Chapter 107: Transformation Spell and the Scorching Breath of the Divine

Dragon Island lies about 500 miles from the Shanbiya Coast, and is famous for the towering mountain on the island called "Dragon Spine Mountain."

Around Dragon Island there are many islands of various sizes encircling the largest Dragon Island, and here gather most of the pirate forces of the Fallen Star Sea.

The location of that bronze gate is precisely within the Du Lai Ya Trench near Dragon Island.

Aduowa Oumansi, a temple city built by ancient sea elves, worships the deity known as Deep Sea Saixila.

Nine hundred years ago, a plague swept the Fallen Star Sea, and the temple city has since been buried deep within the Du Lai Ya Trench.

Naimi Xisi stood at the foredeck watching the distant scenery, a seagull perched on his arm, and the Hu Meng on his shoulder was fighting the Juan Ce Long for a place on its body.

"We're almost there, right?"

Naimi Xisi saw the outline of a distant small island; they didn't need to approach Dragon Island, just set foot in the water near it to reach the Du Lai Ya Trench directly.

Ao Duo Li was comfortably sunbathing under an umbrella; after hearing the question she sat up and pulled out something like a compass.

A blue magical light glowed on it; after looking at it for a moment she said happily, "We've arrived! Five hundred meters left!"

The sun elf beside her also stood up at that moment; she had already removed her hood, revealing an exquisitely beautiful face under the sun, her emerald‑like eyes bearing deep indifference.

She drew the long sword at her waist and said expressionlessly, "First eliminate that swarm of ants."

Ao Duo Li was startled and asked, "What ants?"

Naimi Xisi lifted his chin toward the distance and said, "A group of pirates is coming."

Ao Duo Li hurried to the deck and saw that indeed two medium‑sized ships were sailing toward them, each bearing a flag with a Skeleton head.

She was delighted, "These pirates are courting death, daring to rob the Ocean Mage's vessels."

"You don't need to act, let me!"

Ao Duo Li drew her staff, began chanting a spell, a Berserk magical energy gathered in the blue gem at the staff's tip, then suddenly shot a blue beam into the water.

The previously calm sea suddenly began to ripple, as if an invisible giant hand had violently stirred it. In an instant, a massive whirlpool abruptly appeared on the surface, its mouth like a demon's gaping jaws greedily devouring the surrounding water. The sea churned wildly, raising waves several meters high that surged outward from the whirlpool's center.

The whirlpool's power was so great that the sea boiled; the two ships, positioned at the whirlpool's core, were as pitiful and helpless as a single log boat facing a tsunami. Just before the dreadful whirlpool could swallow the two vessels, a figure suddenly leapt from a ship into the sky.

Ao Duo Li, who had just summoned the great whirlpool, sat down weakly, waved at the rapidly approaching figure and said, "It's up to you."

Jia Fu Na Si didn't wait for Naimi Xisi to act and stepped in front of him, saying coldly, "Leave it to me, Dragon, preserve your Spell Slot."

"My Spell Slots are endless."

Naimi Xisi, thinking that, said nothing in rebuttal; he was even pleased to relax without having to act, hoping the sun elf would stay self‑reliant for the rest of the journey. He loved such self‑reliant tanks—powerful yet they didn't dirty the Spellcaster's hands.

However, to prevent the sun elf from using his contributions as an excuse to claim a larger share of the loot, the cunning Juan Ce Long symbolically added several enhancement spells to him.

Bear's Tenacity, Ox's Strength, Cat's Grace, and three other spells instantly manifested on the sun elf, and the Divine Spells Mystic Shield and Blessing Spell, which boost defense, were also applied.

This suite of enhancements made Jia Fu Na Si pause, casting a strange look at the humanoid dragon behind her and wondering, "Is this how Spell Slots are used so freely?" Though she harbored some reservations about this temporary companion's lavish use of Spell Slots, the proud sun elf still accepted what she considered a "kind gesture."

"Thanks."

"No need to thank me."

Naimi Xisi waved his hand and reclined on a lounge chair, leisurely watching the sun elf soar into the sky and clash with the opponent.

"Ocean Mage!! Damn!! How dare you destroy the Pirate King's vessels!"

The man who flew in from the sky was clearly a Spellcaster; he angrily shouted at Ao Duo Li, apparently terrified that she had damaged his ship.

But his tirade didn't last long; the next moment, a figure that surged upward from the ship disrupted him.

"Damn!"

The man quickly activated a magical device; an invisible Force Wall appeared before him, and the long sword in Jia Fu Na Si's hand, which had Flight Spell applied, snapped back, striking at the Force Wall's force; she knew she couldn't shatter the wall with her own power alone.

However, as a 12th‑level sword singer, Jia Fu Na Si possessed not only the supernatural power known as Sword Song but also quite good Physical Quality. The agile sun elf adjusted her stance in the air, planted her foot on the Force Wall, stepped back a few meters, then dived down at extreme speed, intending to bypass the Force Wall from below and strike the opponent.

