Chapter 642: Tenfold Ambush

The car sped down the street, mingling with the thudding steps of kodo beasts, racing through the city before soon returning to the manor east of Nuosiruier.

In the garage, Lei En and Viola got out of the car.

The Extreme Warriors dismounted their mounts, surrounding the car and watching Kroronomanse step out cautiously; Lei En gave no warning, but they had already sensed something was wrong with the driver on the road.

Kroronomanse surveyed the stout warriors, their bodies encased in heavy armor and wielding massive soul spears; a flash of magical insight flickered in his eyes, and only the Three-ring Contraction Technique escaped his notice, instantly betraying astonishment on his face.

These barbarians turned out to be legends!

Among them were two Mid-stage legends, standing together like a wall of metal, subtly posing an unknown threat to themselves.

Kroronomanse withdrew his gaze and whispered, "Speaker Lei En, please be extra careful; someone may lose their restraint."

"I'm waiting," Lei En replied, fully aware of that.

In a world ruled by extraordinary forces, relying on law and procedure to completely defeat an enemy is almost a delusion; when cornered, surrender is never an option, one must fight to the bitter end, and ultimately let strength speak.

He was simply waiting for the opponent to make a move.

Kroronomanse, seeing Lei En ready, fell silent, nodded, and the driver's eyes clouded briefly before his body went limp and collapsed.

Viola looked at the fallen driver, puzzled, and asked, "Projection Technique?"

"No," Lei En shook his head. "Projection Technique is a Seven-ring Shadow Magic, and Kroronomanse specializes in Arcane; spending time mastering it would be unwise." He explained, "This is an Eight-ring Arcane Void Projection, which can cross the void to possess a creature on a parallel plane, controlling its actions and combat casting. It's more convenient, faster, and more refined than Projection Technique."

There was another sentence he kept unsaid.

Kroronomanse had already mastered two Nine-ring Techniques, one of which was "Astral Projection," allowing him to use an astral bridge to cross planes and manipulate a target.

Viola's expression cleared.

Then someone woke the driver; he had no idea what had happened, and upon waking found himself lying in the manor, feeling confused and uneasy, repeatedly berating himself.

The two of them, of course, would not blame the driver, only instruct him not to leak tonight's events.

Back in the upstairs bedroom, Viola finally had the chance to ask, "Lei En, does he truly have a chance to become a Holy Soul Wizard?"

She feared eavesdropping, so she cautiously used "he" instead of Kroronomanse's name.

"Of course."

Lei En smiled and nodded, "He isn't well known in the Empire simply because he keeps a low profile; in fact, his talent surpasses that of Sabbath Dean. In my estimate, he'll break through in less than twenty years."

"Twenty years!" Viola exclaimed, astonished.

For ordinary people, twenty years is a long span, but for a legendary wizard it's brief; by then Elder Kroronomanse would be around three hundred years old.

Not long ago, Sabbath Dean had just ascended to Holy Soul Wizard, and within less than twenty years a second one appeared.

This has occurred only once in the Empire's history.

"The thirteenth Holy Soul Wizard!" Viola sat on the bedside, her beautiful face full of yearning, wondering when she herself might reach this point.

Hearing her words, Lei En suddenly laughed.

"He should be the fourteenth, or perhaps the fifteenth," he said, stroking his chin, then added, "Hmm… it could even be the sixteenth."

"How is that possible!"

Viola's beautiful eyes widened, "I won't doubt you becoming a Holy Soul Wizard within twenty years. But besides you, who else?"

"Reslin, I, Laila*Orozan."

Lei En listed the three names in succession; this order matched his projected sequence for the next Holy Soul ascensions.

Reslin had already reached the pinnacle of a nineteenth‑level mage; with enough power to boost the three techniques to the Nine-ring level, he could forcibly ascend to Grand Mage. I also am confident I can ascend to Holy Soul within a few years, though certainly later than Reslin. Laila*Orozan, the wife of the Lord of Hestav City, is one of the sisters of Duke Silver Star and Storm Queen, a Chosen One of the goddess; she should have become a Holy Soul long ago, but for some reason her promotion was delayed, yet she is now just a step away from breakthrough, much like Kroronomanse.

However, Lei En has not yet decided whether to admit Reslin into the Supreme Council; such a move would be too sensational, and keeping Reslin hidden in the shadows might be more advantageous.

To guard against enemies, Reslin returned from the Dying Sun plane and rushed to Nuosiruier.

At this moment, after swapping positions, Lei En was in a concealed spot a few li outside the manor, watching the manor's movements from afar.

"Reslin, that student of yours?"

Viola's eyes bulged, shaking her head in disbelief.

She had never met Reslin, only hearing Lei En mention him a few times; even though Lei En always claimed the student's magical talent was unparalleled, he had only taken a master for a few years, yet he ascended to Holy Soul Wizard even earlier than Lei En?

