Chapter 560: All Under the Holy Soul Are Mortals

"Flaming Phoenix!"

The tens of thousands of spectators in the arena all stood up, tilting their heads toward the phoenix in the sky.

Two suns hung side by side in the sky, scorching heat raising the temperature within a radius of a dozen miles as if autumn had turned back into midsummer. Because the phoenix was nearer, countless terrifying flames erupted from its body, blinding to look at, feeling hotter than the real sun; people kept sweating, as if they were about to ignite.

"Why is a phoenix appearing?" some bewildered spectators asked.

As everyone knows, the phoenix is one of the most powerful fire Element creatures; this phoenix's body was so massive that its outstretched wings spanned a hundred meters, blocking the sky, and it must be a Saint Rank monster.

If the phoenix hadn't shown any aggressive intent, everyone would have fled in terror long ago.

Many also guessed the truth, their faces shocked.

"It is the Dean transformed!"

The teachers and students of BrewotzAcademy pointed at the phoenix in the sky, shouting with shock and joy, "I saw it lift off from the academy myself, right from the Dean's office!"

"Goddess above?"

"Is it true?" someone whispered, "This is a Saint Rank monster, surpassing Legendary High-rank; how could the Dean..."

He stopped mid-sentence.

"The Dean has ascended to Holy Soul Wizard!"

"Sabbath Dean has ascended!"

The BrewotzAcademy teachers and students could finally confirm that the phoenix in the sky was the Dean, shouting excitedly, and the entire arena boiled over. The spectators understood their feelings; as the Empire's oldest academy, Brewotz had finally produced a Holy Soul Wizard!

This also means the Supreme Council's members will increase to thirteen!

【7】 On the towers surrounding the arena, Legendary Wizards from various Fu Kong Cheng and academies looked up at the sky with complicated expressions.

On the towers surrounding the arena, the legendary Wizards from the various Fu Kong Cheng and academies, when they look up at the sky, all have very complex expressions.

Heis Taf still kept his dignity, but his gaze was uneasy.

His wife Laila stood beside him, envying, "We really didn't guess wrong that day; Sabbath ascended to Holy Soul, no wonder he named this arena 'Phoenix'. Sigh... he still took the first step; I wonder when it'll be my turn?"

"You're close too," Heis Taf messaged in his mind.

"It's not that easy," Laila shook her head slightly, sighing, "I've already merged two Nine-ring Techniques, but merging a technique beyond my own rank gets harder each time. I'm still missing the third; I don't even have a thirty-percent chance, at least another ten years of preparation is needed."

Heis Taf fell silent; his progress was slower than his wife's, having merged only one Nine-ring Technique so far.

On other towers, there were also several Legendary Peak Wizards.

The casters discussed the matter with great fervor.

The Empire hadn't produced a new Holy Soul in a long time. The last was over ninety years ago, the Black Robe Duke Tuzlei, but the Black Robe Duke had been obscure before, and his ascension had no outside witnesses, as if he burst from a stone crevice.

The Black Robe Duke was extremely mysterious, operating low-key; even the investiture ceremony involved only Holy Soul Wizards and a handful of Empire officials.

For the next hundred years, the Black Robe Duke almost vanished from the public eye.

No one even heard of any deeds of the Black Robe Duke.

If the Supreme Council hadn't clearly listed twelve Holy Soul Wizards, people would hardly recall the Black Robe Duke, almost as if he never existed.

Further back is Duke Hong Shi.

Duke Hong Shi Kaierston*Karser ascended to Holy Soul in New Era Calendar year 2195, over three hundred years ago. He was only fifty‑eight then; the uproar was obvious, and he was called the first prodigy in human history, a record still unbroken.

Events over three hundred years ago are beyond the experience of most people in the Empire, even the Black Robe Duke's ascension happened before most were born.

Now, witnessing a Holy Soul Wizard's birth with one's own eyes, how could anyone not be thrilled?

It's a fortune one can brag about for a lifetime.

On the eastern tower, Weizelan Wizards also wore uplifted expressions.

Roni unintentionally stood up, facing the intense blaze, gazing at the phoenix in the sky; the usually calm him could not hide his surprise and envy, whispering, "The thirteenth Holy Soul Wizard..."

Lei En also admired the phoenix's majestic bearing.

His Soul Eye let him see more than others, and he had long known the truth; Sabbath Dean's Holy Soul Ascension had likely been over a month, the phoenix demon soul perfectly merged with his own soul, the state stable as a mountain, with no discomfort at all.

Deep within the phoenix demon soul's core lies a Legendary Element—Phoenix Nirvana!

