Chapter 589: Duke of the Blue Oak

Behind Duke Hong Shi stand ten legendary wizards, three of whom are spiritualists and should be his students. The other seven are all legendary high‑rank wizards, each wearing a golden scroll badge on their chest.

Elder Council of Naiser Fu Kong Cheng!

The guests in the temple hall murmured in surprise, and Lei En's gaze also flickered once.

The Naiser Elder Council has twelve members; excluding Quitu, whom they killed themselves, eleven remain. Astonishingly, seven of them appear here with Duke Hong Shi, plainly stating their stance—they will support Duke Hong Shi in governing Naiser Fu Kong Cheng.

The Supreme Council's resolution to place Naiser under trusteeship was flipped by the Naiser elders toward Duke Hong Shi, turning the resolution into a joke.

The Elder Council's influence over Naiser is deeply entrenched; they cannot be bypassed in managing the floating city.

"No wonder Duke Hong Shi calmed down so quickly after his vote failed that day," Lei En thought, "that was his prepared fallback."

Through the Elder Council, Duke Hong Shi can still control Naiser.

The Holy Soul wizards underestimated Duke Hong Shi's sway over the Naiser elders, brazenly backing him and even daring to oppose the Supreme Council's will.

Duke Hong Shi wore an arrogant smile, walking into the hall amid a throng of legendary wizards.

A massive surge of spiritual energy struck everyone.

The guests' breaths halted for a beat, their hearts racing with terror; under the shock they dared not sit, hastily rising to bow and greet.

"Your Grace, Duke!"

"I have seen Your Grace, Duke…"

Where Keirston passed, people on both sides offered greetings, yet he did not glance at anyone; his expression was solemn yet indifferent, his aura extraordinary, as if the most important dignitary were making a grand entrance, becoming the focal point of the entire temple hall.

He walked at an unhurried pace through the middle to the front row, his gaze scanning the Holy Soul wizards, then turning to the Empire's two giants.

Anxiwodasi and Tim*Kenan both wore displeased expressions.

"Keirston, are you challenging the Supreme Council's resolution?" TimKainanMaster asked gravely.

"I dare not."

Duke Hong Shi said "I dare not" but his face was full of provocation, and with a light laugh he said, "Kenan Master, the Naiser elders merely happen to be on the same path as me; you may have misunderstood. If you doubt, ask them…" He gestured toward the legendary wizards behind him.

The seven Naiser elders showed varied expressions, but all nodded.

"Hmph."

Tim*Kenan gave a cold glance, making several Naiser elders uneasy; however, they also knew such verbal sparring was meaningless, having colluded with Keirston, they now had nothing to say.

"Keirston, you're late, take a seat." Anxiwodasi said expressionlessly.

Duke Hong Shi shrugged, indicating indifference, then sat down.

After he settled, the ten legendary wizards only then took their seats behind him, all bowing their heads in deference to him.

Lei En sat behind the master, adjacent to those wizards.

He continuously used his Soul Eye to observe the seven Naiser elders, all legendary high‑rank, but not including elders Harawa and Inola.

The previously seen Elder Kexnaider was among them.

"He also sided with Duke Hong Shi."

Lei En observed calmly; his Soul Eye saw through the seven Naiser elders' details, and the nineteenth‑level Naesnaider was not the strongest among them, ranking only third.

Additionally, there were two even stronger Legendary Peaks.

One is a nineteenth‑level Arcane mage; from his fused spells it is clear he specializes in force‑field Arcane spells. The other is a nineteenth‑level Elementalist who also practices Arcane, mastering both ice and fire elements as well as spatial spells, and his three‑element affinity each possesses two superlative Element stacks!

The power of the two Legendary Peaks left Lei En in awe.

He already knew who the two were.

The elderly scholar‑type Arcane mage is Elder Kelongmanse, while the younger, sharp‑eyed middle‑aged wizard is Elder Buouyangsi.

Adding the absent Elder Harawa, these are the three strongest wizards of the Naiser Elder Council.

There have long been rumors that the three elders are equally powerful.

But Lei En sensed that this was not the case.

Elder Kelongmanse's strength is clearly greater; he has already fused and mastered two Nine‑ring Techniques, just one step away from Holy Soul wizard ascension!

Elder Buouyangsi has only fused one Nine‑ring Technique, making his strength slightly inferior.

The remaining four Naiser elders—two men and two women—are wizards of level sixteen to eighteen; when Lei En's Soul Eye swept rapidly, it paused briefly.