The man, unwilling to be outdone, sneered and uttered a spell.

Four‑Ring Transformation School spell—Transformation Spell! A crow suddenly flew out of his chest, rapidly diving toward the sea surface, and the magic in the man's hand struck the familiar as it approached the water.

"Bang!"

The crow instantly transformed into a more than thirty‑meter‑long, 11th‑level Monster—Deep Sea Squid! The man's body vanished the next instant, evading Jia Fu Na Si's attack and teleporting to the massive squid's head.

"A transformation‑school mage?" Naimi Xisi said with interest, glancing at the squid.

The Four‑Ring Transformation spell, Transformation Spell, is the core of the early transformation school and a spell that transformation mages must master.

This spell can turn a target into any creature, provided the creature's level is less than or equal to the original's level.

This is also why familiars make the best carriers for Transformation Spell; a familiar's level is shared with its Spellcaster, and this mage clearly is at least an 11th‑level caster to be able to transform its familiar into a Deep Sea Squid.

However, as a Four‑Ring spell, Transformation Spell still has limitations: after transformation, the familiar inherits all attributes and size of the Deep Sea Squid but cannot use any of the squid's supernatural abilities nor cast spells.

Therefore, the best targets for Transformation Spell are beasts that only engage in melee. As for other powerful monsters, there are specialized transformation spells like Lesser Dragon Form; its transformed red dragon is indistinguishable from a true adolescent red dragon! Unfortunately, the vast majority of powerful monsters lack corresponding transformation spells; dragons are the only ones whose forms were developed after extensive research by transformation mages.

Most of the time, transformation mages can only transform relatively weak monsters, or they choose to use Transformation Spell to turn powerful monsters into shells that lack casting ability.

However, this situation improves upon reaching the Ninth Ring, when the transformation school's Ninth‑Ring ultimate spell—Ultimate Transformation Spell—has an effect similar to Transformation Spell but also inherits all abilities of the transformed target.

That means a Ninth‑Ring transformation mage of sufficient level could even become a Baro Demon and possess all its abilities!

The man before us chose to transform his familiar into a Deep Sea Squid, evidently after careful consideration, for in the ocean the Deep Sea Squid has the strongest melee capability among 11th‑level monsters.

From this we can infer that the transformation mage's level does not exceed 11.

Jia Fu Na Si quickly analyzed the battlefield in her mind, then took a deep breath and began releasing magical power.

The long sword in her hand, set with a pebble‑sized black gem, ignited with black flames, emitting an aura that burns everything and extinguishes all existence.

Naimi Xisi stared wide‑eyed, sat up from his chair and said, "Lesser Artifact?!"

He couldn't be mistaken; the black flame on the sword radiated an immensely powerful magical aura. Though he couldn't identify the spell, it had certainly reached Ninth‑Ring level.

Jia Fu Na Si stood upright in the sky, sword pointed at the squid, her gaze indifferent.

"To die beneath the Scorching Breath of the Divine is your honor."

"How… how could that be!" the man swallowed, and as a Spellcaster, though he lacked the twisted perception of Juan Ce Long, he wasn't blind; he could feel the terrifying force of the black flame.

The sun elf's graceful, towering figure flashed by like ethereal mist, leaving a black streak in the air; the Deep Sea Squid, instinctively, raised a tentacle to strike the small object flying toward it, but where the sword had passed, it lost its sense of touch.

"Boom—" the black blaze seared the tentacle, snapping it into two; the segment still attached to the body rapidly conveyed the black flame inward, and the Deep Sea Squid emitted a painful screech, its whole body thrashing in the ocean, trying to douse the fire with seawater.

But this had no effect at all.

Under Jiafunas's cold gaze, the black flames literally burned the massive squid and the man on it to ash; even after the host was gone, clusters of black flame flowers continued to drift on the sea surface, evaporating the seawater.

Only when the Sun Elf sheathed his long sword did those black flames vanish.

At this moment, Naimi Xisi had just finished using Comprehend Legendary and was shocked by the information about the Lesser Artifact that he had uncovered.

"'Scorching Breath of the Gods', a Legendary Mage named Sai Pu Le Si sacrificed his own life at the very end of his existence, and under a strange circumstance fused a fragment of that spider's power to forge a Lesser Artifact. The black flames attached to it are the manifestation of the terrifying Nine Spell Circle Evocation Spell 'Predatory Divine Power Flame'; once per day, its user can employ this dreadful spell to instantly slay any ant daring to provoke her."

The Nine Spell Circle Evocation Spell indicates that this Lesser Artifact clearly possesses extreme destructive power; even though this power can be used only once per day, it is sufficient to deal with most enemies below Legendary.

Jiafunas flew back onto the ship and coldly said she would rest for a night before going back into the water; Naimi Xisi, having already investigated thoroughly, knew that the other side intended to wait until the Artifact regained its power.

(End of Chapter)