Chapter 236

In the blink of an eye, more than three months have passed since Duke Weilan announced his identity as a legendary mage.

Meidaxilin Cheng.

For some reason, the Lord of Light, Mei Sai, has recently been feeling vaguely uneasy, as if a thin layer of dark clouds hangs over his heart.

This is a danger sense unique to powerful mages; the stronger they are, the more sensitive they become.

As the Lord of Light who has lived over three thousand years and survived many crises, he naturally dare not take it lightly.

He sent out the shadow guards to meticulously eliminate every potential danger within the palace, paying special attention to every move of his granddaughter Zhuo Ya.

But the result showed that Zhuo Ya's life trajectory was exactly the same as before; she had been diligently handling government affairs.

Mei Sai still wasn't reassured, so he used the Legendary Eye to observe carefully.

After observing for several days straight, he still found nothing abnormal.

"It seems the danger isn't coming from Zhuo Ya; where then could it be from?"

When there are no clues at all, every mage will use a spell similar to a comfort spell—that is, divination of fate.

Mei Sai divined again and again.

The results all indicated that he would most likely encounter a powerful foe.

But where is this powerful enemy? Who is he? Still unknown.

This made the dark clouds over his heart grow ever thicker, so he began to train desperately, hoping to gain greater power thereby.

But a mortal's energy is limited, and the body can only endure so much; no matter how he trains, the speed of improvement remains very slow.

Since becoming a legend half a year ago, Mei Sai's legendary level is only 1.8.

That day, while once again pushing his training to the limit, Mei Sai suddenly felt an abnormal fluctuation in the nearby magical field.

The intensity was great; it had to be caused by legendary magical power, and it was not far away nearby.

"Is a legendary mage invading?"

Mei Sai's heart jolted, and he immediately prepared to investigate carefully.

Before he could act, a voice intimately familiar to the bone sounded in his mind.

"Mei Sai, you old bastard, do you still remember who I am?"

Mei Sai felt his whole body jolt.

How could he possibly not remember that voice? He had dealt with its owner for nearly three thousand years, not knowing how many good deeds the other had ruined for him, nor how many of his own good deeds he had ruined for the other.

Once, he took advantage of the other's battle with the Iron Dragon to launch a sneak attack, almost killing him, yet that guy actually managed to survive and come back.

That old thing's life is tougher than a sewer rat.

Although his heart was shocked, he still had to keep up his composure.

"Ganse, I thought you were dead for good, but I didn't expect you to still be alive!"

As he said those words, Mei Sai felt a sense of relief in his heart.

"I've been wondering what's been going on lately; it turns out this old thing is looking for trouble with me!"

Realizing the source of the dark clouds, he also gritted his teeth inwardly: "That old thing actually advanced to legend as well; now he won't die either."

After a little thought he knew why the other had become a legend; surely it was Duke Weilan's doing.

Again a voice of his old rival sounded in his mind: "I'm right outside your turtle shell now; dare you come out and meet me face to face?"

Having said that, he immediately added: "I bet you, this coward, won't dare, so I plan to wander around your city at leisure, spread my teachings, and show some miracles or the like."

"I'll let these mortals know that the Lord of Light they worship is a soft egg, allowing an old rival to preach in his own city while he dares not show his face, hehe!"

The other made no attempt to hide; through the legendary mage's unique void vision, Mei Sai could 'see' the other's position.

Indeed, it was right outside the walls of Bu Ye Gong, with a straight-line distance not exceeding three kilometers.

What shocked him even more was that this old thing's legendary level was actually higher than his.

Although it was only slightly higher, it was still higher than his.

A flame composed of 'anger, jealousy, shock' shot straight up to Mei Sai's crown, making his hair almost stand on end.

Anyone else would not make him lose composure like this, but this old rival before him is an exception.

Their grudge is truly deep.

He remembers that 2,800 years ago, this old thing stole the woman he once loved most; not only that, but the fellow held ceremonies every year to flaunt their love, doing so for a full hundred years!

During those hundred years, he felt as nauseous each year as if he had eaten flies, until he found a chance to seize that woman and, in the old thing's presence, torture her to death, finally venting a little of his spite.

But he did not lose his reason: "Ot'al Gangse, you're asking for death!"

While speaking, he sent a message to the Regiment Commander of the Shadow Guards' First Brigade: "Send out 1,000 men with the finest equipment and bring that person to me."

Although legendary beings are strong, they are limited to single combat.

In a frontal confrontation, 1,000 shadow guards equipped with rapid-fire high-power firearms could easily slay the opponent.

