Chapter 215: Six‑Person Council

At exactly noon, a resonant bell rang in the great hall.

The hall fell silent, the Wizards sat upright, five shafts of light gradually materialized on the platform at the hall's center, and then five Wizards of distinct appearances stepped forward and took their seats on the stage.

"Honored GrandSpeaker!"

The Wizards rose, saluted, and shouted in unison.

Anxiwodasi raised a hand in signal, nodded and replied, "Everyone, please be seated."

Amid the clatter, the Wizards reseated themselves.

Lei En, while saluting, carefully observed the important figures on the stage.

The six Speakers of the Weizelan Council, only five were present today; Anxiwodasi sat in the center, the other four seated on his left and right sides.

The leftmost, whom Lei En recognized, was young‑looking with white hair, also the most junior in the council, the seventeen‑level Arcane mage Kaidejia.

Having been assassinated on the day he first arrived at Fu Kong Cheng, Speaker Kaidejia took the rotation and said he would investigate the whereabouts of that red‑haired witch.

But to this day there is still no news; it's unclear whether nothing was found or nothing was even looked for.

To Speaker Kaidejia's left sat a middle‑aged Witch, the only woman in the six‑person council.

Her hair was jet‑black, with fine crow‑feet at the corners of her eyes; her skin appeared dull, and even magic could not hide the marks of time, giving her a wan, gloomy aura.

Lei En's soul‑eye saw that this legendary Witch, upon appearing, immediately cast a cold stare at him, showing no concealment of her hostility.

"Legendary High‑rank, nineteen‑level Water Elementalist."

This made Lei En's heart chill slightly; without guessing, he knew she was Mentor Modra, the teacher of Maytil.

Maytil became entangled in the dispute over the Gramo‑Gon territories; although he presented the investiture documents, declared the other party an invader, and, in the name of the lord, lawfully eliminated Maytil, Fu Kong Cheng had no right to hold him accountable, yet Speaker Modra would certainly not be satisfied.

The female Speaker's stance was also ambiguous, often speaking for Mo Du nobles in the council to secure benefits, essentially acting as the Mo Du aristocracy's representative in Fu Kong Cheng.

Logically, Speaker Modra could not extricate herself from the ties.

Lei En did not know whether Master Anxiwodasi had investigated her or participated in the Shield Island affair.

His gaze shifted to the left of Master Anxiwodasi, where a male elf stood, his brilliant golden hair neatly tied back, pointed ears exposed, strikingly handsome with deep eyes, clad in ornate robes that radiated noble elegance.

"High‑elf?"

Lei En was briefly startled, then realized something was amiss: the elf's exterior was merely a disguise, his true soul a dragon!

"Another dragon hidden among mortals!"

Lei En glanced unintentionally at Aoxiliya beside him.

The dragon‑kin who had transformed into a high‑elf was in truth a mature red dragon, nearly eight hundred years old, and like Aoxiliya, also a part‑time Wizard, with a profession level of nineteen!

"So Speaker Kelaoaosi was a red dragon."

Lei En had heard that among the six‑person council there was a high‑elf named Kelaoaosi, and the airship docking platform of Weizelan's Fu Kong Cheng was named after him.

The Speaker acted low‑key, devoted to magical research, disliking public appearances, perhaps for fear of revealing his red‑dragon secret.

Did Master Anxiwodasi know he was a red dragon? Did Aoxiliya realize a fellow of his kind stood beside her?

Lei En speculated while turning his gaze to the final Speaker.

He was a dignified male Wizard, appearing between youth and middle age, with sharp features, red hair, a dense short beard on his chin, and his soul‑eye showed him to be an eighteen‑level Elementalist, uniquely proficient in both water and fire elements!

"He must be Speaker Ronnie."

Lei En immediately recognized him; Speaker Ronnie had been a prominent figure before Speaker Kaidejia, gifted and famous for over a hundred years, but in recent years had settled down, returning to family life, no longer as flamboyant as before.

Within the Weizelan six‑person council there were two master‑apprentice pairs.

One pair was Master Anxiwodasi and Korstted, the other Kelaoaosi and Ronnie.

Lei En deactivated his soul‑eye, his gaze sweeping over the five Speakers on the platform: one Holy Soul Wizard plus four Legendary High‑rank, and an absent Korstted who was also Legendary High‑rank; the sheer strength of Weizelan's Fu Kong Cheng was almost unimaginable.

