Chapter 200: Devastation!

But the moment he removed his hood, everyone couldn't help but gasp.

The boy's eyes—no, they could no longer be called eyes.

Two streams of flowing crimson-gold flames burned within his sockets, illuminating his soft-featured face, yet making him look eerie and terrifying, like a demon that had walked out of the abyss.

Those eyes were filled with unsettling deceit.

It was as if some existence that did not belong to this world was staring at everyone through them.

The aura of the Luo En clone formed a sharp contrast with his handsome appearance; it was a pressure as tangible as substance, making the surrounding air heavy.

It gave the feeling of a predator in the midst of a hunt, ready to pounce on its prey at any moment.

"Everyone, be careful!" Elliot roared: "This is no ordinary clone!"

"Hmph, it's just a clone of an alchemist, I want to see how strong it really is!"

Ignoring Elliot's warning, Caesar's right arm swelled again, covered in a layer of thicker red scales, and he charged straight at the Luo En clone.

"Caesar, stop!" Elliot shouted, but it was too late.

Caesar's fist, carrying a violent momentum, launched a sneak attack at the Luo En clone's head from the side.

If this blow landed, it would be enough to shatter an ordinary opponent's skull.

However, the Luo En clone didn't even turn his head to look, merely tilting slightly and lifting his left hand with effortless ease.

"Clang!"

A crisp metallic clashing sound rang out.

Caesar's fist was blocked by a barrier of flowing metal—a fluid shield as thin as a cicada's wing, its surface shimmering with a faint silver light.

This shield appeared precisely in the path of the fist, perfectly dispersing all the impact force.

Time seemed to freeze at this moment.

Caesar's fist hung in mid-air, the smug smile on his face frozen, turning into incredulous shock.

The Luo En clone traced a strange rune in front of his chest with his right hand, then pushed it lightly toward Caesar.

—Sonic Vibration Erosion State

An invisible ripple spread from his palm, carrying hair-raising whispers that struck the target directly.

Caesar had no time to dodge, and his entire body felt as if it had been struck by lightning.

Countless black spots appeared on his skin, as if being corroded by some invisible force.

"Ah—!"

He let out a scream, his body flying backward uncontrollably for over ten meters, crashing heavily to the ground, twitching constantly as black foam spilled from his mouth.

"Caesar!" Noren exclaimed, threads flying out in an attempt to pull his companion back to a safe area.

"Don't go over!" Elliot shouted a stern prohibition:

"That kind of power isn't an ordinary spell attack; it carries a certain eerie, erosive nature!"

At this moment, the Luo En clone raised his hand again, as light as could be.

But the palm was not aimed at any of the Crystal Spire apprentices.

Instead, it locked directly onto Lina, who was in the defensive circle—the core maintaining the Crystal Spire squad's mental link.

An invisible ripple spread from his palm, carrying hair-raising whispers that struck Lina directly.

Those faintly audible words seemed to come from the depths of a distant starry sky, each syllable seemingly capable of tearing the soul apart.

Compared to the "Starry Whisperer" device Elliot used, this directly cast whisper was clearly far more powerful, like the difference between a candle and the sun.

It was an unmitigated, primitive power, coming directly from the darkest depths of the universe.

Lina had no time to react; her entire body felt as if it had been thrown into sulfuric acid, countless black spots appearing on her surface instantly, with black liquid spilling from her eyes, ears, nose, and mouth.

Her mouth opened, wanting to scream, but she could only emit a faint whimper, the sound filled with pain and fear.

Even more terrifyingly, through the mental link, this erosive effect instantly spread to all teammates connected to Lina.

Caesar, Jacqueline, Noren, and the others all fell to the ground rolling and wailing without exception, black spots appearing on their skin similar to Lina's.

Their bodies twitched uncontrollably, black tears flowing from their eyes, and foam of the same color spilling from the corners of their mouths.

The most horrific was Caesar, who, suffering from the double erosion, dissolved entirely like black water...

In an instant, the entire platform was filled with painful wails and groans.

The Crystal Spire's elite squad had been almost completely wiped out by a single strike from the Luo En clone.

Those geniuses who had been full of combat power just moments ago now lay on the ground like broken dolls, without the slightest power to resist.

