Chapter 725: Arcane Master

"This is a special application of 'Opening the Door'; the principle is to arrange a fixed, isolated space in the spirit realm, then open it via a 'door' at fixed coordinates, thereby achieving the effect of a personal storage."

"However, this method is not absolutely safe; although the spirit realm is vast, it is also inhabited by many strange, powerful spirit creatures that may intrude or destroy the coordinates and ritual magic placed there, causing loss of items."

Lao Lunsi explained while unfolding the oil painting in his hand.

It depicted one abstract, incomprehensible pattern after another, like a strange seal.

Sensing that Lei Kedun might be puzzled, Lao Lunsi showed the oil painting to Lei Kedun and said:

"This is a demon oil painting; it imprisons many demi‑god‑level demons and can be used to help 'travelers' complete the ascension ceremony to become an Arcane Master."

"In the Fourth Era, the Abraham family still had many members who could ascend to Sequence 4 'Arcane Master'; this wondrous item was made by the Abraham family in that age."

After a brief explanation, Lao Lunsi stepped forward a short distance and activated the demon oil painting; the abstract lines on it began to writhe spontaneously, intertwining to form a half‑closed 'door'.

A dark‑red arm with strange markings emerged from the 'door', seized the doorframe's edge, and hauled itself out with force.

In a second or two, a demon with curved goat horns atop its head and a pair of bat‑like membranous wings on its back burst out of the 'door'.

Its hands were exaggeratedly large, nearly as tall as its body, covered in black inscriptions that grew from flesh and stretched into the void; merely looking at them caused discomfort, as its emotions and desires surged abnormally.

Its eyes seemed filled with crimson magma, its mouth half‑open, revealing rows of sharp white teeth that made one shiver, each tooth bearing rust‑colored dark‑red marks as if left by prolonged flesh‑gnawing.

At the instant the demi‑god‑level demon appeared, Lei Kedun's body became ethereal, as if detached from this world and turned into a non‑existent thing.

The newly freed demon instinctively gazed at Lao Lunsi; the prolonged seal had stripped it of reason, leaving only a malicious instinct to devour the other to fill itself.

Almost as it looked at Lao Lunsi, the two curved demon horns on its head ignited with transparent flames that seemed able to kindle a person's inner emotions and desires, forcefully assaulting Lao Lunsi's mind and inevitably stirring his feelings into a daze.

Then pale‑blue fireballs tinged with a pungent sulfur smell materialized one after another, dense as a massive net, and lunged at Lao Lunsi.

With his gaze hazy, Lao Lunsi thinned and became brittle within the pale‑blue flames, turning into a pale‑yellow paper figure that was devoured by the fire.

His silhouette immediately reappeared on the other side, his eyes reflecting a phantom book slowly turning its pages.

"I arrive, I see, I record."

Accompanied by a deep chant, golden hue spread over him layer by layer outward.

Recorded in the 'Ritual of Light' is the 'Purifying Halo'! Mighty solar aura ripples outward in concentric waves of golden light, casting a golden sheen that brings a strong, pure solar presence, sanctifying the area and rendering it inhospitable to demons.

The pale‑blue flames and crimson magma coiled around the demon seemed heavily struck, wavering as if they could extinguish at any moment.

It extended those exaggerated arms, nearly the length of its body, forward; the sinister patterns on them lit up quickly, exuding a phantom, black, viscous liquid formed from assorted emotions and desires, swelling continuously into massive black arms that grasped at Lao Lunsi.

Simultaneously it uttered a demonic word born of the abyss, full of filthy, fallen meaning:

"Fall!"

The surrounding area showed a tendency toward abyssalization; within the golden light, black fog of fall constantly rose, condensing on Lao Lunsi's surface into a slightly viscous black liquid.

A flash of eerie blue radiance passed, and Lao Lunsi, relying on rapid flickering, created one illusion after another around him, achieving a siege effect by himself.

Each illusion's eyes reflected a phantom book, and it recited:

"I arrive, I witness, I record."

Silver‑white lightning, blazing white flame, and pure holy light fell from the air in succession, engulfing the demon.

Amid the booming explosion, a pool of phantom, viscous black liquid formed from assorted emotions and desires surged out, raging toward Lao Lunsi.

These liquids seemed to be a conglomerate of humanity's deepest, most illicit desires, sweeping the surroundings in a contaminating wave, causing Lao Lunsi, who stared at them, to fall into an inevitable trance as his emotions and desires ballooned and instantly detonated his mind.

