Chapter 1069: Ascension to the Holy Temple

"Master Anxiwodasi, is this true?"

The one asking was Abunian Sage from Ai En Fu Kong Cheng, his face flushed with excitement, even appearing a bit out of line.

Abunian Sage is one of the Empire's longest-serving councilors, over a thousand years old, who fused two nine-ring Law Seals centuries ago but failed to master the third, having long abandoned hope of Holy Soul Ascension, and now has little time left.

If he could become a Holy Soul Wizard, he could live another thousand years!

Not only Abunian; there are many other legendary Wizards in the Empire with similar circumstances, and counting all the major Floating Cities and magical academies, the number exceeds double digits.

If you include the extraordinary professions beyond Wizards, the number is even larger!

The distribution of extraordinary professions follows a trend: below Legendary, casters are an absolute minority, with a very low proportion; at Legendary, the proportion of casters begins to rise gradually; at the Legendary High-rank level, the number of casters is comparable to other extraordinary professions, accounting for nearly half.

Upon entering Saint Rank, the proportion completely reverses.

Casters—including Wizards, Mages and Warlocks—outnumber all other extraordinary professions combined, becoming the mainstream.

The cause of this phenomenon is simple—talent differences!

Those with superior talent are always few; the vast majority become Wizards, followed by Warlocks or clerical professions. Those lacking talent can only settle for non-casting roles such as Iron Guard, Berserker, Gunner or Shadow Warrior.

As strength grows and ranks rise, the advantage of talent becomes increasingly evident, and the gap in power widens.

And talent is what is most needed to break through Saint Rank.

Among the more than thirty Empire councilors present, excluding Batula, two Pontiffs and Margarita—these Saint Rank elites—the remaining individuals are half Legendary Wizards.

The other half are various extraordinary professions: Steel Knights, Shadow Warriors, Magic Swordmen, Great Sword Masters, and so on.

Their difficulty in breaking Saint Rank is far greater than that of Wizards!

First, insufficient talent: many extraordinary professions must train an Element to an advanced Legendary Element to ascend Saint Rank, which is harder than fusing nine-ring Law Seals;

Second, lack of strength: they cannot locate a suitable magic soul to force‑fuse and break Saint Rank; the fusion conflict is so intense it is almost a near‑death ordeal.

And Anxiwodasi says the rune formation he invented can solve the second problem.

It assists in merging Law Seals, reduces magic‑soul conflicts, and raises the success rate!

Every Empire councilor below Saint Rank went crazy.

"Master Anxiwodasi, even non‑Wizards can really use it, right?"

"Master, you aren't kidding?"

"Master Anxiwodasi, how much difficulty does this rune formation reduce, and what is the success rate? How long does it take to fuse a nine‑ring Law Seal?"

"Master Anxiwodasi…"

The Empire councilors chattered incessantly, shouting their questions one after another.

A few even couldn't resist moving closer to Anxiwodasi, and the scene became momentarily chaotic, like a noisy marketplace.

The Holy Soul Wizards were also greatly shocked!

If Anxiwodasi's words are true, then this rune formation would be one of the greatest inventions in human history, even surpassing Soul Stones, and comparable to the Iola Core!

No!

From the Empire's and all humanity's perspective, it is even more important than the Iola Core.

The Iola Core can only be created and used by the most powerful Wizards, ultimately a privilege of the few, whereas this rune formation can cause the number of human Saint Rank elites to surge!

The numbers of Holy Soul Wizards and Saint Rank elites largely determine a race's ceiling.

The larger the base, the higher the peak!

In the over 2,500 years since the New Era, the Empire has produced fewer than twenty Holy Soul Wizards, and only seven have reached above Thirty-level.

Of these seven Wizards, one disappeared, one died, and one was expelled.

And among Wizards above Level 40, only the already‑missing Augulevi Master remains.

If the Empire had a hundred Holy Soul Wizards, the number reaching Thirty-level would certainly exceed seven, and it might even see Holy Soul Wizards above Level 40 again! Even without that, a hundred Holy Soul Wizards plus an equal number of Saint Rank elites could push the Empire's overall power to unimaginable heights.