In addition, there were dozens of Legendary Wizards and hundreds of elite Wizards below Legendary rank; if they all emerged, they could sweep an entire Abyssal Plane layer!

By contrast, Longshande and Duke Silverstar's strength, whether in top‑tier warriors or Wizard numbers, lagged far behind.

Lei En couldn't help but sigh; no wonder Weizelan's Fu Kong Cheng qualified as one of the Empire's three great powers.

It was just a pity that such a mighty floating city faced the danger of collapse.

Moreover, there were subtle signs of internal division.

When the Wizards were seated, Master Anxiwodasi called out immediately, "Lei En, come up."

All eyes in the great hall swept onto Lei En, making him the focal point.

"Yes, GrandSpeaker."

Lei En responded respectfully, hurriedly rose from his seat, stepped up the six‑step stairs, onto the platform, and approached Anxiwodasi.

A hand gently rested on Lei En's crown, and Master Anxiwodasi whispered, "Now, please join me in praying to the Goddess."

The Wizards interlaced their hands, pressing the index and middle fingers upward, forming the prayer gesture of the God of Magic.

Lei En closed his eyes slightly, silently reciting the prayer.

This procedure was to confirm faith, preventing followers of the Lord of the Dead from infiltrating Weizelan's Fu Kong Cheng, and also to draw the Goddess's attention as testimony to the apprenticeship ceremony.

With so many powerful Wizards praying together, the Goddess's statue immediately reacted.

In the silence, the statue's eyes glowed, its torch's silver flame surged upward fiercely, as if a massive force descended from the heavens, enveloping the entire great hall, making the Wizards feel a faint pressure and tremble within.

Lei En had experienced such a large‑scale prayer ceremony during his investiture.

His own faith was sound; a righteous body fears no shadow of the Lord of the Dead, so he remained composed.

But this also led him to consider a possibility.

If fallen Wizards or followers of the Lord of the Dead were in Fu Kong Cheng, knowing the apprenticeship procedure would draw the Goddess's gaze, they would not dare to attend.

Only about half of the Wizards present today were there.

Among the remaining half, there might be hidden followers of the Lord of the Dead, even like Pirino*Aiden, who pledged to the Lord of the Dead.

"Goddess protect, truth endure!"

Ten minutes later, with a prayer from Anxiwodasi, the prayer concluded.

Anxiwodasi's face showed a faint smile; after the goddess's scrutiny, Lei En's faith needed no further doubt.

He immediately shouted, "The goddess above, and all present as witnesses, from today Ryan Augustus becomes my student; as Master, I will uphold the goddess's Willpower, impart all my knowledge to Ryan Augustus, and spread the goddess's wisdom and glory."

Lei En immediately knelt on one knee, "Salutations, Master."

"May you never cease on the path of seeking truth," Anxiwodasi gently stroked Lei En's crown, speaking solemnly.

"Remember the Master's teachings," Lei En replied loudly.

"Very well!"

Anxiwodasi was extremely pleased, smiling broadly, and said, "Rise."

Under the gaze of over two hundred Wizards, Lei En stood upright; Anxiwodasi produced a purple badge and pinned it to Lei En's chest.

The badge, half a palm in size, depicted an abstract purple eye; beneath the eye extended three straight arrows, the pupil radiating outward light, with faint runes swirling in the glow.

It is the symbol of Weizelan Fu Kong Cheng, and the badge signifies the identity of a Weizelan Wizard.

Only Wizards who enter the tower district and study under a legendary Wizard can obtain a Weizelan Badge.

At the same time, it is also a powerful magical artifact.

Earlier in his own castle, Perry gave a detailed description of the Weizelan Badge's functions; first, it serves as a pass, allowing free entry and exit to all academy facilities and buildings, including the thirteen towers scattered throughout Fu Kong Cheng, though entering the private domains of legendary Wizards requires permission.

The badge carries two spells.

One is a six‑ring teleportation gate, usable twice daily; the other is a five‑ring arbitrary gate, usable five times a day.

The teleportation gate's origin is permanently fixed at a designated location within Fu Kong Cheng.

The destination may be outside Fu Kong Cheng but cannot exceed fifty li; within this range, a Weizelan Wizard can return to the city at any time.

However, the twice‑daily limit allows only one round trip.

The arbitrary gate has more uses—five times daily—and is one ring larger than a typical arbitrary gate, reaching farther and usable at any time.

The magical energy consumption of both spells is supplied by the Iola Core; as long as one remains within Fu Kong Cheng, regardless of location, the usage counts automatically reset the next day.