This element, alongside the "Flame Demon King", ranks among the top flame talents, possessing legendary-level fire Element affinity; when casting flame spells, its power surges two to three times!

The two have notable differences.

Phoenix Nirvana can be reborn within fire, effectively granting a conditional Undying Body, favoring precise control over the fire Element; the Flame Demon King is simpler and more brutal, pushing flame spell power to the limit, each spell can carry both "explosive burn" and "explosion" effects.

Both are Legendary Elements, each with its own advantage.

However, for Sabbath Dean, who casts transformation spells, Phoenix Nirvana is clearly more suitable, compensating for a transformation Wizard's lack of casting technique.

Moreover, transformation Wizards excel in melee; being able to rebirth in fire adds an extra layer of life protection.

Roni suddenly turned around.

He looked at Lei En, whispering, "Sabbath Dean doesn't seem to have just ascended today; he's merely showcasing his power, announcing his ascension."

"Your eyesight is too sharp, huh?"

Lei En's gaze flickered; he hadn't expected Speaker Ronnie to discern that.

Speaker Ronnie immediately sensed Lei En's odd reaction, furrowed his brow, and asked oddly, "You already knew?"

"At the Dean's office last time..." Lei En didn't continue, but Speaker Ronnie instantly understood many things; it was clearly linked to GrandSpeaker's plan. Having long been in Weizelan, he naturally knew GrandSpeaker's close private ties with Sabbath Dean; aside from GrandSpeaker, who else could make Sabbath Dean delay announcing his Holy Soul Wizard ascension?

Speaker Ronnie didn't press further, merely sighing, "I wonder who the next ascendant will be?"

His gaze drifted to the southern and opposite towers, spotting the Heis Taf city‑lord couple and Franlis's three Eight‑Leaf members, Bigbai, Tansen, and Mayoufu.

According to incomplete statistics, the Empire has over a hundred Legendary High-rank Wizards, but those who have reached Legendary Peak and could challenge the Holy Soul number fewer than twenty.

Heis Taf and Laila are already the closest among the present Wizards to the Holy Soul.

Bigbai, Tansen, and Mayoufu each have merged only one Nine-ring Technique.

Lei En saw this clearly, smiling, "No surprise, it's Lady Laila."

Speaker Ronnie's gaze landed on Laila, then quickly withdrew, lightly nodding, "Lady Laila truly has the best chance. Yet they aren't Weizelan Wizards; no matter how strong, it doesn't concern us. We must push harder."

Currently in Weizelan, only Speaker Ronnie's teacher, Thus line: Kelaoaosi, is challenging the Holy Soul; the others' ranks are insufficient.

Roni is level eighteen, Kaidejia is level seventeen, Dalandon only reached Legendary High-rank at level sixteen last year, and Lei En, needless to say, is only level thirteen.

The Eye of the Holy Soul saw that Roni had a trace of worry in his heart.

Lei En knew that he recalled Korstted, who had once been the most promising candidate for Holy Soul Ascension in Weizelan; although he now possessed a Holy Soul, he had also fallen and transformed into a Lich.

"I think the next Holy Soul Wizard will definitely be Chairman Lei En!"

A Weizelan Wizard behind him suddenly said.

Immediately others echoed, their eyes on Lei En filled with admiration and confidence, nodding vigorously and loudly saying, "I also think so; Chairman Lei En will surely succeed."

"Indeed!"

"And Chairman Lei En also aims to break the record for the youngest Holy Soul Wizard; what do you think?"

"Yeah, yeah, I think the same; I was just about to say…"

"Chairman Lei En is the youngest Legendary Wizard, and will certainly become the youngest Holy Soul Wizard in the future; we will all witness that day arrive."

The Weizelan Wizards chattered, showering Chairman Lei En with flattery, all wearing that same expression; even several of their own students voiced agreement, leaving Lei En both amused and exasperated.

Roni, unable to watch any longer, shook his head and said, "Holy Soul Ascension is not that easy."

"If Holy Soul Ascension could be achieved by talent alone, the Supreme Council wouldn't now have only twelve members. Korst…," he paused, but the Weizelan Wizards all understood that he meant Korstted would not have fallen for the sake of Ascension.

Korstted was the pain in every Weizelan Wizard's heart.

But that clearly failed to convince anyone; a senior Wizard, gathering courage, retorted, "Can Korstted even be compared with Chairman Lei En?"

"We will eventually cut down that traitor!"

As they spoke, a phoenix in the sky folded its wings, coalescing into a massive fireball over ten meters in diameter that fell from the heights.

