Chapter 163

Luo En took the note, unfolded it to read, his brows gradually furrowing, his expression becoming serious.

"What's wrong, Teacher?" Lilliya leaned forward and asked with concern.

"The rules of the Bloody Gladiator Tournament have changed."

Luo En handed the note to her:

"They have canceled the final showdown and changed it to a beast-fighting melee where apprentices and slaves participate together. The final ranking will be determined by the mentors' scores based on performance."

Lilliya finished reading the note, the color draining from her face:

"A beast-fighting melee? Doesn't that mean not only do the slaves have to fight, but the masters also have to enter the arena themselves?"

"That's right."

Luo En's brows were tightly locked, but a strange light flashed in his eyes; it was not fear, but a faint expectation combined with calm deliberation:

"It seems the difficulty and risk of this Gladiator Tournament have increased significantly."

He pondered for a moment, his mind already beginning to calculate various possibilities, considering the optimal strategy and potential risks.

Subsequently, a flash of determination crossed Luo En's eyes:

"However, this is instead an opportunity. If Dai'er and I can demonstrate excellent coordination in battle, the possibility of obtaining a high ranking will greatly increase."

"But, Teacher..." Lilliya looked at him worriedly:

"Those battle slaves are all monsters that have undergone special modification and are extremely dangerous. Many contestants are proficient in combat spells, while your research direction is more inclined toward potionology and alchemy..."

"Don't worry, Lilliya."

Luo En interrupted her calmly, his tone carrying an unquestionable confidence: "I have long been prepared."

………………

The final stage of the Bloody Gladiator Tournament was a massive circular arena.

The ground was covered with a layer of special light-brown sand, and the surroundings were energy protective walls tens of meters high, engraved with protective and isolation runes.

These runes not only protected the audience from the aftermath of the battle but also prevented contestants from fleeing the scene.

The high stands all around were packed with apprentices of all levels, who were chatting eagerly, excitement and expectation flickering in their eyes.

Ordinary apprentices wore gray-white robes, while the sporadically visible high-level apprentices wore gray robes with purple edges, forming a distinct visual hierarchy.

For these people who lived in the Black Fog Jungle year-round, compared to monotonous study and cultivation, this kind of bloody and stimulating scene made them feel more vitality and passion.

At the highest point of the stands, several figures wearing formal wizard robes sat on a row of luxurious seats.

They were the judges for today's competition and also absolute authorities within this academy.

Vice Dean Hayek stood alone at the edge of the high platform, his robe vibrating slightly with the air, forming a strange sense of visual dislocation;

Sitting on the seats behind him was the thin-framed Suo Lun Griffith, sharp light of scrutiny flickering in his eyes;

To his right was the purple-eyed Youni Serafin, toying with a shimmering crystal ball in her hand.

Several other mentors were also in their respective positions, observing the contestants in the arena with great interest, occasionally whispering to each other.

The presence of these formal wizards, especially Vice Dean Hayek, shrouded the entire venue in an invisible pressure.

Luo En stood in the contestant waiting area, wearing close-fitting soft armor inside his apprentice gray robe to ensure good protection.

Tucked at his waist was a silver pocket watch, and he also carried several energy crystals capable of amplifying spell power, just in case.

Dai'er stood beside him; compared to the thin, small infant who was nearly starving to death at the beginning, she now had the physique of a human girl, her long silver hair braided by Lilliya, and she was wearing light armor designed specifically for combat.

"Master, you don't look nervous at all."

Dai'er looked up at Luo En, the excited light of a predator flickering in her eyes.

Luo En smiled slightly:

"Appropriate nervousness helps maintain alertness, but excessive nervousness will affect judgment."

"I will protect you well!"

Dai'er puffed out her chest confidently, her voice filled with determination, and then she playfully blinked:

"Besides, I can't wait to taste the flavor of those rare creatures."

Looking around, Luo En could see other contestants also making their final preparations.

Most apprentices brought various strange modified slaves.

A multi-legged creature covered in a black carapace was particularly eye-catching; its eyes looked like burning coal, and every step it took made the ground vibrate slightly.

This was the work of a high-level apprentice with a high ranking, said to be fused from the bloodlines of an underground centipede and a fire lizard.

Huo Erte stood not far from him, his face carrying his consistent calmness and vigilance.

Beside him was a nearly five-meter-tall earth elemental colossus, presenting a deep brown color throughout, its surface covered with dark, hard rock, looking exceptionally sturdy.

Luo En nodded slightly in greeting, and Huo Erte returned a brief nod.

Both were calculating how they would demonstrate their strength in a moment.

Although they were opponents in the arena, they had met a few times in private, so they could at least confirm that the other party would not become their primary target for attack.

Trish and Liyue stood on the other side of the arena.

The leopard woman's physique had become more slender and powerful than before, her muscles showing beautiful lines without losing a sense of strength, and dangerous light flickered in those beastly pupils.