Moreover, judging from Master Anxiwodasi's words, this rune formation is not limited to breaking Saint Rank; it can also break the Legendary bottleneck, and even extraordinary beings below Legendary can use it.

A future scene of infinite possibilities unfolds before everyone's eyes!

Only Roni and Heisita Fu remain relatively calm.

Roni has known this for a long time and has experienced it personally, while Heisita Fu just learned it from Rein and agreed to relinquish the trade city‑states' autonomy in order to break through as a Holy Soul Wizard. In fact, he knows that not giving up is untenable; the Emperor will eventually act against the trade city‑states, so it's better to surrender proactively and exchange some benefits with His Majesty.

Rein has been watching Tuzlei covertly.

When the teacher announced the rune formation, Tuzlei, who had kept a detached expression, couldn't help but change color and cast a surprised glance at the teacher.

The Soul Eye saw his emotional fluctuations were intense, unprecedentedly so, far exceeding the outward surprise.

Obviously, Augulevi was also shocked by this invention.

"Quiet!"

Rein lightly barked, his imposing aura suppressing the room, rebuking: "You are all Empire councilors; this noisy clamor is unbecoming!"

"Everyone sit down!"

"Listen to the teacher finish."

Rein's eyes were sharp as he swept over dozens of Empire councilors.

"Yes, Your Majesty." Each councilor he saw seemed doused with a bucket of water; their excitement calmed, and they quickly bowed their heads and sat. Yet as soon as they sat, recalling Master Anxiwodasi's words, the blood in their chests began to churn again.

Saint Rank elites!

This is what they've dreamed of all their lives; not only does it grant the pinnacle of power, it also greatly extends lifespan—how could they not be excited?

Thus, everyone stared eagerly at Anxiwodasi.

Anxiwodasi, with a composed expression, smiled: "As I just said, this rune formation can assist in merging Law Seals and also raise the success rate of fusing magic souls. Conducting a Soul Transformation ceremony within the rune formation stabilizes the soul structure, reduces conflicts, and yields remarkably effective results."

"Master, doesn't that mean any rank can use it?" a Mid-stage Legendary Empire councilor asked.

"Indeed."

Anxiwodasi nodded, "However, each use of the rune formation consumes a great amount of materials, worth around two hundred thousand Gold Shields."

So pricey!

This was everyone's first reaction.

Then they thought, if the bottleneck can be broken, a mere two hundred thousand Gold Shields are nothing—simply too cheap!

A very young wizard stood up; he was Storm Queen's student and lover Alamansè, just over fifty, already mastered a Nine-ring Technique and was trying to fuse a second. Across the entire Empire, few such unparalleled geniuses could be found.

Alamansè asked, "Anxiwodasi Master, this rune array…"

Anxiwodasi raised his hand to make him pause, a hint of modesty on his face, "I will name it 'Anxiwodasi Ascension Technique'; you may call it the 'Ascension Array.'"

"Ascension Array…"

Everyone mulled over the name; Anxiwodasi Master will be immortalized because of it!

Alamansè continued, "Master, I want to know the exact effects of the Ascension Array. How much does it raise the success rate, how much does it lower the difficulty, and how long does it take to fuse a Law Seal?"

"Increase by half, decrease by half, half a year."

Anxiwodasi gave a concise answer.

For three months, he had Roni use the Ascension Array, confirming the data previously obtained when modifying the Hesi Magic Array, so he was full of confidence.

Wow!

The Empire's senators were stirred again.

Half the success rate, half the difficulty, only half a year—the Ascension Array's effect far exceeded their expectations! Though there remains a fifty percent chance of failure, the difficulty compared to breaking through on one's own is worlds apart.

Alamansè gasped in amazement, wishing he could use the Ascension Array immediately.

It should be known that, with his talent, fusing a Nine-ring Law Seal yields less than twenty percent success, and the process is lengthy—three to five years; he failed once in the early years.

A failed Law Seal fusion wounds the soul, requiring five to seven years to recover.

One failure delays ten years!

