Chapter 193: Magic Pressure!

The sky of the Black Fog Jungle presented an unusual clarity, and the faint mist that permeated in the past was swept away.

Even those black mists that shrouded the treetops all year round dissipated, as if welcoming some important existence.

On the school's central square, dozens of apprentices were orderly preparing for the welcoming ceremony.

High-level apprentices wore uniform purple-edged robes, standing solemnly on both sides of the square.

Everyone tried their best to control their breathing and posture, fearing that any subtle disrespectful action would bring punishment from superiors.

Some elementary apprentices were busy cleaning the ground, even using fine brushes and special potions to wipe every stone slab, ensuring it was as clean as new;

Members of the Law Enforcement Team appeared fully armed in every corner, their eyes alert and nervous, their hands always maintaining a posture capable of immediate spellcasting.

Luo En stood on the edge of the square with other members of the sequence.

He wore a brand-new purple-edged robe, with a silver badge symbolizing a member of the candidate wizard sequence pinned to his chest, his face calm, but his eyes hidden with caution and curiosity.

"It's truly rare; the Vice Vice Vice Dean actually personally ordered that all sequence members must participate in the welcoming ceremony."

Trish beside him said in a low voice, her brown long hair neatly coiled behind her head, completely different from her usual casual appearance:

"Who exactly is the visitor from the Crystal Spire?"

Luo En shook his head slightly: "I'm not sure, but judging by this scale, he is at least an important figure above the Moon-grade."

He naturally would not say that he already knew that what was coming was a terrifying existence at the Dark Sun level.

His gaze swept across the square, noticing that almost all formal wizards had arrived.

Including the various instructors who rarely appeared in the past—Solon, Mentor Mentor Yuni, Maxim...

The most eye-catching was Vice Vice Vice Dean Ha Ha Ha Ha Ye Ke standing on the edge of the magic circle.

He rarely changed into a formal ceremonial robe with purple rolling silver edges today, his expression solemn and serious, his gaze cast toward the sky from time to time, obviously waiting for something.

A peculiar energy fluctuation suddenly came from the sky, so powerful that it almost made the air in the entire square freeze.

Everyone's gaze looked toward the sky involuntarily, including those formal wizards.

At first, it was just a small black dot, but as the distance approached, the outline gradually became clear.

That was a huge gargoyle, at least seven or eight meters tall, and its spread wings reached an astonishing fifteen meters or so.

The head was ferocious, and the eyes flashed with blood-red light, the entire body covered with hard stone scales.

However, unlike ordinary gargoyles, the body of this behemoth seemed to be made of some kind of translucent obsidian material, and faint flickering light and complex mechanical structures could be seen inside.

Every time its wings flapped, it left twisted energy traces in the air, and it was surrounded by an energy field, isolating interference from the outside world.

"That is... Gargoyle Aircraft!"

Some apprentices exclaimed uncontrollably, their voices filled with awe and shock.

Luo En couldn't help but widen his eyes.

As the iconic transportation tool of the Crystal Spire, gargoyle aircraft were often recorded in books, but seeing them with his own eyes was still shocking.

This technology that perfectly combined biology and machinery was a height far beyond the reach of ordinary alchemy, requiring extremely deep research on soul extraction and embedding to achieve.

Every movement of the aircraft was smooth and natural, spreading wings, gliding, diving, decelerating, all precise and beautiful, as if it were a real creature rather than an artificial creation.

"They say there is a complete soul core inside this kind of aircraft, that is a wizard who was 'voluntarily' contributed his soul, just to be able to continue serving the Crystal Spire..."

Trish's voice carried a trace of fear.

When the gargoyle aircraft finally landed on the central magic circle, the entire square was silent, and everyone held their breath.

The huge stone wings slowly folded, the red eyes gradually extinguished, and the huge body was completely still, as if it were an exquisite sculpture.

"There is a cabin door on the back side..."

Luo En keenly observed that it was indeed a structure similar to a passenger cabin, hidden in the spine of the gargoyle, with precise rune seals on the edges.

With a light sound of metal sliding, the cabin door slowly opened, and a soft golden light emanated from inside.

A figure walked out from it.

That was a man who looked about fifty, wearing a simple and plain gray robe, without any gorgeous decorations or badges.

His face was ordinary, with a short gray beard on his square chin, and his hair was already half-white, combed meticulously;

His figure was medium, neither tall nor short.

His demeanor was gentle and calm, just like an ordinary scholar.

If this person were placed in an ordinary crowd, perhaps no one would look at him more, and he might even be ignored because he was too ordinary.

However, the moment his feet stepped on the ground—

A shocking sense of oppression instantly burst out from his body, sweeping across the entire square like a tsunami!

That was not a deliberate display, but a completely natural energy overflow, as if his existence itself was a huge energy vortex that could not be fully contained by the flesh.

This magic power oppression was a hundred times, even a thousand times stronger than any wizard he had encountered!

"What a powerful magic pressure!"

Luo En only felt that even breathing became extremely difficult at this moment, as if an invisible mountain was pressing on his chest, and his lungs were squeezed to the point of being almost unable to expand.

What was even more terrifying was that he found his mental power completely out of control in the face of this fluctuation, becoming chaotic and disorderly, and simple spell construction became impossible.

Looking around, he found that not only him, but almost all members of the candidate wizard sequence were facing the same predicament:

Some were almost kneeling on the ground, their faces pale, their bodies trembling;

Some were sweating profusely, their eyes wide open, filled with terror.