The brown-haired girl turned her head after sensing Luo En's gaze, nodded slightly in greeting, a flash of complex emotion crossing her eyes.

Her expression held the friendliness of an old friend, but she could not hide the sharpness toward a competitor in the same arena.

All the battle slaves, without exception, radiated a dangerous aura, and some even required special chains to control them to prevent them from going berserk prematurely.

"An interesting lineup." Luo En evaluated secretly in his heart:

"Except for Trish and Huo Erte, the slaves of the others are basically quick-finished products; they look fierce on the surface, but their internal structures must have a large number of defects. In contrast, although Dai'er's bloodline hasn't undergone such aggressive modification, her stability and endurance are much stronger."

There were several other contestants Luo En was unfamiliar with, and their battle slaves had various forms:

There were scorpion men covered in black carapaces, otherworldly creatures with six arms, and a bear-man race whose entire body burned with ghostly blue flames.

Most of these contestants wore arrogant expressions, clearly very confident in their battle slaves; they maintained a vigilant distance from each other, their eyes filled with caution and hostility.

The atmosphere in the stands became even more tense, and as Vice Dean Hayek slowly raised his hand, the entire beast-fighting arena fell into a brief silence under his magical pressure.

"The final of the Bloody Gladiator Tournament will take a beast-fighting battle as the ultimate test."

Hayek's voice was not loud, but it clearly reached every corner of the arena:

"The winner is king, the loser is the villain. The final ranking will be evaluated based on your performance in the battle."

As his voice fell, Hayek drew a complex magical trajectory in the air with both hands.

Purple lines intertwined in the air, forming an exquisite three-dimensional magical structure.

Every line was precise to an astonishing degree, and the flow and control of energy displayed a beauty that was almost artistic.

"This is the magical control ability of a formal wizard..."

Luo En recorded silently in his heart, but his face did not reveal the slightest fluctuation.

Through his Extraordinary Identification ability, he recorded the details of this magical control into his consciousness library, preparing for his own mastery of similar techniques in the future.

Over the past few months, Suo Lun and Youni had revealed some information about formal wizards to him during private guidance.

What Hayek was displaying now was not some complex spell configuration, but an advanced application of the high integration of spiritual power and magical power—an advanced technique that only formal wizards could master.

This ability did not rely on specific spell models but directly manipulated energy through fine control and guidance of magical power, forming visible physical effects.

It was precisely this advanced magical application that made formal wizards almost not need servants.

They could precisely control everything around them through this technique:

Floating objects, cleaning the environment, and even condensing water and fire directly from the air to meet daily needs.

In the eyes of ordinary people, these abilities were no different from miracles, but in essence, they were nothing more than fine control of magical power.

"This is true magical mastery."

Luo En pondered secretly in his heart, a flash of longing crossing his eyes:

"Not relying on fixed models, but shaping magical power as one pleases, like an artist molding clay. One day, I will also reach this realm, or even surpass it."

But at this moment, he had to focus on the crisis before him.

The magical lines in Hayek's hands became more and more numerous, gradually forming a massive energy network.

These magical lines intertwined, forming a complex three-dimensional structure, as if it were an invisible net.

As it unfolded, the energy factors in the air began to vibrate violently, forming ripples visible to the naked eye.

Immediately afterward, he waved his hand sharply, and those magical lines instantly turned into chains, plunging deep into the ground.

With a deafening roar, the ground in the center of the arena suddenly cracked open, and a massive monster was dragged out of the ground by the magical chains.

It was a manticore—most of its body was no different from a giant lion, covered in dark golden mane.

Its tail, however, was raised high, with a stinger carrying a keratinized cold light, shimmering with an ominous, ghostly green glow.

The entire monster was over seven meters long, lying on the ground, and just those ruby-like eyes were the size of dinner plates.

Every claw tip on its massive front paws shimmered with cold light, capable of easily tearing through steel;

The stinger on the scorpion tail dripped venom continuously, and when it hit the ground, it immediately made a harsh corrosive sound, and the sand on the ground was instantly dissolved into a small pit.

The manticore was firmly bound by the magical chains, looking to be in a semi-comatose state, panting heavily, its eyes unfocused.

But even in this state, the pressure radiated from its body still caused all the battle slaves in the arena to show signs of unease.

Luo En's face remained calm and waveless, but his heart had already rapidly activated his Extraordinary Identification ability, carefully observing the manticore.

【Manticore (Mixed Modulation)

Bloodline Purity: Gold Ring 86% (Relatively unstable)

Status: Energy not yet fully activated (Current strength approx. 50%)

Danger Level: Extremely High (Current status is medium)

Special Ability:??? (Not fully manifested)】

Luo En's heart sank slightly, but he still maintained his calm.

This manticore was far more dangerous than it appeared on the surface; it seemed to be in some kind of semi-awakened state.

If it fully awakened, its danger level would likely exceed the imagination of all the contestants.

(End of chapter)