"Hahaha…" Lei En loved seeing a half-elf's surprised expression, laughing a few times before explaining with a hint of pride, "Reslin is actually my duplicate; he is me, and I am him."

In that instant, Lei En and Reslin swapped places, and a gaunt youth clad in a black robe appeared before them.

Viola's expression froze.

After observing Reslin for a long while, she slowly shook her head, a wry smile on her face, and asked, "How many secrets do you still have that I don't know?"

Lei En swapped back again, smiling without a word.

Viola, being considerate, didn't ask further, got up to freshen up, and upon returning saw Lei En leaning against the headboard, perusing several newspapers; she pulled back the covers and slipped in, comfortably resting against his chest, feeling a surge of security.

Neither of them felt sleepy, and they talked softly.

"Tell me, Kr… after he becomes a Holy Soul Wizard, will he support Duke Hong Shi?" Viola, for the first time getting close insight into the Supreme Council's affairs, couldn't hide her curiosity, and was highly engaged in the conversation.

Lei En set the newspaper aside and laughed, "That's a given. The ruler of Fu Kong Cheng naturally supports the Naiser faction; otherwise he couldn't command the people there, and he wouldn't abandon his desire for the Naiser faction's leader. Yet with that role, he'll forever be a thorn in Kellstone's side and a nail driving into the Naiser faction, disrupting their cohesion."

This is also why I never asked Kroronomanse to join the Mo Du faction in the future.

First, the condition is too harsh for the other party to accept.

Second, it's unnecessary.

I should enter the Supreme Council earlier than Kroronomanse, allowing the Mo Du faction to fully control its voice, without needing Kroronomanse's vote.

Even if he joins the Naiser faction, there's still Laila*Orozan.

She is one of the Seven Sisters; both she and her husband have good relations with the teacher, and Thus: Thus: Shengangcheng and Mo Du have close trade ties, so it's unsurprising she'll become a new member of the Mo Du faction.

When the X Battle Academy is completed, Ouroin Master will also reverse his stance.

Additionally, Reslin is also a candidate.

And Kroronomanse's three pledged commitments, with multiple preparations, are enough to guarantee the teacher and Mo Du faction's control over the Supreme Council, leaving Duke Hong Shi with no chance of a comeback.

Viola's eyes lit up as she listened, looking up to stare at Lei En.

The young man leaned against the headboard, and with a light conversation, he set the governing structure of the Supreme Council and the entire Empire, as if wielding the highest power of the Empire.

Power is a man's best attire; once he dons it, he shines brilliantly and exudes limitless charm.

Viola couldn't help but become emotional, turned over and sat on Lei En's waist, her soft chest half exposed, eyes hazy, a pair of slender hands slipping into Lei En's clothing.

Lei En quickly pressed her hand down, shook his head and said, "Not tonight."

He didn't want someone to burst in halfway, stabbing his bare‑butt self in the back; even if he reacted in time, the scene would be terribly awkward.

Viola froze for a moment, then quickly regained her composure.

She smoothed her clothes, rose to the window and glanced outward; the manor was as usual, with no trace of anything amiss. Two squads of Extreme Warriors—one patrolling the manor grounds, the other concealed in the villa, on high alert and ready to reinforce at any moment.

"Turn off the lights," Lei En said.

The two fell asleep together, still clothed.

As the deep night passed, a faint pre‑dawn glow appeared on the horizon, yet there was still no movement.

Some servants accustomed to rising early had already gotten up, beginning the preparations to serve their master.

As dawn brightened, Lei En, who had waited the whole night, grew puzzled—had the other side truly given up resistance? While he was pondering, Reslin, hidden in a distant large tree, saw a silent, fleeting portal open on the grass before the manor; it lasted less than half a second, and a dark‑green crystal was thrown out from the portal, gently landing on the ground.

"Abyssal Crystal!"

Lei En recognized it at a glance; it was the evil artifact used to open an Abyssal Gate.

Back when he was in Longshande, Shadow Blade, to lure Duke Silver Star away from the tower, had a mechanic afflicted by a Blood Soul Curse obtain an Abyssal Crystal, opening a passage to the Abyss and unleashing hundreds of Demons; that was the first life‑threatening battle he ever faced, and it remains vivid in his memory.

Abyssal Crystals are usually crafted by great Demons, Demon Lords, or even Abyssal Lords within the Abyss.

Formed from condensed evil energy, an Abyssal Crystal contains massive power and carries the spacetime coordinates of a particular layer of the Abyss, which can be transmitted into the Prime Material Plane by various means.

As long as someone is beguiled by it, activating the crystal can open a passage.

Abyssal Crystals come in different grades.

The larger the crystal, the more energy it holds; the Abyssal Gate it opens becomes more stable and massive, allowing stronger Demons to pass through and in greater numbers.

