Chapter 1026: Level 24 Wizard

The battle in Luoshengdu entered its seventh day.

The Duke's guard, the Extreme Warrior corps, and the Holy Spear Knight Corps split the Luoshengdu forces into multiple battlefields, using high mobility to encircle Demons and Evil Beastmen; a third of the millions of monsters have already been exterminated, and more than half of the ground's monster nests have been destroyed.

After each battle, the soldiers clean up the battlefield, gather the monster corpses in one place, then board armored airships to depart.

They saw Thundercast Celestial Soldiers unleash flames that set the mountain of corpses ablaze, thinking this was also a step in cleaning the pollution.

However, it was only an illusion.

When the Star Destroyer carried the legion away, a massive wormhole opened in the void, and a gigantic beast streamed out.

Giant Devouring Worm!

Its front opened like petals into a huge mouth, swallowing the mountain‑high pile of corpses, then quickly vanishing into its gut.

In the Abyss's 435th‑layer Misty Mountains, the Black Dragon Yi Geng, transformed into a vampire, gazed at the black tunnel descending from the sky; countless monster corpses rained down, splashing into the swamp, raising huge clouds of mud that piled up to mountain height in an instant.

"Here it comes again."

Yi Geng had already become accustomed to it.

Since a few years ago, the transport of Demon corpses was no longer done by the Star Destroyer but thrown directly from the black tunnel, with a batch arriving every few days.

Yi Geng had never seen such a power; even with his keen sight he could not discern the spell. In the past seven days, the corpses hurled from the tunnel were clearly different from before—only a portion were Demons, the rest Evil Beastmen and various monsters, evidently they came from the Prime Material Plane!

But this did not dampen Yi Geng's excitement.

The more corpses, the more black soul mushrooms he could cultivate; in recent years his earnings working for Lei En surpassed what he had made in the past several hundred years, and by many times more!

Lei En had increased his assistants to a thousand.

They shapeshifted into nightmarish imps, occultists and vampires; when the tunnel closed, they instantly flashed over to process the corpses, transporting them in batches to the various districts of Black Soul Valley, burying them beneath the swamp, planting mycelium—fast and efficient.

Yi Geng only needed to coordinate, inspect the growth of the black soul mushrooms, and brew black soul elixirs.

North of Luoshengdu.

Lei En emerged from the teleportation array and saw a construction site nestled between mountains, where over a thousand Thundercast Celestial Soldiers led more than three thousand dwarves in a bustling effort.

This was Giant Cedar Ridge, named for the colossal cedar trees that grew there.

Giant Cedar Ridge lay at the southern end of Grey Valley, on the inland side; looking north one could see the narrow, fertile valley, while looking south, over a hundred li below lay Luoshengdu—if one's eyesight were sharp enough, the endless city could be taken in at a glance.

Lei En chose to erect a Magic Torch Tower here.

The tower's illumination range would encompass all of Luoshengdu and the southern Grey Valley, overlapping slightly with the King's Castle tower in the valley, shrouding the entire valley.

It took three days to flatten a peak in the middle of Giant Cedar Ridge, carving a circular plaza a kilometer in diameter as the tower's foundation.

Excavating the foundation, arranging rune arrays, and transporting materials proceeded simultaneously.

Thundercast Celestial Soldiers had already erected four towers; the whole process was well‑known, materials pre‑stocked, and the dwarf craftsmen were seasoned, so construction was extremely efficient—within just seven days the tower's foundation was complete and three to four stories of the shaft were built.

Meanwhile, the Magic Torch Tower at the King's Castle in Grey Valley was also under construction; being built on flat ground, its progress outpaced that of the Giant Cedar Ridge tower.

In less than a month, both towers could be finished.

Once the towers stand, neither Demons, Demonkin nor monsters can breach a single step; the Eternal Chosen's army will no longer be able to teleport in surprise attacks, defense pressure will drop sharply, and the entire Grey Valley and Luoshengdu will become a safe haven for humanity.