Tens of thousands of spectators realized the fireball was heading straight for the arena; looking up, it felt as if the sun itself had fallen from the heavens, hurling toward them, accelerating.

The overwhelming might and scorching flames caused everyone's breath to halt.

Some timid spectators showed fear on their faces, wanting to flee.

Boom!

When the fireball was a hundred meters above the ground, it suddenly burst like fireworks, yet no flame fell to injure the arena's spectators.

In the next instant, Sabbath Dean's figure appeared atop the northern tower.

His handsome face bore a faint smile, still as composed as ever, his gaze gentle and exuding extraordinary charisma, more approachable than before.

"Everyone."

Sabbath Dean spoke.

Everyone in the arena hurriedly rose in unison, their expressions respectful and admiring.

In the Oriense Empire, Holy Soul Wizards are the most esteemed individuals, far surpassing the rank of Consuls, great nobles, and church leaders; even other Saint Rank transcendents can hardly be compared.

Hundreds of millions of the Empire's subjects bathe in the great power of the Holy Soul Wizards.

Holy Soul Wizards are supreme; people grow up hearing their heroic deeds, living under their rule, and no one dares show any disrespect. In the eyes of a considerable portion of the Empire's populace, Holy Soul Wizards are deities walking among mortals, no longer human.

All beneath the Holy Soul are mortals.

Although Sabbath Dean has only just achieved Holy Soul Ascension and has not yet entered the Kermitis Supreme Council, this is merely a procedural step.

From now on, Sabbath Dean will be one of the Empire's greatest Wizards!

Even with Sabbath's usually calm demeanor, seeing his single sentence cause tens of thousands to tremble with awe, everyone listening respectfully as if subjects before their sovereign, his expression still involuntarily flickered, his heart filled with countless emotions; the relentless, diligent pursuit of the past several hundred years had not been in vain, bearing the most abundant and perfect fruit today.

"Everyone."

Sabbath Dean said in a clear yet unpretentious tone, "Goddess, bless and grant grace; I have achieved Holy Soul Ascension, fortunate to have progressed further on the path of Transformation Wizards, reaching realms uncharted by predecessors, opening a new chapter for all Transformation Wizards in the world."

As soon as his words ended, the entire arena erupted in a tsunami of cheers.

"Long live the Dean!"

"Congratulations to the Dean on Holy Soul Ascension!"

Over ten thousand teachers and students of BrewotzAcademy were overwhelmed with emotion, many shedding tears and hugging their classmates and friends.

The most delighted were the Transformation Wizards.

Among the three major Wizard schools and eight specializations, only the Transformation Wizards have never produced a Holy Soul Wizard, with only a few Legendary High-rank representatives. This left many Transformation Wizards lacking confidence, even questioning whether they were on a destined dead‑end with no future.

Sabbath Dean's Ascension finally shattered all doubts.

It can be foreseen that the Empire's Transformation Wizards will gain confidence, and in the following period their numbers will surge dramatically. After all, Transformation Wizards possess considerable combat power in the early stages, while their cultivation difficulty and required resources are minimal, offering extremely high value.

People rejoiced for a long time, offering the warmest congratulations to the newly appointed Holy Soul Wizard.

"I will apply to the Supreme Council to hold my investiture ceremony on the day after this exchange tournament ends, which is seven days from now, under the goddess's witness."

"At that time, the arena's broadcast will simultaneously show the investiture ceremony; please all attend to witness it."

Wow…

Sabbath's announcement was like a massive bomb; the entire arena exploded with excitement, tens of thousands of spectators boiling over, their faces flushed with excitement.

An investiture ceremony for a Holy Soul Wizard!

This is a grand event that occurs only once every few hundred years, also the Empire's most magnificent ceremony; missing it may mean never seeing it again in one's lifetime.

Although it will only be viewed as a broadcast inside the arena, not in person, it is almost the same.

It should be noted that previous investiture ceremonies were held in the Empire's capital Nuosiruier, and only the most prestigious Imperial dignitaries were invited, usually no more than a hundred people.

Most importantly, all members of the Supreme Council will attend the ceremony.

Holy Soul Wizards rarely appear publicly; seeing even one is a rare honor, and witnessing the presence of thirteen Holy Soul Wizards is an opportunity of a lifetime!

In an instant, everyone went crazy.

After announcing his decision, Sabbath Dean gave a slight smile, waved to the crowd, his gaze sweeping over the eastern tower where Lei En stood, then flames engulfed his body and vanished.

Lei En watched the scene, deep in thought.

Thank you all for your concern; I will keep updating, and will let you know when I need to take a leave, thank you!

(End of Chapter)