The Nine-ring Law Seal is lost as well.

If a slightly less gifted Legendary Wizard were used, with fewer resources and conditions, it might take decades for a single attempt at fusing a Nine-ring Law Seal, and in a lifetime they'd have fewer than ten chances. Yet an Ascension Holy Soul Wizard must master three Nine-ring Techniques.

Anxiwodasi added, "Using the Ascension Array cannot guarantee success; failure is still possible, but the array lessens the severity of soul injury, so the recovery period is shorter."

He hesitated for a moment.

"I have not yet conducted tests in this area; based on my estimate, a failed Nine-ring Law Seal fusion recovers in no more than five years, and if conditions are good, perhaps three years is enough."

"Of course, the Law Seal will still be damaged."

The Legendary Wizards listened with their hearts soaring; five years is nothing—they can afford it. If each attempt has a fifty percent fusion success rate, even with poor luck, one success should come every three to four tries, taking about twenty years.

A Legendary Wizard can live up to a thousand years; even accounting for reduced lifespan from soul injury, they still have at least five hundred years.

That is enough to try dozens of times!

From a first‑rank wizard to the nineteenth‑rank pinnacle, less gifted wizards may need four to five hundred years. Human souls begin to decay around four hundred years of age.

Soul decay means spiritual power ceases to grow and instead recedes.

Therefore, anyone wishing to become an Ascension Holy Soul Wizard must reach the Legendary Peak before four hundred years old, which blocks over ninety‑nine percent of wizards.

Anxiwodasi Master's Ascension Array changed everything.

Regardless of age at reaching the Legendary Peak, as long as one is not on the brink of death, there is a chance to challenge the Holy Soul Wizard!

From now on, for wizards, the biggest obstacle to becoming an Ascension Holy Soul Wizard may no longer be mastering the Nine-ring Technique, but how to reach the Legendary Peak quickly and how to obtain the Nine-ring Law Seal.

Only a Saint Rank Demon Soul can extract a Nine-ring Law Seal.

Saint Rank Demon Souls are already scarce; Legendary Wizards find them hard to hunt, and they must suit one's own techniques.

At that moment, Governor Moseliao of the Osi'an Province stood up.

He asked respectfully, "Anxiwodasi Master, for those who are not wizards or casters, does using the Ascension Array to fuse a demon soul have the same effect as fusing a Law Seal?"

"Yes."

Anxiwodasi nodded.

This was the result Lei En obtained through personal experimentation.

Moseliao exclaimed excitedly, "Master, your wisdom rivals that of a deity!"

Decades ago he was a Legendary Peak Shadow Assassin, but he hit a bottleneck and still sees no hope of breaking through the Saint Rank to become the Shadow King.

Generally there are two methods: first, forge an Element into a Legendary Element, triggering a soul metamorphosis. This path is extremely arduous; he has toiled for decades, forging a superlative Element countless times, still far from advancement, leaving one despondent.

Second is to forcibly fuse a Saint Rank Demon Soul, which is even harder than the previous method and carries a risk to life.

Almost no one chooses the second method.

Anxiwodasi Master's Ascension Array reduced the difficulty and conflict of fusing a demon soul by half; even if it fails, the soul is no longer severely injured nor life‑threatening, so many are willing to try the second path!

Now only a suitable Saint Rank Demon Soul is missing!

By the way, we still need two hundred thousand Gold Shields.

Not only Moseliao was excited; every Legendary Peak was thrilled, sincerely praising Anxiwodasi's great invention.

"Anxiwodasi Master is the greatest wizard in history; even the Iola Core cannot compare to the Ascension Array!"

"Exactly!"

"The Ascension Array is humanity's greatest achievement ever!"

"No, even elves and dragons, at the height of their power, never produced an invention stronger than the Ascension Array. Ladies and gentlemen, the Ascension Array will enable our Empire, all of humanity, to develop the most glorious civilization in the new era!"

Each word of praise lifted Anxiwodasi's spirits; a proud smile could not be hidden as he continuously stroked his snow‑white beard.