It is a strategic move.

Netifu Demon must have received the news; to prevent enemy forces from disrupting tower construction, or even a possible Eternal Chosen, Lei En made exhaustive preparations.

The Karanos Star Destroyer guard hovered above the King's Castle.

Grand Mages Reslin and Mavoro took command; the Star Destroyer carried not only two companies of Extreme Warriors but also three thousand Thundercast Celestial Soldiers.

Lei En personally stationed himself at Giant Cedar Ridge; the Getan hovered concealed above, the task of cleaning Luoshengdu was handed to the Aixingge, commanded by Saluman, and could provide reinforcement at any time.

On the tenth day, the Demonkin finally appeared.

But it was not Aiken.

A Chosen Champion and a Purgatory Grand Mage led over ten thousand Abyssal Knights in a surprise raid on the King's Castle; as soon as they materialized, Reslin detected them and decisively cast "Summon Burning Legion," causing almost all Abyssal Knights to be blown up by hell‑fire meteors.

The Chosen Champion was also blasted to death by the Star Destroyer's main cannon.

Only that Purgatory Grand Mage, sensing the unfavorable turn, fled early; the Demonkin's first wave never even got close to the tower.

Thereafter the Demonkin attacked repeatedly, each time merely courting death.

Giant Cedar Ridge also detected the Demonkin's presence; before they could emerge, Lei En wiped them out completely, leaving none able to approach within ten li of the tower.

Lei En originally thought this was merely a test by the Demonkin, expecting a stronger assault later, but after waiting over a dozen days, with the Magic Torch Tower on the brink of completion, the Demonkin ceased to appear. The Eternal Chosen Aiken also never showed up.

"Did he chicken out?" Lei En guessed.

Earlier, Sea King Ake Man visited the King's Castle to observe tower progress and mentioned the Eye of Hylian, its powerful effect, and its importance to the Eternal Chosen.

Aiken obtained the Eye of Hylian, allowing him to attune to the Abyssal Four Gods' great power, to cease possession at will, eliminating the risk of body explosion. Once Aiken fully mastered the Four Gods' great power, possession would become his norm, and its duration would lengthen.

In just a few years, the Eternal Chosen's strength will surge to an extremely terrifying level!

By then, the Magic Torch Tower might also be unable to stop him.

This gave Lei En cause for concern; he hoped Aiken would lose his patience and rush to halt the Magic Torch Tower's construction, so he specifically contacted the Teacher, Ouroin Master, Tim Kainan, KangJieladeGreatSage, and Howai Master.

The Holy Soul Wizards waited in secret, ready to use the chance to eradicate the Eternal Chosen in one blow.

However, Aiken did not appear.

Lei En guessed that the Eternal Chosen now might not even be in "Kansas City"; he and the Holy Soul Wizards would head straight for the "Doom Fortress", likely ending up empty‑handed. Aiken was probably hidden somewhere secluded, probing the Eye of Hylian, accumulating power.

"You wait, I wait as well," Lei En thought.

Time was on his side; Aiken assumed that in a few years he could defeat him, but he never imagined that Lei En's own strength was also growing rapidly, even faster!

When he thought the moment was ripe, he would find everything already too late.

Day by day, time passed.

The nearer the tower neared completion, the more Lei En dared not be careless, staying constantly on Giant Cedar Ridge, watching the tower rise layer by layer. On the day before the tower's completion, he emerged from the Getan Star Destroyer's magic laboratory, his spirit leaping to the temporary teleportation array at the tower's base.

After a few seconds, a tall silhouette materialized in the teleportation array.

She had loosely curled silver hair, a tall graceful figure, clad in a splendid silver‑blue magical robe, exuding the powerful aura of a Holy Soul Wizard.

"Pleasure to meet you, madam."

Lei En smiled and greeted.