Only Elliot, who had disconnected the mental link in advance, was spared, but looking at the miserable state of his companions, a deep sense of despair rose in his heart.

Elliot couldn't believe that a single spell could cause such a situation.

He instinctively wanted to step forward to save Lina, but found his legs retreating involuntarily.

The pressure weighed on his chest like a mountain, making it almost impossible for him to breathe.

It was a fear from the depths of his soul, the most primitive survival instinct warning him to stay away from that terrifying existence.

The Luo En clone didn't even glance at the Crystal Spire apprentices lying on the ground, as if they were merely ants by the roadside.

His gaze locked directly onto the other clones that had been affected but had not yet completely lost their combat power.

The next scene was something Elliot would never forget.

The Luo En clone's figure shuttled across the battlefield like a ghost, every step precise, every strike without a single wasted movement.

There was no expression on his face, as if he were merely executing a routine task rather than harvesting lives.

He arrived before the Trish clone, who was trying to manipulate the surrounding vines for defense.

Dozens of thick vines, as thick as a child's arm, wove into an impenetrable green wall, wrapping her completely within.

Those vines shimmered with purple light, clearly injected with abyssal energy, tougher and more dangerous than the ones Caesar had encountered earlier.

However, these vines, which had been almost indestructible before Caesar, were as fragile as paper before the Luo En clone.

His palm pierced directly through the layers of vines, as if they didn't exist, and then landed heavily on the chest of the Trish clone.

No flashy spells, no complex movements, just the simplest, most direct palm strike.

"Puff!"

A muffled sound; the Trish clone spat out a large mouthful of blood, flying backward for several meters, crashing into a wall, and slowly sliding down, lifeless.

Her eyes were wide open, her expression frozen in extreme terror, as if she had seen some incomprehensible, terrifying existence before she died.

The clone's movements didn't pause for a second as he moved toward the next target.

Every strike was a lethally precise blow, without any fancy movements, taking lives in the most efficient way possible.

In just a few dozen seconds, all the clones had fallen, turning into light spots that dissipated into the air.

All these light spots were devoured by Luo En.

Elliot stood in the distance, cold sweat soaking his clothes.

Although the Luo En clone's movements were extremely fast, his sensitive ears still caught some unsettling details:

When the Luo En clone devoured the energy of other clones, his body would tremble slightly, as if undergoing some painful baptism;

Even stranger, in those crimson-gold flame-like eyes, Elliot caught a trace of... fear?

That's right, fear—a fear that went deep into the bone marrow.

This terrifying existence that had defeated all opponents with such devastation was actually afraid of something.

When Elliot listened carefully, he caught a sense of urgency in the Luo En clone's breathing rhythm, like a creature facing some impending, massive danger.

After devouring the energy of each clone, his eyes would instinctively scan the platform entrance, as if wary of some existence about to arrive.

"He is afraid... afraid of what?"

Elliot was puzzled, and then a terrifying thought emerged:

"Could he be afraid of the real Luo En?"

This thought made him shudder.

If even such a terrifying existence feared its original self, then what kind of monster was the real Luo En?

After devouring the energy of all the clones, the clone slowly turned around, those crimson-gold eyes sweeping across the battlefield, finally landing on Elliot.

"Starry Whisperer..." the Luo En clone's voice was unexpectedly gentle, yet carried an indescribable majesty:

"Your ears truly live up to their reputation."

Elliot tensed his entire body.

This clone not only knew his nickname but even seemed to understand the essence of his talent, which was completely beyond the cognition a normal clone should have.

He suppressed the various emotions churning in his heart and calmly observed the Luo En clone.

Although the opponent displayed strength approaching that of a formal wizard, Elliot keenly captured that.

There was a certain unstable characteristic in the magic power fluctuations around the Luo En clone; it seemed his power did not entirely belong to himself but was borrowed through some method.

"What kind of thing are you?"

Elliot finally asked, his voice trembling but maintaining a trace of reason.

The clone chuckled: "What I am is not important. What is important is that I will soon welcome a 'guest'."

His gaze turned toward a certain direction of the platform, seemingly anticipating the arrival of something.

