Chapter 263: Blazing Phoenix

"Let's go, let's go out and see. Our Qunshan is not a place those pointy-ears can come and go as they please!" Sinuoli patted the table; calculating the days, the High Elves should be finding their way here soon.

As a long-lived race, the High Elves did not have much of a population advantage over the Dwarfs, and furthermore, in an enclave far from Aosuan, the density of the Elf air force was only relatively high near Gaoyuanbao.

Krag Master had detained the High Elf scouts three days ago, and those two Elves, once captured, could not send word out in front of a Demigod. Liming Yaosai would certainly have to spend some time first to determine their whereabouts, and after that, they would still have to formulate a strategy for demanding their people back.

"Hah, this truly is a creature that combines elegance and power!" Sinuoli walked out of the gate with his personal guard and the leaders of the fortress. They saw a bird hovering in mid-air, wreathed in flames, its size slightly larger than a giant eagle.

"Flame Phoenix, the pure King of the Sky!"

"Legend says that during the War of the Beard, their numbers were the same as giant eagles!"

"The ancestors actually slaughtered such creatures like chickens!"

Whispers from his clansmen reached Sinuoli's ears; the thousand-year war meant the Dwarfs knew no less about the Phoenixes of Aosuan than the Elves did.

Like dragons, they were the signature monsters of the Asur, especially as powerful dragons gradually fell into slumber, leading more and more High Elf powerhouses to choose to ride Phoenixes into battle.

There were many huge stone pillars around the Temple of Asuryan, and the Wind of Fire, Aksh, wove between the pillars, keeping them burning with magical flames at all times. The mark of Aksh was not just left on the pillars; over many years, the Phoenixes that inhabited them had adapted to fire spells and would use them on a whim.

Standing on the back of the Flame Phoenix was a High Elf wearing robes, a battle helmet, and leaning on a staff; because of their innate magical affinity, Phoenixes were more willing to be ridden by spellcasters.

"Dwarf! Why have you detained the warriors of the Asur? I demand you release them at once, otherwise..." The Elf mage saw the person in charge come out and began to shout loudly.

"Come down and talk!"

Before Sinuoli could interject, Krag Master narrowed his eyes first. The Rune Master was very displeased looking at that grandstanding Phoenix. He did not use force, but his voice, bolstered by Rune Power, still spread throughout the entire valley.

"Who are you?" The High Elf mage instinctively held his staff horizontally to protect himself. Prince Afazeer had told him that the leader of this Expeditionary Force claimed to be a guy who had killed a Demigod, and also had some kind of storm technique, so he must not be taken lightly.

"I am Krag!"

As the old Dwarf spoke, he extended his right hand and clenched it into a fist. Rune Power gathered, stirring up dust in the canyon and causing his snow-white beard and hair to flare and shake like a lion's mane.

"Urgh!"

"Clang!"

The Dwarfs felt nothing, but the Elf mage in mid-air and his Phoenix seemed to be pressed down by a giant invisible palm, screaming as they plummeted rapidly. However, the Archmage was not without resistance; a protective trinket on his body burst open, buying him a split second to adjust.

"In the name of Quex, I forbid your magic!"

The Phoenix flapped its flame-wreathed wings with all its might, providing support for the mage on its back. They were creatures with the ability of "Magic Harmonization"—filled with magic, they could not only soar through the nine heavens by borrowing the Winds of Magic but also allow their riders to mobilize mana more easily.

Following the Archmage's rapid incantation, a bright white finger of light formed on his staff and then shot toward Krag Master.

Sinuoli recognized it from the manifestation of the spell—Magic Dissipation, a term that held a place in the guild's Book of Grudges, its effect being to cause the target to lose the ability to cast spells for a period of time.

High Magic was an art of coordinating the use of all Eight Winds of Magic to create the most powerful spells known. Only Elves and Slann could use High Magic; when establishing the Empire Magic Academy, Teclis discovered that humans were naturally unable to master multiple Winds of Magic, and therefore did not pass down this system of spells in the Old World.

High Magic was far more complex than all other magic; being able to master it meant the disheveled mage before them must have had a place in the Tower of Hoeth. Knowing Snuori's formidable methods and still daring to come alone was undoubtedly a testament to his belief in his own strength and his Phoenix partner.

However, no Dwarf thought it necessary to warn Krag Master to be careful of this hasty strike, and this oldest and most powerful Dwarf of the current age did not disappoint the younger generation. The Magic Dissipation hit his armor and, aside from triggering a ripple of runes, achieved nothing.

"Stubborn!"

Krag was angered. He no longer suppressed the mage with his bare hands. He extended his left hand to take the Rune Tunteng from the Anvil Guard behind him, and with a forceful swing, the Phoenix seemed to lose its ability to hover and fell straight down.

"Boom!"

The Flame Phoenix crashed into the ground like a kite with a broken string, triggering a Storm of Magic. In the explosion, it turned into a rain of burning fragments.

"Hold your..." Sigh, big trouble!"

Sinuoli realized something was wrong the moment Krag grabbed the Rune Tunteng. The hammer of Grimm and his armor were both of legendary quality, but that Rune Tunteng was definitely beyond legendary. It was the product of a Demigod's life's work; it would be strange if a mortal could withstand a strike delivered in anger.

Detaining people and killing them were different things. Sinuoli could imagine Tyrion wearing the Dragon Armor of the first Phoenix King Aenarion, carrying that flaming greatsword, and riding his beloved horse Malhandir to come and settle the score.

Then, unable to defeat the personal champion and bed-warrior of the Everqueen who cuckolded Finubar, he would have to call out the White Dwarf to save the day. After a few rounds, the Second War of the Beard would break out, with the Chaos Four Gods eating melon seeds in the Warp and watching the show.

"Clang!"

Just as Sinuoli was imagining a dark future, a weak phoenix cry broke through the smoke and dust. They saw the burning fragments rapidly reassembling, air currents rushing toward the center of the explosion, and then, in a scorching light, the Phoenix was reborn!

Protected by its mount, the Elf mage was uninjured aside from being covered in dust. The reborn Phoenix was clearly somewhat weak, and it huddled with its master, facing the menacing Dwarfs.

"Quiet now?" Krag Master blew his beard, curled his lip, and turned to walk back into the fortress. Handling such an Elf mage was just a trivial matter to him; the mysteries of the Rune guards were still waiting to be studied!

"I warned Afazeer that the Sons of the Mountains reclaiming their ancestral lands is not for you to gossip about! But he seemed unable to understand, insisting on coming to test our bottom line!"