The Abyssal Crystal used in that Longshande incident opened only a low‑grade, small Abyssal Gate, capable of bringing at most high‑rank Demons into the Prime Material Plane.

A medium Abyssal Gate can admit great Demons, comparable to legendary heroes.

A large Abyssal Gate can allow Demon Lords to pass!

The Abyssal Crystal that fell on the grass is rhomboid, half a meter long and as thick as an arm; it can open a large Abyssal Gate and has already been activated.

"This familiar method!"

Lei En had long suspected that the turmoil in Longshande was orchestrated by Duke Hong Shi and the followers of Luo Xi, targeting Duke Silver Star.

Now they're using the same trick again.

As soon as the Abyssal Crystal hit the ground, Lei En reacted, sprang up and opened a Gate of Anywhere, only to find the surrounding space sealed; the Gate of Anywhere failed to cast.

Eight‑Ring Spell: Spatial Seal!

The spell's range is vast, locking the entire manor and several hundred meters of surrounding space, prohibiting any spatial‑movement magic, including Blink, Gate of Anywhere, and portals.

At the same time, an invisible force field descended.

Advanced Sound‑Light Barrier!

Another Eight‑Ring Spell, its range larger than the Spatial Seal, isolates all sound and images within the force field, preventing any transmission. From outside the barrier, one only sees a disguised quiet illusion, as if there were two worlds.

Without a Gate of Anywhere, Lei En's actions were delayed by a step.

Boom!

The Abyssal Crystal unleashed a vast torrent of evil energy; dark‑green power surged forth, and in an instant a massive Abyssal Gate rose, taller than a three‑story villa. On a base forged of deep black metal, the circular Abyssal Gate churned with an energy vortex, spinning rapidly several times to form a stable channel over ten meters in diameter.

Beyond the gate lay a pitch‑black, dim world, with a faint view of a snarling black fortress.

An endless evil aura emanated, making one feel nauseous.

Abyss!

Had there been no Advanced Sound‑Light Barrier, such a commotion would have been detected by the distant high‑altitude Naisier Fu Kong Cheng, yet the floating city showed no response.

The terrifying Abyssal aura spread, waking most of the still‑sleeping servants, who let out panicked shrieks.

Viola also sensed it immediately.

Lei En's expression hardened, and he said to her, "Send everyone down to the basement."

Once a large Abyssal Gate opens, it links to the Abyss, continuously drawing energy support from it, making it extremely hard to destroy. Even if the Abyssal Crystal is shattered, the gate will persist for a while, allowing the demon army to pour out.

"Fine." Viola said nothing more.

She instantly let the Main Soul possess her, sprouting a pair of pure white wings, donning golden holy armor; six elemental angels of varied forms were summoned, breaking through the floor and soaring downstairs.

Lei En transformed into lightning, *clap* he flew out the window, hovering in midair.

Directly beneath him was the Abyssal Gate.

From beyond the gate came countless Demons' howls, shouting in Abyssal Language, their voices brimming with madness, bloodlust, and murderous intent, enough to make ordinary people's heads throb. Among them were great Demons with a domineering aura; in just a few seconds they would break through.

"Brothers, prepare for battle!"

Sicarius shouted loudly, wielding a massive sword in one hand and a Bolt Gun in the other.

A full squad of Extreme Warriors rushed to the villa's entrance, already forming ranks, ready to strike the demon army head‑on.

Lei En looked toward the outside of the manor.

A second earlier, three figures were teleported here; they were completely unaffected by the spatial seal, clearly prepared.

His Soul Eye swept over them, and Lei En's pupils involuntarily contracted.

All three were not from the Empire, nor even human.

One was a towering man cloaked entirely in black armor, over two meters tall, wielding a sheathless deep‑blue greatsword; another was an extremely muscular orc, half a head taller than the man, with explosively bulging muscles, thighs thicker than an adult's waist, blood‑red eyes, fangs pointing skyward, carrying a massive blood‑colored greataxe.

The last, relatively shorter at just over 1.8 meters, wore a mask, had silver hair, and slightly pointed ears that revealed him to be a Half‑elf.

His agile frame was concealed behind a kite‑shaped shield of equal height; he wore red chainmail, and his other hand grasped a bizarre war blade formed by joining two longswords at their hilts.

Lei En discerned their extraordinary professions.

The tall man bearing the greatsword was a Heroic Spirit Warrior.

The orc is a Bimon priest.

The half-elf's profession is even rarer; he actually is a Spellbreaker possessing the blood of blood elves.

Moreover, all three are Legendary High-rank!

This is not all the enemies; Lei En's gaze pierced the void, discovering a figure hidden in the void. With a slight probe of the Soul's Eye, he was instantly shocked—this figure shrouded in shadows, just like him, is also a battle Wizard.

A nineteenth-level battle Wizard never seen before!

Feeling a bit tired, I rested for a while, but ended up sleeping late…

(End of chapter)