"I will point out his position at any time!"

"Yes, master."

Immediately, 1,000 elite shadow guards left Bu Ye Gong.

Ot'al Gangse's voice sounded again in the Lord of Light's mind.

"Mei Sai, after all these years, your habit of being a shrinking turtle hasn't changed; it's truly regrettable."

"Since you don't dare come, I'll go to nearby Naggexilin and have fun with your hounds."

"Believe me, I'll wipe them out completely."

With those words, Mei Sai saw the other swiftly depart, moving much faster than the shadow guard warriors.

Naggexilin is about 200 kilometers from Meidaxilin Cheng, the largest port city of the Light Empire and also the biggest seaport outlet of the fengbao yang.

The key is, 200 kilometers is too far, greatly exceeding his legendary vision, so naturally he cannot direct the shadow guards' actions.

Without his guidance, the shadow guards are like blind men.

As long as the opponent has enough patience, they can indeed cause great trouble for the Shadow Guard Legion, even annihilating it completely.

He could, of course, leave the palace and pursue all the way to Na Ge Xi Lin, but the Natural Alliance has more than one legendary mage.

If Duke Weilan were to ambush him halfway, he would most likely be finished.

Therefore, he must not leave the palace.

But if he stays in the palace, he cannot stop Ao Taer Gangse from wreaking havoc or even proselytizing in other imperial cities.

Although a single person cannot cause major damage to the Empire, the thought of that old fool stirring trouble at home makes Mi Sai feel uneasy.

He almost wishes to grab that old fool, skin him, and cripple him!

For the first time, the Lord of Radiance truly feels he needs a helper with legendary power.

But such a legendary strongman would never willingly serve him, and with his current legendary mana he cannot control the other party.

Though troubled inside, he naturally will not forget to strike back.

"Gangse, I truly didn't expect you, old man, to willingly fall and become a henchman for a child like Duke Weilan."

"Mi Sai, that child is indeed a child, but also my grandson-in-law."

"He even spent great effort to promote me to legendary status, granting me another hundred years of life. As an elder, doing something for the children is only proper."

"Oh, by the way, I forgot to tell you, my granddaughter Qi Ge Rui La Na is already a Nine-Ring mage and will later ascend to Ten Rings, even achieving legend, surpassing your granddaughter."

The Lord of Radiance grows increasingly irritated as he listens, watching Ao Taer Gangse's magical fluctuations recede farther, about to leave his perception range.

His irritation deepens: "Hmph~Gangse, that child is a descendant of the Iron Dragon; are you truly willing to give him the alliance you fought to build?" "What's there to be unwilling about? The mortal world is just petty stuff; everything that needed experiencing has been experienced, I grew tired long ago."

"Moreover, he is my granddaughter's husband, so at least half of the Natural Alliance remains mine."

"You, on the other hand, are still the same as back then—so old, your juniors have all grown, yet you still want to hoard everything good. I bet you'll end up dying a terrible death!"

Mi Sai didn't register any of those words at all; he only thought about how to sow discord.

"That kid's words are utterly unreliable; his ambition far exceeds both yours and mine. Your Natural Alliance is merely a stepping stone for his ascent."

"Once he fully controls the Natural Alliance, he will definitely kick you all away!"

Ao Taer Gangse roared with laughter: "Mi Sai, stop sowing discord; I know all the bad ideas brewing in your belly!"

"Alright, I'm off to Na Ge Xi Lin to proselytize, and not just there. I'll go to every major city, hahaha~~"

Mid‑sentence, Ao Taer Gangse left the Lord of Radiance's perception limit.

Looking at his direction, it indeed points toward Na Ge Xi Lin.

But he is free to go to any imperial metropolis.

Just thinking that his millennial old rival will keep causing trouble at home for the foreseeable future makes Mi Sai feel as nauseous as swallowing a fly.

Of course, he is not completely without recourse.

"Lobida's Eye is correct; I must hasten its construction and then disperse it throughout the Empire to compress that old fool's operating space!"

Lobida's Eye is a legendary detection device he acquired in his early years.

A single device has limited effect, but with the aid of a legendary crystal it can grant ordinary mages partial legendary sight.

Although that perception isn't as precise as his, it's sufficient to locate the general position of a legendary mage.

What makes legendary mages most feared is their powerful concealment; once they can't hide, their threat drops dramatically.

As for legendary crystals, the Radiant Empire has already discovered a synthesis method; although the cost is huge, the final product's quality is far inferior to the crystals supplied by Navat.

But it can be used nonetheless.

