Chapter 403: I Don't Want to Strive Anymore

Lei En recognized from the voice that it was the high‑level Wizard who had been surveilling his family next door; his return would certainly not escape him, so he reported to the Silver Star Duke immediately.

Bade and Marinda heard the conversation and both came over.

Their expressions were complicated; they fully realized that Lei En was no longer the commoner boy of the past. He had just returned home for dinner, not even an hour had passed, and that unattainable Duke had already sent someone to invite him.

Lei En rose slowly and patted his younger brother Brisset's shoulder.

He then gave a gentle nod to his parents, paused for a few seconds, and finally swept his gaze over Cardilo and Cathy, as if to remember their faces.

"If you encounter difficulties, you can come to the Earl of Glamorgan to find me," Lei En said, raised his hand to open an any‑door, and walked in without looking back.

The Wizard hurriedly followed, and the any‑door closed immediately.

Bade stared silently at where the any‑door vanished; Marinda's eyes were sorrowful, knowing it would be hard to see Lei En again in this life. Finally she could not help covering her face and sobbing, "Goddess! Why does this happen?"

The two youngest children were somewhat bewildered and could not grasp the situation before them.

Only Brisset felt exhilarated, full of yearning for extraordinary power, silently encouraging himself, "I will work hard; one day I will catch up with your steps…"

The other side of the any‑door was at the villa's entrance, where a luxurious carriage was parked on the street.

The high‑level Wizard opened the carriage door first: "Lord Earl, please board; the Duke is already waiting for you in the tower."

Lei En looked up at the Wizard Tower in the night sky; the Spirit Demon Eye atop it emitted a beam, scanning all around like a lighthouse in darkness. He located the Silver Star Duke's residence at the tower's summit, his gaze piercing the protective formation, vaguely seeing the luxurious room inside.

After he got on, the carriage began to move.

The high‑level Wizard sat opposite, carefully maintaining a deferential attitude.

Lei En examined him closely with his Soul Eye; the other was an eighth‑level Elementalist, very powerful, evidently a member of the Secret Fire Guard.

"In the past year or so, has anything unusual happened in my family?" he suddenly asked.

The high‑level Wizard was startled, instinctively unable to answer clearly, but realized Lei En's gaze was sharp, as if aware of his long‑term surveillance of his family, and felt immense pressure.

He hesitated for a few seconds, then decided to tell the truth: "Lord Earl, your family is safe. Apart from a few attempts by some to use them to get close to you, which were rejected, there have been no malicious provocations or attacks against them."

Lei En nodded; this was clearly thanks to the Silver Star Duke's protection.

"That's good, thank you for your effort," he said after thanking, then fell silent.

The high‑level Wizard, however, felt his heart race, muttering to himself, "Sure enough, this Earl of Glamorgan knows I've been surveilling his family."

Although he was acting on the Duke's orders and covertly protecting the other's family, both parties understood that in name it was protection, but in fact it was a hostage; mishandling it would offend this young Earl whose strength and status were untouchable.

Silence fell in the rapidly racing carriage.

The high‑level Wizard occasionally sneaked glances at Lei En opposite, a faint intangible pressure making him uneasy; he hesitated several times to defend himself but never dared to speak.

Fortunately, the carriage soon entered the Silver Star Academy, arriving beneath the tower.

The high‑level Wizard watched Lei En step onto the teleportation array in the tower's lower hall, exhaled a long breath, and only then realized a small patch of sweat had dampened his back.

He was both horrified and puzzled.

"What kind of power does this Lord Earl truly have? It feels more terrifying than legend…"

The scene before Lei En shifted, placing him in a familiar room; a crystal chandelier illuminated every corner of the spacious chamber, its exquisite luxurious décor revealing the owner's noble status everywhere.

This was the Silver Star Duke's residence; it was his third visit.

At this moment, the palace‑like room was very quiet, with no guards or anyone else; Lei En's glance saw only the Silver Star Duke alone.

She reclined half‑lying on a soft sofa, hand supporting her cheek, seemingly daydreaming while gazing at Longshande outside the glass window.

Lei En could not see her front; a cascade of black hair fell like a waterfall over her partially exposed shoulders, and beneath the light gauze robe, faint graceful curves hinted at endless charm from just a back view.

Such a sight would make any man's imagination run wild.

Lei En's heart also leapt, but he immediately suppressed any improper thoughts, silently reminding himself, this is Viola's great‑grandmother, Master Luo Jue's lover; he must not let his mind wander.

However, he used the opportunity to secretly activate his Soul Eye.

Before reaching the legendary stage, he dared not indiscriminately view a Holy Soul Wizard's soul; now it should be fine.

Lei En first cautiously used his peripheral vision, inching toward the Silver Star Duke, feeling no discomfort, then relaxed and observed directly with his main eye.

Suddenly, an incredibly dazzling soul flashed before his eyes.