Only those formal wizards, although their expressions were solemn and cold sweat seeped from their foreheads, could barely maintain their posture without being affected.

But even their breathing became rapid, obviously feeling heavy pressure in the face of this power.

What was even more shocking was that this energy leakage only lasted for less than a second, and the visitor completely restrained it, returning to that ordinary appearance.

That terrifying sense of oppression instantly disappeared, as if it had never existed.

However, just this brief moment was enough for everyone present to realize one fact:

This seemingly ordinary middle-aged man before them was a genuine Dark Sun-level wizard!

This is a terrifying power that transcends the Moon-grade and approaches that of a Great Wizard!

"Welcome, Master Valun."

Vice Vice Vice Dean Ha Ha Ha Ha Ye Ke stepped forward to welcome him, his voice rarely carrying a trace of nervousness.

The Dark Sun wizard known as "Valun" nodded slightly, his voice gentle and calm, just like a spring breeze brushing over a lake:

"Ha Ha Ha Ha Ye Ke, long time no see. I came here this time for the opening of the Bloodline Altar; I hope I haven't disturbed the normal order of the school."

He spoke in an extremely ordinary way, without any airs, just like an ordinary scholar talking to a colleague.

"Not at all, your arrival is exactly what we have been looking forward to."

Ha Ha Ha Ha Ye Ke responded enthusiastically, the respect in his tone even greater:

"Everything has been prepared according to your requirements, the energy nodes of the Bloodline Altar have all been awakened, just waiting for your personal presiding."

Valun's gaze swept slowly across the square, those brown eyes seeming to be able to penetrate all disguises.

"Are these the members of the candidate wizard sequence?"

He asked, his tone carrying a bit of interest.

"Yes, this is the most excellent batch of apprentices in our school, and they will participate in this trial of the Bloodline Altar."

Ha Ha Ha Ha Ye Ke introduced, his tone carrying a bit of pride:

"Among them, a few have shown extraordinary potential, especially the members in the top ten of the sequence."

Valun nodded gently: "Very good, young people are always full of hope, looking forward to their performance in the altar."

He turned to Ha Ha Ha Ha Ye Ke:

"Then, old friend, let's go and open the ritual. Before that, I want to check the status of the altar first. When I came to the Black Fog Jungle last time, I found that the energy nodes in the North Fourth District were a bit unstable; I hope they have been repaired this time."

"Of course, please follow me."

Ha Ha Ha Ha Ye Ke made an inviting gesture and took Valun away from the square, and several other important formal wizards also followed closely.

With the departure of several powerful wizards, the tense atmosphere in the square gradually eased.

Many people let out a long sigh of relief, as if they had just experienced a life-and-death test.

Many people's legs were still soft, needing to lean on walls or companions to stand firm.

"Too... too terrifying..."

Trish's voice still carried a trace of trembling, her face was still somewhat pale, and terror remained in her eyes:

"Is that the power of a Dark Sun-level wizard? Just standing there, it could make everyone in the square unable to breathe?"

Luo En did not answer immediately; his heartbeat had not yet fully calmed down.

He even felt that his mental power operation route was slightly disordered due to the impact just now, and it would take some time to return to normal.

"Is this the path I am heading toward?"

He asked himself in his heart, yearning: "Such terrifying power, just the leakage of breath is enough to make the lower-level people fall to their deaths?"

"Luo En? Are you okay?" Trish's voice interrupted his thoughts, her eyes filled with concern.

"Ah, sorry."

Luo En came back to his senses and took a deep breath to adjust his state:

"Yes, that kind of power... completely exceeded imagination. At that moment, I even felt my mental power completely suppressed."

He looked around and found that many apprentices were still trembling slightly.

The memory of that terrifying moment just now might have already caused an indelible shadow for some weak-willed people.

"That Master Valun... he looks so ordinary, yet possesses such terrifying power."

Trish sighed in a low voice, her eyes filled with both fear and admiration:

"Dark Sun-level wizard, it is said that there are not many such existences in the entire Crystal Spire."

Luo En nodded:

"What is most shocking is his degree of control over power. That kind of power leakage was obviously intentional, yet precisely controlled within one second, both demonstrating majesty and not causing substantial harm. This precise control might be even more awe-inspiring than the power itself."

"Why do you think he did this?" Trish asked curiously, her tone carrying a trace of confusion:

"Such a powerful wizard shouldn't need to use this method to show his power, right?"

"Probably... giving us a lesson."

Luo En said thoughtfully: "For true superiors, just a thought is enough to make the weak broken in body and mind."

The apprentices in the square gradually dispersed, each returning to their posts or residences.

But Luo En noticed that everyone's eyes had subtle changes, some more firm, with flames of pursuing power burning in their eyes.

The arrival of the Dark Sun wizard changed the worldview of these young apprentices to some extent.

"Luo En, what are you thinking about?" Trish asked curiously, looking at his distracted appearance.

"I am thinking..." Luo En's voice was low, and a rare heat flashed in his eyes:

"Crystal Spire... what kind of place it is. Being able to cultivate such an existence, the knowledge, resources, and opportunities there must be far beyond what we can imagine."

Trish nodded, and a trace of yearning also flashed in her eyes.

The two walked silently on the way back, each immersed in thinking about their future path.

Occasionally, other apprentices passed by, and they would all cast envious glances at them involuntarily:

The qualification to participate in the Bloodline Altar trial was itself an honor.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 235 =====