But when he heard someone mention elves later, he couldn't help feeling a bit insecure.

The Ascension Array was adapted from the Hesi Magic Array.

He and Lei En had long discussed that this secret must not be spread, lest trouble arise. Although elves are far in Aoroan and pose little threat to the Empire, making it public would tarnish humanity's and the Empire's reputation, so it is best kept confidential.

"Anxiwodasi, congratulations!"

KangJieladeGreatSage voiced his congratulations, genuinely happy for Anxiwodasi and the Empire.

The Holy Soul Wizards congratulated one another.

Prophet Medif asked, "Anxiwodasi, does the Advancement Array have any effect on Holy Soul Wizards?" The question drew everyone's attention.

Anxiwodasi thought for a moment before replying, "I've tried it myself, but the effect was not obvious—perhaps my level is too high. However, for Holy Soul Wizards between Level 20 and Thirty‑level, it should still aid the Soul Transformation ceremony, though the effect is less noticeable than for those below Saint Rank."

The Holy Soul Wizards' eyes lit up.

Duke Silver Star exclaimed, "Even if it only raises the Soul Transformation success rate by ten percent, that's a rare boon!"

"Indeed…"

The Holy Soul Wizards all nodded.

The seventh Soul Transformation for Transcendants is the hardest; the eighth is slightly easier, but not much, still carrying great risk.

The ninth Soul Transformation is even harder than the seventh.

GrandSage Ka had been stuck at this bottleneck for centuries, only breaking through a few years ago.

"I can't guarantee how much improvement there will be," Anxiwodasi shook his head, yet sounded confident, "the Advancement Array still has great room for refinement; I will keep researching, aiming to provide decent assistance even for Saint Rank elites."

"We look forward to the Master succeeding soon!"

All Holy Soul Wizards were filled with anticipation.

Batu La, Ya Lai An, and Hai Si Ke Tuo, these non‑casters who are Saint Rank elites, felt the same; after advancing to Saint Rank, strengthening became exceedingly hard, each step agonizingly difficult. If the Advancement Array works, they could use it at every promotion, its utilization higher than that of Holy Soul Wizards, giving them an advantage.

After the excitement, people immediately thought of a question.

"Master Anxiwodasi."

Elder Harawa rose and asked, "When will we be able to use the Advancement Array?"

Anxiwodasi glanced at Lei En before answering, "The Advancement Array is not solely my achievement; Lei En contributed greatly and was a huge help. How to employ the Advancement Array, I've decided to leave that to Lei En."

Having said that, he sat down.

The crowd was stunned—did His Majesty also take part?

Although Master Anxiwodasi had previously said it was "with Lei En's help," everyone thought it was merely his modesty.

Now they realize it seems to be true!

Several Holy Soul Wizards and Imperial Senators who knew Lei En better, especially the Weizelan councilors, couldn't help pondering.

They had received no prior rumors, yet Master Anxiwodasi suddenly produced the Advancement Array.

From past examples, they guessed Lei En must be involved, and it's not just a simple "help"; perhaps Lei En is the true mastermind behind the Advancement Array's invention!

Lei En sensed the shift in everyone's thoughts and smiled to himself.

He stood and shouted, "The Master's Advancement Array is vital to the Empire; no amount of praise or glory would be excessive."

Lei En's expression was solemn; after a pause, he continued, "Therefore, in the name of the Emperor of the Oriense Empire, I confer upon Anxiwodasi the title 'Duke of Weizelan' and grant him the Sunshine State peninsula on the New Continent as a fief, with a date to be chosen for the investiture ceremony."

A real duke!

Moreover, it's the Sunshine State on the New Continent's east coast, the most temperate region, its area comparable to a top‑ranking Imperial province; every inch of land is valuable, it has natural harbors, both sides of the peninsula could host multiple cities, and the entire New Continent has few territories as uniquely blessed.

Even dukes from the Supreme Council era lacked such a fine fief.

Either their area was smaller or conditions slightly poorer; throughout Imperial history, none surpasses this ducal domain.

Instantly, everyone felt envy.