Silver Star Duke said with some displeasure, "Lei En, it's really not easy to get a meeting with you now. I traveled from Longshande to the Imperial Capital, then teleported to the New Continent; the woman in Gotham City said you were here, so I had to teleport over…"

He paused halfway through his speech.

She saw the tall tower behind Lei En and realized she was standing on a mountain peak where a massive rune array was laid out; looking far out, all she could see was endless fertile lands.

"Another tower!"

Silver Star Duke exclaimed, then gazed at the boundless lands south of Giant Cedar Ridge, his eyes full of envy: "That must be Saint Fian… the dwarves' former capital!"

"From now on it's called Luoshengdu," Lei En corrected her.

"I've heard of it."

Silver Star Duke withdrew his gaze and said sarcastically, "Who in the Empire doesn't know that the great Consul has recaptured Luoshengdu and plans to build a new city on the western coast of the New Continent. I wonder how many have already boarded ships bound for the New Continent; from the top to the bottom of the Empire, every notable figure is currying favor with you, hoping to get a share of Luoshengdu."

"Hehe…" Lei En laughed.

The city‑building plan for Luoshengdu was already arranged, the benefits allocated, inviting all Imperial factions to take part.

Only the tower of Giant Cedar Ridge remains to be completed; massive manpower and resources will pour into Luoshengdu, aiming to achieve a basic city scale within three years.

Of course, the greatest benefit still firmly rests in his own hands.

As a member of the Mo Du faction and one of his allies in the Supreme Council, Silver Star Duke naturally also gained some benefits.

"Madam, you came personally—do you have something important?"

Lei En thought those benefits couldn't satisfy Silver Star Duke; she wanted more.

"Indeed." Silver Star Duke nodded, unexpectedly saying, "But this matter has nothing to do with Luoshengdu; I want to meet Reslin."

"Meet Reslin?" Lei En was surprised.

"I want to make a deal with Reslin, and it also involves you," Silver Star Duke said. "You're Reslin's teacher, so you should be able to decide for him, right?" As she spoke, she produced a soul stone on her palm for Lei En to examine.

Lei En stared at it for a moment and was stunned.

"This is the demon soul of an ancient dragon demon, better than the one I gave you before; each Element is stronger, and it comes with a 'Lord of Thunder'. I think you'll need it," Silver Star Duke said with a smug grin, as if he had Lei En in his grasp.

Without her saying, Lei En sensed it with his Soul Eye.

It truly is an ancient dragon demon!

This ancient dragon demon is a Saint Rank demon soul; dozens of Elements flash before his eyes: fifteen‑level Strength, fourteen‑level Endurance, twelve‑level Stamina, Immortal War Soul, Lightning Baptism, ten‑level Thunder Trample, nine‑level Rapid Self‑Healing, nine‑level Energy Resistance, and so on.

There are also a series of Melee Elements and Lightning Spells; just as Silver Star Duke said, they are all a step stronger than the ancient dragon demon he fused.

Its size in life was also larger.

Most importantly, this ancient dragon demon possesses the 'Lord of Thunder', the legendary Element Lei En most needs, perfect for fusion.

After attaining Holy Soul Ascension as a Wizard, finding suitable demon souls became much harder.

Ordinary Saint Rank demon souls are of no interest to Lei En; they offer little boost to his power, so for the past three years he hasn't fused any, and he's still at Twenty‑three level.

This ancient dragon demon is just right.

Lei En looked at Silver Star Duke and saw she had just advanced a level to Twenty‑four, fully capable of merging this ancient dragon demon into the Soul Gathering Tower to greatly increase her power. Yet she didn't; instead she came seeking a trade, surely demanding a lion's big ask.

He didn't hide his excitement, smiling and asking, "Madam, what do you want to trade? Gold Shield? Black Soul elixir, or a Legend Grade magical item?"

"I heard Reslin has mastered a Ten‑ring Spell," Silver Star Duke replied modestly.

Lei En understood immediately.

One must admit, Holy Soul Wizards are all clever.