That sense of fear and extreme tension fluctuated in him again, even more intensely than before.

At the same time, in an open space outside the Bloodline Altar, two figures were confronting each other.

One was Valen, wearing the iconic robes of the Crystal Spire; the pressure of a Dark Sun-level wizard spread silently, making the surrounding air heavy.

The other was a woman so beautiful it was almost unreal, her pink hair cascading down to her waist like a waterfall, determination flickering in her emerald eyes.

She looked to be in her early twenties, radiating a vibrant vitality; it was hard to believe this was the elderly, frail-looking Lady Ailan.

"How many years has it been, Ailan? Eighty? A hundred?"

Valen's voice was calm, but his eyes carried a trace of complex emotion:

"The last time I saw you looking like this was during the final promotion struggle at the Crystal Spire."

"One hundred and seventeen years and four months."

Lady Ailan answered coldly: "Ever since you snatched the Dark Sun promotion qualification that should have been mine."

Valen shook his head: "You know that wasn't snatching; it was the result of fair competition."

"Fair?" Lady Ailan sneered:

"If I were like you, willing to sign that soul contract and bind my entire life to the war chariot of the Crystal Spire, do you think I would have lost to you?"

The magic fluctuations in the air became even more tense, the atmosphere between the two like a volcano about to erupt.

"That is a responsibility every promotee must bear, Ailan."

Valen sighed: "It's been so many years, you're still so stubborn. The Crystal Spire cultivated us, provided resources and knowledge; naturally, we should repay it."

"Repay?" A trace of sarcasm flashed in Lady Ailan's eyes:

"Or become puppets? You and I both know that the requirements of those old guys behind the families for newcomers are getting more and more excessive. It's not just soul contracts, but forced marriages, bloodline propagation obligations, and even memory imprinting! This is no longer repayment, but enslavement!"

Valen was silent for a moment, clearly unable to refute this point.

"Regardless, you shouldn't have left the herb shop without authorization."

He finally spoke: "You know the rules; without permission from the higher-ups, you are not allowed to leave the designated area."

"I was just performing my duty as a mentor helping my student." Lady Ailan did not show weakness.

"Don't play dumb, Ailan." Valen frowned: "You wouldn't be thinking of taking advantage of the chaos of the Bloodline Altar opening to sneak away, would you?"

Lady Ailan was stunned for a moment, not expecting Valen to think she was trying to escape.

Then, her eyes rolled, and she took advantage of the situation to retort:

"If you had been imprisoned for over a hundred years, do you think you wouldn't try every possible way to escape?"

"This isn't imprisonment; it's for your own good." Valen said helplessly:

"You know how serious the injuries you suffered back then were; if the Chairman of the Potion Council hadn't acted personally, you might have..."

"Might have what? Died?" Lady Ailan sneered:

"Living like this, trapped in this corner of the Black Mist Forest, treated as a harmless old woman—I'd rather have died painlessly back then!"

Her emotions became clearly agitated, and the temperature of the surrounding air rose sharply.

A powerful magic fluctuation erupted from her body, making the surrounding ground tremble slightly.

"Calm down, Ailan."

Valen stepped back vigilantly, his right hand already pressing on an alchemical device at his waist:

"I don't want to fight you."

"Of course, you definitely don't want to." Lady Ailan said fiercely:

"Because you know that even a Dark Sun-level wizard cannot guarantee a hundred percent victory over a Moon-level wizard pushed to the brink, especially one who is a Potion Professor."

Saying this, she took out an exquisite crystal bottle from inside her robe, filled with a liquid shimmering with rainbow light.

Valen's pupils contracted: "No... that's the 'Seven-Colored Star Dew' from the forbidden list? How do you have this?"

"One hundred and seventeen years of imprisonment gave me enough time to research and prepare."

A look of determination flashed in Lady Ailan's eyes: "I will not be controlled by anyone anymore, not even the Great Wizards of the Crystal Spire!"

Saying this, she drank the liquid in the bottle in one gulp.

In an instant, she was enveloped in a layer of rainbow light, her aura climbing steadily.

In the blink of an eye, she reached the peak of a Moon-level wizard, even showing faint signs of a breakthrough.