Imperial Senators of noble birth had reddened, envious eyes, yet no one doubted that Master Anxiwodasi's achievements merited His Majesty's gift.

"Congratulations, Duke of Weizelan!"

"Congratulations, Master!"

The crowd offered congratulations; Anxiwodasi rose, smiling in response. In truth, he was more surprised than anyone—Lei En had promised ten years earlier, after ascending the throne, to grant him a ducal land as the economic source for Weizelan's Fu Kong Cheng.

He had assumed Lei En had chosen the city of Morando in the Sunshine State and its surrounding area.

He didn't expect Lei En to be so generous.

Lei En granted the entire Sunshine State, over five times larger than anticipated, surpassing any ducal land in history!

As for Lei En's stated reason for the investiture, Anxiwodasi chuckled to himself; the Advancement Array was mainly Lei En's own modification, and he merely basked in its glow.

Anxiwodasi looked at his student and saw Lei En flash a rapid wink, his face bearing a smile only the two understood.

He couldn't help recalling sixteen years ago, the day he formally accepted Lei En as a disciple; during the apprenticeship ceremony, he gave Lei En a unique Weizelan insignia granting higher permissions and more spells—a special favor from teacher to student, indicating discretion.

Today, the roles were reversed, with the student caring for the teacher.

Anxiwodasi was filled with countless emotions!

He never truly coveted private lands; for centuries he had pursued a ducal title and domain solely to resolve the debt crisis of Weizelan's Fu Kong Cheng.

Otherwise, after a millennium he wouldn't have abandoned the title and lands.

Now, he finally obtained the ducal domain as he wished, but Weizelan's debts are settled and its economy stable; this ducal land is now superfluous, optional. With Emperor Lei En looking after Weizelan, it will never lack funds.

"Fate truly is unfathomable…"

Anxiwodasi sighed softly, yet remained very pleased.

He would never forget the lesson of relinquishing his ducal title and lands over a thousand years ago, and it would be unwise to refuse Lei En's goodwill.

"Thank you, Your Majesty," Anxiwodasi declared loudly—his first time addressing Lei En as His Majesty, and he bowed in salute.

Lei En smiled, "Duke of Weizelan, no need for formalities."

When the Master sat down, he turned to the assembly and said, "The Advancement Array may only be used by humans, and it must not be disseminated; the scope and candidates for its use must be strictly controlled."

The crowd nodded slightly.

Humans are not limited to the Oriense Empire; there are two other great empires, hundreds of kingdoms and duchies, countless smaller city‑states. In other planes, human subspecies also exist, capable of merging with demon souls.

For the Empire's future, the Advancement Array must never be exposed!

Everyone quickly reached consensus.

Lei En continued, "Previously, the Master and I agreed that, aside from leaving one Advancement Array in Weizelan's Fu Kong Cheng for the Master's research, we may construct the Advancement Array only in one location: the Floating Beiden Imperial Palace."

The crowd was unsurprised by this.

Sabbath Dean said, "It should be so; the Empire has no place safer than the Imperial Palace."

Yes…

Someone immediately agreed, and couldn't help glancing up at the palace dome.

Since the upheaval half a month ago, the eight Empire‑class Star Destroyers have vanished, yet everyone can see the mightiest Victory‑class Star Destroyer, the Augustus, hovering over the sky above the Fubeden Imperial Palace.

The entire palace is constantly guarded by the Empire's Fist Guard, the Rike Imperial Guard, and tens of thousands of Thundercast Celestial Soldiers, making it as impregnable as a pot of gold.

"I plan to build an Ascension Sanctuary behind the Temple of Truth," Lei En announced his idea. "Each Ascension Array costs about fifteen million Gold Shields; I intend to construct ten within five years, all funded personally, without tapping the treasury."

"Your Majesty is generous!"

The crowd showered praise, though some felt numb.

The Emperor was truly wealthy, casually producing another 150 million Gold Shields. Could money be merely a number to him?

"Your Majesty, behind the Temple of Truth lies the Odahk Palace. Converting it into an Ascension Sanctuary would occupy a vast area; wouldn't that shrink the Emperor's sleeping palace?" a senator of southern noble birth kindly warned.

