Chapter 606: The Door Has Opened

The truth of Magic; this phrase is like some sort of philosophical thought for humanity. Philosophical questions never have standard answers, but Leader Zhao surely believes he knows the correct answer, and this answer might be unexpectedly concrete.

Just then, a faint, almost imperceptible breeze blew by, and people on both sides of the standoff tilted their heads.

Someone looked up at the sky in confusion, as if that were the only direction the wind could come from. Above the deep pit, a gale howled and withered grass tumbled, yet it seemed to be blocked out by an invisible Barrier.

Yan Hao couldn't help but blurt out, "The door really has opened."

Naturally, a door must have opened for the wind to come. But is it really wind? Luo Qi felt a chill on his face and a faint stirring of his hair, as if there were wind. But this was wrong; he didn't smell anything. Wind always has a scent, or at the very least, it would take away a bit of moisture from his nose, or conversely, bring a hint of dampness. He didn't know why, but he recalled the first time he walked into the Guan Family Old Residence.

Leader Zhao smiled slightly at them, stopped trying to persuade them, and turned to walk toward the black cliff. Clownfish looked at them, noncommittal, and followed Leader Zhao along with the other Lotus Burners.

Luo Qi stared nervously at Du Zhengyi. He seemed to be deep in thought, but after the time it takes for a single breath, Du Zhengyi suddenly stepped forward to follow. Luo Qi knew he had made his final decision. A nervous twitch climbed from his thighs and stomach upward; he did not suppress this physical change, which was likely caused by adrenaline, as nervousness can exceptionally amplify one's mental abilities.

It was just that he couldn't eliminate his anxiety this way. He was deeply anxious about the results this decision would bring, and whether the benefits would offset the price he had to pay. From the depths of his heart, he was jubilant about Du Zhengyi's decision, but the other half of him—the part that had read through countless soul fragments—was incomparably anxious. He even thought, with a sense of escapism, that it would be good if Old Mage Xiang Qian were here now; she would certainly stop Du Zhengyi.

That Xiang Qian was not here at this moment could not be easily pre-arranged, but fate seemed to have its own logic. Luo Qi vaguely felt a hint of exhaustion beneath this unpredictable power.

Suddenly, his hand was gripped tightly in a neurotic manner. He was stunned for a moment and kicked out at Zhou Ruisi, who was grabbing his hand, without ceremony. Yet, this kick failed to shake off Zhou Ruisi. He glanced suspiciously at the footprint on Zhou Ruisi's pants. Zhou Ruisi looked at him with despair in his eyes, and he immediately smelled a strong stench of fear. "What are you doing?"

"Boss, haven't you realized this is a conspiracy? We can't go in," Zhou Ruisi said nervously.

Luo Qi shook him off and pushed him toward Yan Hao. "This isn't a conspiracy; everything is laid out on the table for you. Whether you go in or not is up to you; this is an open plot. Suit yourself; if you don't want to go, try scouting the path and see which side is easier to climb."

Zhou Ruisi stood there blankly. Luo Qi ignored him and rushed toward Du Zhengyi. Leader Zhao slowed his pace, keeping exactly one step away from Du Zhengyi and Luo Qi with great courtesy. Du Zhengyi had not said a word from beginning to end, nor did he summon other Battle Mages to follow. The Battle Mages behind them were momentarily confused about the situation; some followed, while others stood there in bewilderment. Luo Qi didn't have time to worry about them; he cautiously watched the magical movements of the Lotus Burners, guessing where the door would appear.

Leader Zhao led them in a small circle. Luo Qi couldn't help but ask, "Leader Zhao, are you avoiding imaginary demons?" He pointed to the open space they had bypassed. "I checked for you; there is nothing there."

Leader Zhao looked at him with a smile of annoyance. "What does the door in your heart look like?"

Luo Qi pursed his lips, looking at Leader Zhao thoughtfully, and vaguely understood. Leader Zhao seemed to have sensed something; suddenly, joy spread across his face as he looked to the right.

Luo Qi saw a layer of mysterious blue light on his face and hurriedly turned his head to look in the direction he was watching, just in time to see the final light of a blue Mekatelun Cube floating in the air. He vaguely guessed that this emblem marked the location of the gate.

"What is this that I'm seeing?" Luo Qi said calmly. "The startup screen of an elevator."

"Luo Mage really likes human civilization," Leader Zhao said with a smile. "This is the gate of Mages; surely you have already experienced it in the ancient buildings of the Highland Mages."

"How did you know the elevator was here?" Luo Qi acted as if he couldn't hear that Leader Zhao didn't like using human things to describe Magic. "Hahaha, I was truly ignorant just now. If I had to find an elevator in a shopping mall, it would take more circles than you just made."

"A little bit of Magic," Leader Zhao said.

"Heh."

Luo Qi looked at Du Zhengyi, who had sneered, and suddenly felt Du Zhengyi's magical power. This power was not large, but it roared past with unstoppable force. Luo Qi could not see the path the magical power took, but he vaguely felt that this power had captured a certain part of Leader Zhao. He had felt this type of Magic around Liu Ziyi, but Liu Ziyi's Magic was more delicate and gentle. Du Zhengyi's Magic carried his own characteristics, tearing off a part of Leader Zhao with an irresistible posture and forcibly deconstructing it. This was a process of reverse spellcasting. At a distance not far from Leader Zhao's actual physical position, his power bowed to Du Zhengyi, converted his Magic from the void, and appeared in the air in the form of a Spell. Line after line, one magical character after another, it slowly filled a one-square-meter plane.

Leader Zhao's expression changed; annoyance, shock, and a hint of awe were mixed on his face. He watched as the detection Magic he had cast was displayed in front of everyone. Whether each phrase and each Spell was used skillfully was being read by everyone. There was no lack of experts here, and he was somewhat embarrassed. In fact, several Battle Mages actually crowded over to watch the spectacle.

"Du Mage, I have always admired your ability, and I still do now," he said, forcing a look of dignity.

"Hmm," Du Zhengyi said. He was reading Leader Zhao's masterpiece and praised it without humility, "The Magic you structured is also quite good, just a bit wordy, and the structure is not particularly stable. But for a non-professional, achieving this is also quite good."

Luo Qi stuck his tongue out in his heart and pretended to read this passage of Magic as well, suddenly discovering that he could actually understand quite a bit of it. He vaguely identified the fixed parts and also read out the Spells for searching for Teleportation Magic in the actively reorganizing parts.

"However, lines 116 to 121, where did you learn those from?" Du Zhengyi asked calmly.

Leader Zhao smiled. "I do have the bloodline of the Du Family, after all; I always managed to get something when the family property was divided."

Du Zhengyi didn't say anything and turned back to say to Luo Qi, "You're reading quite seriously; do you need me to explain it to you?"

Leader Zhao's face turned red instantly. Not only was he being publicly executed, but he was also being singled out for critique and humiliation?

Clownfish suddenly said from the side, "I don't think that's necessary. If Luo Mage needs to make up a lesson, he can change the time; there's no need to waste everyone's time."

Luo Qi laughed along, not wanting to cause further conflict; it would be too cramped if they had a fight in the elevator. "Let's continue. I'll slowly appreciate the wonders of Leader Zhao's high-level work later."

(End of chapter)