Perhaps Silver Star Duke isn't sharp in other areas, but her eye for magical knowledge is keen, especially for summoning spells.

She never saw Reslin cast "Summon Burning Legion" herself, but from others' words she guessed the spell's basic principle and judged it highly suitable for her, its boost far surpassing that of an ancient dragon demon's demon soul.

Reslin relies on massive electricity to cast the spell.

While Silver Star Duke can use her Fu Kong Cheng to provide casting energy, achieving the same effect.

Holy Soul Wizards need Thirty‑level to master the Ten‑ring Spell, but having obtained a Hellfire Core, she can do it at Twenty‑four level, centuries ahead.

"Madam, you want a Hellfire Core?" Lei En asked.

"Yes."

Silver Star Duke's eyes lit up, full of anticipation, and said, "I'll trade this ancient dragon demon with Reslin for a thousand Hellfire Cores, how about it?"

Reslin has fewer than two thousand cores in hand, so she directly demanded half.

"Each core is a Great Demon, painstakingly collected by Reslin in the Abyss; he only has about a thousand total, and they need rune arrays etched onto them, so he can't give you all," Lei En said half‑truthfully, "At most five hundred."

Silver Star Duke murmured a few times, "And also include the method of making the cores."

Clearly, she intends to collect Hellfire Cores herself; after acquiring Fu Kong Cheng her power surged, allowing her to easily slay a stronger ancient dragon demon.

Even venturing into the Abyss, she feels confident.

"No problem," Lei En replied, "I've decided on Reslin's behalf and agreed."

"Deal!"

Silver Star Duke immediately tossed the soul stone to Lei En, as if fearing he might regret it, then eagerly asked, "Where is Reslin?"

"He'll be right there."

As soon as the words finished, a gaunt figure materialized beside them; the indifferent Reslin greeted, handed over five hundred Hellfire Cores and a magic notebook to Lei En, then vanished instantly.

"Madam, please take them," Lei En handed the items to Silver Star Duke.

Silver Star Duke quickly tallied the quantity, confirmed the magic notebook contained the Hellfire Core fabrication method, felt very satisfied, and with an unmistakable smile said, "Lei En, this cooperation was pleasant, thank you!"

"Madam, you are too kind."

Lei En smiled, "If there are any more ancient dragon demon souls, be sure to find me; I guarantee you'll get something satisfactory in exchange."

She must have control over a habitat of ancient dragon demons.

Such a powerful demon soul can be used by herself, and later the avatars of those battle Wizards can also fuse it; as many Elements as it has can be utilized.

"Fine!"

Silver Star Title: Duke gladly agreed and immediately took his leave.

"Madam, please take care; I will not see you off." Lei En watched her step onto the teleport array, then returned to the Star Destroyer, entered the meditation chamber, re‑checked that the soul stone and demon soul were fine, and immediately began the fusion.

A moment later.

When Lei En opened his eyes, he had already advanced to a 24th‑level Wizard.

He possessed every Element of that ancient dragon demon, both Physical Element and Arcane Element; previously he had raised them to the limit with energy, and stacking did nothing. The only thing that could increase his power was the Legendary Element "Lord of Thunder", which he had increased to three!

Lei En adapted for a moment, then immediately poured in energy, raising his Wizard rank to the 24th‑level pinnacle.

The next upgrade is the eighth Soul Transformation.

The way to break the bottleneck is the same as advancing Saint Rank: it requires merging a mid‑tier Saint Rank demon soul.

Success in the eighth Soul Transformation will raise him to th Level; upon reaching this realm, he can hear the prayers of his followers, and beyond the path of transcendence there is an additional option: gather the power of faith and fuse it with his own soul essence, transmuting into a mighty divinity, and ascend to demigod!

Lei En, of course, would not take this path.

However, the higher the rank, the rarer the demon soul, and it must meet his own criteria; he couldn't help but rub his brow and say, "Hard to find…"

(End of chapter)