Therefore, the badge's wearer is unrestricted by rank; once worn, it can be used.

Even a first‑rank Wizard, possessing a Weizelan Badge, can open a teleportation gate up to six rings without concern for casting ability or cost—extremely convenient.

Anxiwodasi helped Lei En affix the badge, gave a gentle pat, and a flash of spirit surged into his mind, binding with his soul.

Lei En instantly attained enlightenment.

This badge is unique; its usage count is doubled compared to other badges—four teleportation gates and ten arbitrary gates per day!

Obviously, this is a benefit bestowed by a Holy Soul Wizard upon his student.

The essence of the Weizelan Badge is akin to a key that can activate Iola Core energy; different badges grant different permissions.

The one who holds this permission is naturally the supreme leader of Fu Kong Cheng.

Anxiwodasi's snow‑white beard twitched, concealing a smile at the corners of his mouth, his gaze signaling Lei En to keep quiet.

Lei En, understanding without words, gratefully said, "Thank you, Master."

At the same time, all Wizards in the hall chorused, "Congratulations, GrandSpeaker, and welcome Lei En to Weizelan Fu Kong Cheng."

Lei En turned and bowed to the crowd, "Thank you all; please look after me in the future."

The Wizards' reactions varied.

Wizards hostile toward Lei En remained silent and extremely cold; some Wizards attempted to draw closer, speaking politely. However, most stayed neutral, neither friendly nor hostile, merely attending the ceremony.

When the apprenticeship ceremony ended, the Wizards promptly activated the arbitrary gates on their badges.

One after another, arbitrary gates opened in the hall, and figures vanished one by one.

On the platform, under Anxiwodasi's introduction, Lei En greeted the four Speakers one by one.

Speaker Modra kept a cold expression, gave a stiff nod; if not for preserving Anxiwodasi's face, he would not have stayed a second.

Kelaoaosi and Roni, the teacher‑student pair, were merely curious about Lei En and offered a few words of encouragement.

Only Speaker Kaidejia was the most easy‑going toward Lei En.

"Everyone, I won't keep you any longer; you may disperse."

Before Anxiwodasi could finish speaking, Modra's figure vanished; the red‑dragon Kelaoaosi and Roni bowed and then left.

"Lei En, if we have a chance we can talk more," Kaidejia tossed a friendly invitation before departing.

Aoxiliya stepped onto the platform and called, "Master."

"Hmm, both of you follow me," Anxiwodasi waved his hand, opening a teleportation gate; Lei En followed, finding himself in a crowded large room, surrounded by a dozen or so tall bookshelves, each packed with books.

A quick glance revealed at least twenty‑to‑thirty thousand volumes, all concerning magical knowledge.

His teacher sat behind a large table, the surface buried under stacks of books piled like small hills.

Lei En and Aoxiliya stood before the desk, with almost nowhere to set foot.

Seeing Lei En's surprised expression, Anxiwodasi smiled indifferently, raised his hand in a sweeping motion, and instantly the surrounding space shifted.

In the blink of an eye, all the bookshelves and clutter vanished.

Sunlight streamed in, clear and bright.

Lei En's gaze passed through the glass window, seeing a blue clear sky outside, allowing a bird's‑eye view of the entire Fu Kong Cheng; looking farther down, Mo Du City lay below, and with his sight he could even see his own castle.

This is the summit of the Weizelan Tower!

"Everyone, please sit down."

As Anxiwodasi spoke, several chairs materialized, and an arbitrary gate opened, from which five Wizards emerged, one of whom was a legend.

"Master."

"GrandSpeaker."

The few addressed Anxiwodasi with different titles.

Aoxiliya proactively introduced Lei En; among them were a man and a woman, two senior Wizards, also students of Master Anxiwodasi like Lei En. According to her, the teacher currently has six students, and one, like Korstted, is not in Fu Kong Cheng.

The other three Wizards are Korstted's students, including the twelfth‑rank legendary Wizard.

They are Anxiwodasi's disciples, so everyone's relationship is very close.

However, Lei En immediately noticed one of the witches; she was very beautiful, with brown hair and black eyes, a slender figure, and her profession was a Level‑8 Transforming Wizard.

The soul color shows she has deep hostility toward him.

Lei En made a quick identification, and immediately recognized through soul‑feature detection that she was the witch who tried to assassinate him on the street the day he first arrived at Fu Kong Cheng!

(End of chapter)