi, assuming he, like himself, is a peak Legendary Knight who has mastered Order, though unsure to what level he has attained.

(End of Chapter)