Valen's expression changed, and he immediately released his full power to form a defense, while taking out several alchemical pieces of equipment from his space bag.

"Ailan, you know the side effects of 'Seven-Colored Star Dew'! After using it, your mental pollution will accelerate several times over, and you might even reach the critical point of collapse within a few days!"

Completely different from what Valen had expected, Lady Ailan could feel the mental pollution rising in her body being rapidly erased by the massive amount of Grace she had stored.

"I know, of course."

A smile of success began to bloom at the corners of Lady Ailan's mouth, the rainbow light around her becoming even more intense:

"But for freedom, this is a price worth paying."

Two terrifying powers confronted each other in the open space, the air distorting due to the overly dense energy, the surrounding trees unable to bear the weight, collapsing or burning one after another.

"The Crystal Spire is no longer the cradle that cultivated countless geniuses back then, Valen."

Lady Ailan's voice carried a thread of empathetic sorrow:

"It has been hollowed out by those so-called wizard clans; they only care about how to maintain their privileges, how to monopolize knowledge and resources, and how to incorporate every emerging wild genius into their control."

Valen was silent, clearly knowing this in his heart.

"They even started forcing those geniuses to marry family members, to 'purify' the bloodline, as if we were some kind of livestock."

Lady Ailan continued, her voice filled with calm anger:

"This practice completely violates the original philosophy of the 'Progenitor'—that everyone is equal before knowledge, and those with talent have the right to develop freely."

Valen finally spoke: "I cannot deny what you say... but this is the trend of the times, Ailan. It's not something I can change alone."

"Yeah, because you are also a vested interest now." Lady Ailan continued mockingly:

"You married the mentor's grand-niece and were thoroughly tied to the war chariot of that family. You are holding the benefits they gave you; naturally, you don't want to change anything."

Valen's expression became increasingly complex: "Ailan, things aren't that simple..."

"It is just that simple."

Lady Ailan interrupted him, continuing to use words to provoke him, while taking the opportunity to rapidly adapt to the powerful magic power that had already climbed to the Dark Sun level:

"If I hadn't refused to sign that soul contract, how could the promotion qualification have fallen to you? Where are you stronger than me? Talent, strength, research results—in which item can you compare to me even a little bit?"

Valen was speechless, because everything Ailan said was the truth.

Ailan was a recognized genius back then, a rare prodigy seen once in several hundred years at the Crystal Spire.

And Valen, as the second-in-command, could at best be considered ordinarily excellent among the many apprentices of the Crystal Spire; the gap between Ailan, the sequence leader, and him was a cliff-like distance.

If Ailan hadn't refused to sign the soul contract, leading to the cancellation of her promotion qualification, Valen would never have had the chance.

Just as the two were at daggers drawn, preparing to fight to the death.

Valen suddenly frowned and took out a small leather-bound booklet from his space bag.

The cover of the booklet was engraved with the Crystal Spire's logo, and each page had a small flame pattern, representing the vitality of a Crystal Spire apprentice.

At this moment, three of the flames had extinguished, turning gray.

And the remaining flames were also flickering, seemingly ready to extinguish at any moment.

Only the flame representing Elliot remained relatively stable, though it was dimmer than before.

"Something happened..." Valen's expression became grave: "Damn it, at most two died in previous years; I must go over and take a look."

"Looks like your precious apprentices have encountered trouble."

Lady Ailan said coldly, but a trace of concern flashed in her eyes: "What's the situation?"

"I don't know." Valen frowned, staring at the life booklet:

"Logically speaking, although the Bloodline Altar has certain dangers, it shouldn't be that people are dying so quickly, and so many are falling into a near-death state at the same time. Unless..."

(End of Chapter)

"Something happened..." Valen's expression became solemn: "Damn it, there were at most two deaths in previous sessions; I must go over and take a look."

"Looks like your precious apprentices are in trouble,"

Lady Ailan said coldly, but a trace of concern also flashed in her eyes: "What's the situation?"

"I don't know." Valen stared at the Book of Life with a frown:

"Reasonably speaking, although the Bloodline Altar has certain dangers, it shouldn't be that someone died so quickly, and so many have fallen into a near-death state simultaneously. Unless..."

(End of chapter)