He saw a 'familiar.'

This Naiser elder looked very young, under thirty; he is an eighteenth‑level Arcane mage, the legendary wizard who, a few years ago, together with Quitu, obeyed Aogulewei Master's command to go to Kangjiatuo.

"So it's him!"

Lei En felt a stir; Aogulewei Master fell and died, yet he remained unharmed.

Might this Naiser elder know some inside information?

The Soul Eye can, like counting tree rings, accurately gauge a person's age. This unnamed Naiser elder, though appearing young, is actually over 980 years old, near the lifespan limit of a legendary wizard.

Having lived nearly a millennium yet still only an eighteenth‑level Arcane mage shows his potential is exhausted, with no chance of Holy Soul ascension, thus no seventh soul metamorphosis to extend his lifespan.

His soul state is highly unstable, showing signs of decay.

The "Longevity Technique" invented by Aogulewei Master is a Ten‑ring Spell; he cannot master it, so, barring surprises, this Naiser elder will meet a natural death within a few decades.

Unless…

Lei En couldn't help recalling the reason for Aogulewei Master's fall; unless he also transformed into a Lich!

Thinking back, Elder Quitu's age is also great.

Quitu rose to fame over four hundred years ago, already a legendary high‑rank wizard then; reaching this strength also took him over four hundred years, and by the day he was shattered into fragments by his own hammer, his true age exceeded nine hundred years.

The average lifespan of a legendary wizard is exactly nine hundred years.

Using rare longevity elixirs, treasures, and spells can add several decades to a hundred years; beyond that is impossible.

Life wanes, ascension impossible.

The common trait of Quitu and this Naiser elder is that they obey Aogulewei Master's orders, or rather, the Lich selected them to perform unsavory deeds; because their lives are ending, they were offered some promise of continued existence.

"He must know some inside information!"

Lei En is over seventy percent confident that Elder Naisè is the breakthrough clue.

He glanced a few more times, and several Elders Naisè noticed and turned to look back. Elder Ke Si Naide let out a low hum and said, "He is Ryan Augustus."

At once, the Elders Naisè's expressions all changed.

The strongest, Elder Ke Luo Nuomanse, looked surprised twice, his demeanor relatively calm; the others wore no good expression, glaring at Lei En, especially Elder Bu Ao Yang Si, whose eyes were filled with unabashed hostility, his gaze like two swords, causing Lei En's skin to react.

One can imagine that in a different setting, Bu Ao Yang Si would act immediately.

Lei En, unfazed, flashed a smile at them.

At that moment, the Hong Shi seated at the front seemed to sense something, turned his head, his gaze colliding with Lei En's, and his complexion instantly darkened.

Lei En instead smiled even more brightly.

Hong Shi recalled the unforgettable humiliation when Lei En had scolded him by pointing at his nose in the goddess's magical forbidden zone, his mouth twitched, his face veiled in frost.

Just as he was about to speak, Lei En raised a finger to his mouth, signaling him to be quiet.

Then he pointed at his brain.

"…You'd better shut up; it will make you look smarter," Lei En had said then, and Hong Shi immediately recalled it.

An uncontrollable surge of anger rose from his heart.

Hong Shi didn't understand why Lei En could so easily make him angry; possessing Truth Willpower for centuries, he could stay calm in any situation, yet a single provocation from Lei En seemed to nullify it.

Could it be because Lei En also possesses Truth Willpower?

Hong Shi sensed the Holy Soul Wizards' gazes, as well as the guests in the hall, watching his every move, and he could not afford a misstep before them.

He took a deep breath and turned his head away.

Even without using his eyes, Hong Shi could still sense the situation behind him: Lei En displayed a triumphant, unrestrained smile, even glancing at the goddess's statue, his expression as if saying, "Under the God of Magic's eyelids, if you have the skill, go ahead and act?"

Hong Shi was both angry and shocked, yet helpless.

He truly did not dare to act against Lei En.

In his agitation, Hong Shi simply shut down his global vision, lest Lei En's provocation cause him to lose his mind on the spot.

The Elders Naisè were all dumbfounded.

Being the closest, they saw Lei En and Hong Shi's actions clearly; they had never even dreamed that anyone would dare to provoke Hong Shi face‑to‑face.

Even more shocking was that Hong Shi actually held back!

They all knew Hong Shi's temperament well—proud, reckless, disdainful of others; before the teacher disappeared, he even dared to defy him, and those who offended him never met a good end.

Hong Shi's scene of swallowing his anger made the Elders Naisè think they had seen wrong.