The so‑called Odahk Palace is the Emperor's sleeping palace.

Rike Palace sits at the exact center of the Fubeden Imperial Palace; its front opens onto a plaza, the southwest corner houses He Palace, and the southeast corner holds the Temple of Truth.

North of Rike Palace, occupying half of the palace's area, is the Odahk Palace, where the Emperor conducts daily life—training grounds, meditation chambers, and the royal garden are all there. It had been sealed for over a thousand years, with many halls falling into disrepair and near abandonment.

"I don't need such a large sleeping palace."

Lei En waved his hand. "Using the palace's central axis as a dividing line, split the Odahk Palace in two. Demolish all the abandoned eastern half to build the Ascension Sanctuary, and leave ample open space around it as a monitoring zone to prevent enemy infiltration."

"Leave the western half to me; I'll repair the Odahk Palace at my own expense, but I won't waste much—just ensure safety."

Lei En made the decision in an unquestionable tone.

"Your Majesty is wise!"

The Imperial Elders and senators shouted in unison, many sincerely delighted that the Empire had such a sagacious emperor.

"Employing the Ascension Array consumes materials; with a sufficient energy source, we can save roughly a third of the materials," Lei En said calmly. "I've already begun installing magical torchlight throughout the palace, integrating it with the existing Destruction Light Rune Array, and have installed the Iola Core."

The Ascension Sanctuary's array can also draw power from the Iola Core.

That would save everyone a sum of money.

Lei En's words let many breathe a sigh of relief; two hundred thousand Gold Shields is no small sum for many Imperial senators, requiring years of accumulation.

Moreover, the Ascension Array would be used multiple times—perhaps five or six, maybe even dozens.

At two hundred thousand Gold Shields each time, it's unaffordable.

"Hmm…"

Lei En's face showed contemplation, as if weighing a major decision; no one dared to interrupt. Minutes later, he finally resolved, saying, "Elders, to accelerate the rapid growth of the Empire's extraordinary power, I think we can offer certain discounts to those in need."

"What discounts?" the Silver Star Duke instantly showed interest.

"Within the next hundred years, any Imperial citizen using the Ascension Array at Legendary Peak will have the first five uses free, funded by the treasury."

Before Lei En finished, cheers rose among the Imperial senators. He pressed his hand down and continued, "After the first five uses, from the sixth to the fifteenth, the cost is halved. Beyond fifteen uses, it becomes entirely self‑funded."

"If one wishes to use the Ascension Array before reaching Legendary Peak, regardless of the attempt number, full material costs must be paid."

"The lower the rank, the higher the price, which conveniently generates revenue for the treasury."

Lei En finished speaking.

An Imperial senator immediately flattered, "Your Majesty's generosity even outshines the gods!"

Though it bordered on sycophancy, it won the majority's approval.

They wholeheartedly support the Emperor!

The Imperial Elders exchanged glances; naturally, none would oppose. At this moment, anyone daring to voice a doubt would, once spread, become a public enemy of the Empire's legendary extraordinaires.

"We endorse Your Majesty's decision," Anxiwodasi said, representing the Imperial Senate.

Lei En smiled.

"Once the Ascension Sanctuary is completed, anyone at Legendary Peak may submit applications at He Palace, where I will personally verify qualifications and schedule array usage; I hold the final decision," he added, "and if necessary, I will provide guidance."

The Eye of the Soul is the finest mentor; henceforth everyone will be convinced!

The Imperial Elders and senators saw the Emperor's intent, yet none objected; the Ascension Sanctuary was funded by the Emperor, and he will allocate it to whomever he chooses, leaving no one entitled to meddle.

"All decisions rest with Your Majesty," the crowd chorused.

"Then it's settled."

Lei En nodded, securing control of the Ascension channel—his painstaking goal. Henceforth, any extraordinary being in the Empire seeking Ascension Saint Rank must submit beneath the Golden Throne.

All heroes of the world now fall within my net!

Tomorrow we enter a new storyline.

(End of Chapter)