Yet he saw little information; the Silver Star Duke's soul was veiled by a hazy silver light, like looking through warped frosted glass, covering the entire soul. Within her soul seemed a tremendously powerful flame, burning incessantly; beneath the silver flame was a vague outline of a Soul‑Gathering Tower, a meditation form unique to Ten Thousand Spirits Wizards, though the captive demon souls inside the tower were invisible, only known to be massive in number, perhaps hundreds or thousands, maybe more!

"Tsk…"

Lei En clicked his tongue, feeling helpless but not surprised.

This wasn't his first time encountering this; previously in the Death Forest Sea, the Black Robe Duke's simulated avatar was the same, the Soul Eye could only see chaos.

Holy Soul Wizards truly are different; even the Soul Eye is of little use.

But not entirely useless; Lei En could still see changes in soul color and, by assessing soul structure and strength, gauge the Silver Star Duke's approximate rank.

"Level 23 Ten Thousand Spirits Wizard?"

Lei En was shocked.

The Holy Soul Wizard's minimum standard is Level 20; after reaching it, one can still advance. From the teacher's brief remarks, each promotion beyond Level 20 is extremely difficult, possibly taking a hundred years or several centuries, with no increase possible in a single level.

Most members of the Supreme Council of Ke Mi Ti Si are below th Level.

Level 25 is a threshold; reaching it allows another Soul Transformation, and if divinity is infused during the ritual one can ascend to a demigod. However, within the Supreme Council, some Holy Soul Wizards have already surpassed th Level yet chose not to pursue the demigod path.

Lei En guessed that his teacher and the other two Empire magnates were above Thirty-level!

The Silver Star Duke's seniority in the Supreme Council is relatively shallow.

She became a Holy Soul Wizard just over three hundred years ago, averaging one level per hundred years; this pace is remarkably swift.

If she maintains this, in another six or seven hundred years she could possibly catch up with the Empire's three magnates.

Of course, a transcendent's strength cannot be judged solely by rank; rank is merely a reference, and Lei En knows this well—he himself is the best example.

The Silver Star seemed to notice his gaze, rose from the sofa and turned, her beautiful face showing a half‑smile, the beauty mole at her mouth corner moving, and asked:

"Young man, what are you looking at?"

Lei En felt awkward inside, realizing his Soul Eye observation might be misinterpreted; he maintained a calm demeanor, bowed his head and said, "I have seen you, Lord Duke."

"Um…"

The Silver Star Duke gave a vague answer, her deep eyes fixed on Lei En as if admiring a plaything, then her expression shifted slightly, and she exclaimed in surprise, "Did you ascend to Legend?"

"Yes, my lord," Lei En replied, knowing he could not conceal it.

He had only become a Legend Wizard half a day ago, his soul still unstable, inevitably leaking a bit, and without the blood‑red cloak to conceal his aura, he could not hide from the perception of a Holy Soul Wizard.

The Silver Star Duke was stunned for a few seconds, shook her head and sighed, "I recall you are twenty‑two this year, with about half a year before your birthday; that's earlier than that fellow Kaisitong, breaking his record for the youngest Legend! And it's been less than two years since your first Soul Transformation, right?"

"Not yet," Lei En replied.

He became a Transcendent at the end of August 2528 in the New Era Calendar, and now it is June 2530 in the New Era Calendar, indeed less than two years.

"Really fast!" the Silver Star Duke exclaimed.

She had lived for several hundred years, having seen hundreds to thousands of geniuses, including rare prodigies once in a century, yet none had ever made her lose composure like Lei En; even as a Divine Chosen, she herself did not ascend to Legend until nearly thirty.

"I always knew you were outstanding, but I never expected you to be this exceptional..."

The Silver Star Duke suddenly felt deep regret.

She shouldn't have sent Lei En to Mo Du to become a disciple of Anxiwodasi; given Lei En's current prospects, he is almost a copy of the Hong Shi Duke, perhaps even more outstanding, and without doubt Lei En will eventually ascend to Holy Soul Wizard and join the Supreme Council.

For such a once‑in‑a‑generation talent, she would hand him over for a mere pittance!

The Silver Star Duke was at a loss for words.

Her expression flickered as she watched Lei En standing there, his sturdy, well‑proportioned figure radiating an unmatched, fierce aura of power; his looks were exceptionally handsome, features perfectly sculpted, demeanor beyond compare, and even by her standards she could find no more striking man.

Suddenly, the Silver Star Duke's eyes glimmered, thinking that it was not too late now.

"Lei En, come sit down."

The Silver Star Duke patted the sofa beside her, shifted into a more languid, comfortable posture, speaking half‑reclined, her tone unusually gentle.

Lei En's scalp tingled instantly, and a meme flashed in his mind: Aunt, I don't want to work hard anymore. jpg

(End of Chapter)