With that thought, the Lord of Radiance immediately contacted his granddaughter Zhuo Ya: "Come to me right away."

A quarter hour later, granddaughter Zhuo Ya arrived, as swift as always.

The Lord of Radiance handed over a refining manual: "Give this to the Refining Department and have them commence mass production as soon as possible."

Zhuo Ya, as usual, bowed obediently: "Yes, Grandfather, I will expedite the production."

She took the manual and prepared to leave.

"By the way, the synthesis of legendary crystals must be accelerated. The current output is far too low. Produce as many as possible, the more the better!"

"Yes, Grandfather, we are already working hard to expand capacity and improve synthesis quality."

"It is projected that in another year, output can rise to ten kilograms per day."

"Very good."

A sudden thought arose in the Lord of Radiance's mind: 'Perhaps I should make this granddaughter my aide.'

But the idea flashed and vanished.

This granddaughter is extremely capable, currently handling most of the Empire's affairs; if she also became a legendary mage, he would certainly be unable to keep her in check.

"Grandfather, is there anything else?"

"There's nothing else, you may go."

After Zhuo Ya left, the Lord of Radiance suddenly felt a bit worried.

"The Empire's high‑ring mages are still too few; in the short term, only Zhuo Ya has the potential to ascend to legendary."

The bad news is that the Natural Alliance now has two legendary mages, thrusting him into an extremely passive position, and in the future the opponent's legendary mages will surely increase.

The good news is that, in the short term, the Natural Alliance is unlikely to produce a third legendary mage.

The Natural Alliance's high‑ring mage count is also limited, and the realm of legend is not something one can simply reach.

Even if a legendary mage can elevate a person to Ten Rings, the leap from Ten Rings to legend still has a huge barrier; lacking talent, one will remain stuck at Ten Rings forever.

But two against one inevitably makes Mi Sai feel extremely passive.

"What shall we do?"

After pondering, the Lord of Radiance actually thought of a solution: "Perhaps I can go to Navat to find help!"

Navat has many Ten‑Ring mages; at least forty or fifty possess the talent to ascend to legend.

By spending some resources to hire two or three, and using legendary crystals to promote them to legend, they become perfect henchmen for him.

Because these Nawat mages are visitors from another plane and have no foothold on the White Continent, there is no need to worry that they will threaten his position.

Moreover, rotating employment can be implemented, so they won't stay long on the White Continent and establish a foothold.

Most importantly, these Nawat mages have never seen the world; a little luxury is enough to bewilder them completely.

"Haha~~ This is truly an excellent idea."

The Lord of Light's worries vanished, and he couldn't help bursting into loud laughter.

On the other side.

Empress Zhuo Ya returned to her palace and let out a great sigh of relief.

"Fortunately, with the help of the Heavenly Father of Divine Might, otherwise I would have been discovered by my grandfather just now."

Just now, she successfully broke through to the eleventh magic ring, advanced to Legendary, and obtained Legendary 1.2 mana.

Given her understanding of her grandfather, if discovered, he would surely kill her without mercy.

But since she wasn't discovered, victory basically belongs to her.

After her mind calmed, Zhuo Ya secretly touched the Legendary artifact hidden in her clothing.

There are two artifacts, both sent by Duke Weilan, carefully sealed with magical locks.

They can only be used, and are difficult to replicate.

But their functions are truly extremely powerful.

One, called the Void Magic Ring by the Duke, can silently draw mana quickly from the eleventh magic ring.

One is a top‑grade Legendary crystal capable of storing over eighty times mana.

The Void Magic Ring's effect is astonishing, but it is consumable and shatters after drawing five hundred times mana.

What shocked Zhuo Ya most was the Legendary crystal.

"Duke Weilan truly lives up to being the inventor of the Legendary crystal; its quality is so high it hardly seems real."

For the same volume, the Weilan crystal's mana capacity is twenty times that of the Imperial crystal, and it can even focus mana to gain a +2 Legendary effect.

With the aid of these two powerful artifacts, even without her grandfather's faith power as a supplement, she is more than capable of vastly surpassing him in Legendary strength.

The only difference likely lies in their understanding of Legendary power.

This is her weakness, but it's not a serious problem.

'In the Bu Ye Gong, I hide in the shadows while my grandfather stands in the light; now is the perfect moment for me to seize power.'

Zhuo Ya has always been decisive; once she decides, she never hesitates.

At this moment, she has also successfully advanced to Legendary, thoroughly breaking with her grandfather in substance, leaving no room for retreat.

Therefore, she must move forward!

(End of chapter)