"That young man…"

The Elders Naisè were horrified; several quickly withdrew their hostile gazes. Those who dared to provoke Hong Shi face‑to‑face should not recklessly entangle themselves.

Even Elder Bu Ao Yang Si, whose hostility was the deepest, frowned and turned his head away.

A few minutes later.

PurpleFlameDuke and Black Robe Duke arrived before the ceremony began; the two remained as mysterious as ever, silent, and entered the temple hall one after another, taking seats in the front row.

Just as they sat down, BrewotzAcademy rang its bells.

The time had arrived.

Consul Gneus, dressed in solemn attire, stepped out from the side door of the hall and ascended the platform beneath the statue's feet.

"Everyone."

As Gneus spoke loudly, he first nodded to the Holy Soul Wizards, then, with a beaming smile, said, "Ninety‑eight years have passed, and the Empire finally adds another Holy Soul Wizard; this is the goddess's blessing, Truth Endures!"

He turned and assumed a praying posture toward the statue behind him.

"Truth Endures!"

"Truth Endures…"

Everyone in the hall rose and prayed with Gneus, shouting the God of Magic's maxim in unison. Even clergy from the Earth Church and the Justice Church assumed prayer postures, echoing the chant of Truth Endures.

The Empire's three gods enjoy an excellent relationship and are among the most steadfast allies among the deities.

Reciting a few church maxims to each other does not affect faith.

With so many powerful believers praying together, the statue immediately reacted, its eyes emitting magical radiance; everyone present sensed a chilling aura descending from the heavens. As the prayers continued, the aura on the statue grew stronger, and colorful light flowed across its surface.

Finally, after half a minute.

It seemed as if a "Boom—" echoed in people's minds, the light suddenly contracted, and the towering statue, as if alive, trembled its hard body and slowly opened its eyes.

The goddess has descended!

A powerful deity has descended; even though it is merely divine power affixed to the statue, a rank slightly lower than a full incarnation, it is still awe‑inspiring to mortals.

The vast majority of people never get a chance to encounter a deity in their lifetime.

Even though those present were high‑ranking figures of the Empire, such an experience was exceedingly rare; many were both excited and nervous, wanting to see the statue clearly yet fearing that startling the true god might bring punishment, they lowered their heads half, unable to resist casting curious glances.

"Salutations to the great lady!"

Gneus stepped back onto the stage floor, shouting hoarsely.

The Holy Soul Wizards remained far calmer, bowing respectfully: "Salutations, lady."

"My subjects, rise," the statue's ethereal voice resonated, vast and distant, reaching straight into the soul, compelling reverence, "Consul, please continue the ceremony."

"Yes, lady."

Gneus took a deep breath; this was not his first encounter with the goddess's incarnation, so he remained composed, and loudly said, "Please, Sabbath Dean."

At the main entrance of the hall, the long‑awaited Sabbath Dean walked in slowly.

He was meticulously groomed today; his hair and beard were immaculate, his magical robe was a brand‑new custom fit, the tailored garment highlighting his balanced physique, and his exceptionally handsome face bore seriousness mixed with a hint of excitement and joy.

Behind Sabbath Dean followed other Wizards with equally solemn expressions.

They were all teachers from BrewotzAcademy, escorting the Dean step by step to the front; they halted beneath the platform, gazing up at the statue, their eyes brimming with reverent awe.

Under everyone's gaze, Sabbath Dean alone ascended the platform.

He half-kneeled at the foot of the statue, excitedly saying: "Sabra*Parsival, I pay my respects to the great lady; may your wisdom and glory forever shine upon the Empire, guiding us on the path of magic toward ever higher and farther ultimate truth, never ceasing."

"Congratulations, Sabra."

The statue gazed at the Holy Soul Wizard before it, its tone containing relief: "Years ago I already noticed you; your talent is outstanding, your willpower steadfast; now your attainment of Holy Soul Wizard is no surprise, this is all the result of your unceasing effort. The specialization of Transformation Wizard will be expanded by you; I hope you continue to explore."

"Yes, I will surely not disappoint the lady's expectations."

Sabra lowered his head deeply, his eyes faintly holding tears of joy.

The statue nodded slightly, solemnly saying: "Sabra*Parsival, here I announce, I confer upon you the title of Duke of Blue Oak; the city of Bruwotz and the three northern cities of Ister Province shall become your fief; I hope you, on the path of magic, will blaze a trail of brilliance no one has walked before."

Happy New Year!

(End of chapter)