Lao Lunsi's body exploded with a bang, turning into a scattering of paper fragments stained with mottled rust. The next second, his silhouette reappeared atop the black viscous pool, holding an unusually sharp, arm‑length blade sourced from the 'Fall' realm.

It is the 'Soul-Flesh Blade' of the 'Black Knight', which can corrode flesh, erase souls, pierce barriers, and nullify the defenses of any creature harboring fallen intent; against demons it offers excellent attack power, on par with the extraordinary abilities of the Solar Realm.

The arm‑length 'Soul-Flesh Blade' pierced the black liquid, passing through effortlessly and delivering unimaginable effects and damage.

The black viscous liquid instantly boiled, as if about to evaporate, igniting every burnable emotion and desire, like a high‑explosive on a countdown.

Lao Lunsi's body vanished instantly, leaving no trace.

On a nearby open ground, his body leaned back, arms spread wide as if embracing the sun.

A grand, pure, blazing column of light descended from the heavens, enveloping the black liquid on the ground and evaporating it point by point.

"For the ascension ceremony of the Arcane Master, I made many preparations."

"On the battlefield of South Great Road, I recorded ample extraordinary abilities, especially those of the Solar and Spiritual realms."

"The former can effectively suppress demons; the latter prevents corresponding thoughts from forming in my mind, allowing direct attacks and thus avoiding triggering the demon's dangerous perception."

Lao Lunsi spoke calmly, as if explaining to Lei Kedun and also muttering to himself, easing the earlier tension.

While speaking, he walked to the edge of the thinned, defenseless demon pool, extending both hands forward, pressing virtually into the air.

Pale‑blue radiances blossomed, swiftly covering the black viscous pool on the ground, turning into strange symbols that formed one sealed 'door' after another, imprisoning the demon.

Then the seal transformed into a pale‑blue stream that surged into Lao Lunsi's body, using his body as a container to seal the demon, completing the Arcane Master ceremony.

Immediately after, he closed his eyes to meditate briefly, adjusted his state, then produced the pre‑prepared alchemical ingredients, levitating them with an invisible hand, mixing them into a bottle of eerie blue elixir that seemed to contain writhing, gate‑shaped insects floating within.

After a simple divination, he brought the elixir to his lips and drank it in one gulp.

Lei Kedun's silhouette solidified from illusion, standing out on one side.

"Trust me that much? Not even finding a safer place or saying a prayer?"

He muttered softly, then Lei Kedun lifted his hand, causing countless stars to appear around, dazzling and dense, severing Lao Lunsi's connection to the outside and preventing interference from Mr. Door's ramblings during the ascension.

Having just swallowed the elixir, Lao Lunsi fell into a dazed state; transparent nodules surfaced on his face, writhing and twisting, growing into strands of translucent, star‑glittering insects.

These insects multiplied rapidly, and soon his entire being became a conglomerate of insects, appearing eerie and terrifying.

Lei Kedun watched Lao Lunsi calmly, a faint violet glow flashing in his eyes as he observed and analyzed the changes in Lao Lunsi more closely.

"A prototype of authority over domains such as Guarding Secrets, Sealing, and Doors has emerged; flesh begins to split, replaced by strands of divine Star Insect, the core being to forge a marvelous connection with the spirit realm."

While murmuring, wave after wave of information torrents broke from the spirit realm, converging before Lei Kedun and reconstituting the figure of Beiernadai.

She calmly glanced at the ascending Lao Lunsi, seeming to understand what had occurred, then looked at Lei Kedun and said:

"I sensed the presence of a high‑rank demon in Kang Si Dun, so I came to investigate; is it related to the Arcane Master ascension ceremony?"

Lei Kedun nodded and said, "Yes, the Arcane Master ceremony requires the ascendant to seal a demi‑god‑level hostile entity without external aid."

"Spiritual Imprint." Beiernadai nodded; possessing extensive knowledge and secrets, she quickly conceived the core of the ceremony—a sufficiently strong spiritual imprint that helps the ascendant remain partially lucid under the elixir's impact.

Seeing that Beiernadai no longer had any doubts, Leiketon casually asked: "Why did you appear in the Interval Sea?"

Beiernadai turned her head toward the direction of the Interval Sea, speaking calmly: "I had foreseen that I would encounter the trace of the former Grand Pastor Laliang of the War God Church here, so I came ahead to wait."

"After the Divine War ended, He destroyed all the church's "0"-level sealed item materials and fled with the sealed item "0-02" Teluns siste bronze book."

(End of chapter)