Chapter 1103: Plane Modification Method, Re-reading the Nether Scroll

With the Princess's Ascension to Godhood and Giles Tower entering the era of Sikumu, there was no one left who could truly be considered a backer for Xia Duo.

Although he had become a Senior Arcanist and was, to a certain extent, no longer afraid of Great Arcanists, it was merely a lack of fear; he still could not defeat them in a fight.

At the same time, his influence was far inferior; if a Great Arcanist were to truly come knocking, who would speak up for him?

Bailun or Zhenna perhaps might.

The former had a favor owed, and coupled with the relationship between Niya and the Princess, Bailun would likely speak for him, but favors are worn away with excessive use.

As for his relationship with the latter, it was built more upon cooperation; as for the talk of being allies that Zhenna had once mentioned, Xia Duo would not take it seriously.

Without equal strength and equal influence, whether one is an ally depends entirely on the other party's mood. If the mood is good, perhaps they are; if the mood is bad, then they are not.

Xia Duo's visit to Kangjienio this time was, to some extent, driven by the desire to cling to a powerful figure; after all, when it comes to true influence in Netheril, perhaps even the Lord of Radiance is not as influential as Kangjienio.

As for Iolum, his influence was manifested more in the future; if the 【Mythallar】 were successfully born, his influence in Netheril would surely surpass that of Kangjienio.

So, should he agree or not?

First, what Xia Duo could be certain of was that neither Kangjienio nor Iolum held any malice toward him; otherwise, they could have just struck him down on the spot.

Hypocrisy might be disguised for a time, but it can never escape the scouring of time; and if one is hypocritical for a lifetime, then what difference is there from true goodness?

In fact, thinking to this point, Xia Duo had already made his choice, but what he regretted slightly was that Iolum did not truly intend to take him as a student, but merely offered temporary protection.

Although this was not bad, he would likely be unable to come into contact with the Mythallar, at least not until the relevant technology matured and was opened to other Great Arcanists.

Sure enough, wanting more after getting some is always human nature!

"Lord Iolum, it is my honor to be your student!"

"Haha! It is also my honor to have such an excellent student, even if it is only temporary!"

"..."

As expected, Great Arcanists are not so easily fooled; of course, this was also because Xia Duo was now a Senior Arcanist, having arguably stepped half a foot into the realm of Great Arcanists.

If it were Xia Duo himself, he would not take such a student either.

And if he had just advanced to become an Arcanist, then perhaps this matter would have succeeded.

Of course, if he were just a novice who had just advanced, how could he possibly have seen these two!

Even as a temporary student, the atmosphere in the study became relaxed; the relationship between Iolum and Kangjienio was similar to that between Xia Duo and him.

Close, yet with a certain distance; it could be considered an ideal relationship between Spellcasters.

Next came the part of this visit that was the true harvest for Xia Duo.

The questions prepared in advance were thrown out one after another, mostly concerning the basic theories of Magic, and of course, various experiences, ideas, or methods from the research process.

He even tried to ask the two Great Arcanists for advice on some spell details that did not involve secrets.

And because he had gained a new teacher in Iolum, Xia Duo was even bolder in asking difficult questions related to the Plane Domain.

To this, both Iolum and Kangjienio answered them one by one.

The same question, answered from different perspectives, gave Xia Duo a feeling of sudden enlightenment; he had not expected that the two Great Arcanists would really be willing to answer those questions that could completely be called "confidential technology."

For example, regarding the modification of a Semi-plane, Xia Duo learned the two methods and means of "Elemental Infection" and "Root Reshaping" from the two Great Arcanists respectively.

Even regarding the creation of a Semi-plane, although he found it difficult to ask any meaningful questions because he had not yet come into contact with knowledge in this area, the two Great Arcanists still briefly explained the Principles of creating a Semi-plane to him.

This could no longer be called a harvest; it was simply becoming rich overnight!

This visit lasted from early morning until the afternoon; during this time, Iolum left twice because of matters at the Arcane Union, and at other times, they participated in discussions and explanations together.

But all good things must come to an end, and eventually, it was time to disperse.

"Master Kangjienio, Teacher Iolum, thank you both for your dedicated guidance. This visit has benefited me greatly. Thinking that I am about to return to Nan Jing, I really feel quite reluctant."

"Haha!"

Iolum laughed heartily, "It is right to be reluctant. Although Nan Jing is comfortable, it is ultimately far from the core of Netheril. Come back to visit Seventon when you have time."

"Yes."

Xia Duo nodded. With the existence of Teleportation and the Teleportation Array, the distance from Nan Jing to Seventon was but a stone's throw away.

However, he did not plan to come to Seventon in the near future; there were truly quite a few things to be busy with next!

After bidding farewell to the two elders, Xia Duo, who had already walked to the Teleportation Room, suddenly remembered that his reading Permission Level for the 【Nether Scroll】 this year had not yet been used, so he hurriedly turned back.

Passing through the small Trade District inside the Arcane Union Headquarters and entering the Library, Xia Duo followed his memory to the entrance of the Secret Chamber where the 【Nether Scroll】 was kept.

Of course, the real Secret Chamber was not the stone door Xia Duo saw before him, nor the room behind the stone door, but a hidden Semi-plane!

This was merely a fixed portal.

Summoning the tower spirit, submitting the application, verifying the pass, and entering the Secret Chamber—the process after becoming a 5th-Level Member of the Union was no different from the previous process.

However, Xia Duo had no mind to think about those issues; his heart and soul were already completely attracted by the dozens of Golden Pages, slightly smaller than A4 paper, placed on the circular desk near the wall inside the circular room!

This was the 【Nether Scroll】!

Seeing them again, Xia Duo's mood was still difficult to calm down; it was these that had created the Netheril of today.

Although this could not be separated from the Wisdom and dedication of countless Netheril Spellcasters in the past—after all, this thing had been in the hands of the Elf for countless years and had only ended up being collected and gathering dust—

its own role could absolutely not be ignored.

Slightly calming his mood, Xia Duo picked up the first page he had read before and entered a state of focus. The silver characters on the Golden Page began to change rapidly, forming segments of text with actual meaning.

Although he did not recognize these characters, as long as he held the Golden Page, he could naturally understand the meaning within.

Of course, beyond the text, there was a more direct and fundamental expression, which was to demonstrate the author's creative intent through the different changes of the Magic Net String.

No matter what kind of text, what kind of language, or what kind of Magic system, it was, in the final analysis, a form of expression built upon facts and essence.

And using the Magic String to demonstrate the Spell was, for Xia Duo, even easier to accept than using language to express it.