Chapter 232

That bead was about the size of a fist, its surface covered with complex patterns, emitting heart-palpitating energy fluctuations, clearly power that did not belong to this world.

As the bead was activated, a burst of power fluctuation strong enough to suffocate erupted from Sheng Pan's body.

His broken body began to reorganize at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Those corroded tissues regrew, and the broken bones automatically joined.

Even those extinguished eyes relit, emitting a light more eerie than before.

At the same time, the aura Sheng Pan emitted became more and more powerful, rapidly climbing from the initial Morning Star level, soon approaching the Moon-Sun level, but still climbing rapidly.

That sense of oppression was like substance, making the air in the entire room become viscous, and even breathing became difficult.

"Apostle-ization transformation," Lady Ailan's voice came, with a trace of alertness and solemnity.

Her hand had reached towards the potion bag at her waist, obviously ready to join the battle at any time.

But her face was faintly pale with an unhealthy pallor, and a trace of endured pain flashed in her eyes.

Luo En noticed this and reached out to stop her: "Madam, please stay where you are."

He could clearly see Lady Ailan's state—the active period of magic had passed, and her aura was somewhat chaotic.

There were obvious distortions and fractures in the path of energy flow, clearly the sequelae of long-term use of stimulating potions.

Through extraordinary identification, Luo En could clearly see those unstable energy structures in Lady Ailan's body.

Like a dam about to collapse, barely maintaining the integrity of the surface, but the inside was already full of dangerous cracks.

If she fought forcibly at this time, it would likely cause those cracks to expand completely, causing irreparable damage to her vitality.

"In your current state, there is no need to take risks. This opponent is enough for me to handle."

Luo En's voice was calm and firm, but also carried a power that could not be refused:

"Besides, I am no longer the apprentice who needs protection."

Lady Ailan's gaze stayed on Luo En for a moment, and a series of complex emotions flashed in her eyes—surprise, hesitation, unwillingness, and finally a relief that was almost pride.

She could feel the confidence and power emanating from Luo En, which was not bluffing, but the calmness brought by real strength.

"I just saw it through my special talent."

Luo En's voice was very light, but it accurately reached Lady Ailan's ears:

"If you can rest calmly for half a year and stop using those stimulating potions, under the nourishment of my favor, you can live for at least a few more decades. Your injury is not irreversible, it just takes time and proper care."

Lady Ailan was slightly startled, a flash of surprise in her emerald eyes, followed by undisguised emotion.

For many years, she had thought that her state could not be saved, and she could only rely on various stimulating potions to barely maintain it.

And now, the spark of hope that she thought was still gestating suddenly ignited...

On the other side, Sheng Pan's transformation had entered a critical stage, and they could not afford any more hesitation.

That blood-red bead completely merged into his body, causing his energy fluctuations to climb sharply, already exceeding the Morning Star peak, and still rising continuously.

His form was also undergoing astonishing changes—a pair of huge wing membranes grew on his back, his skin turned into dark purple like metal, his height increased by at least double, and every inch of muscle contained destructive power.

"Luo En Ralph! Your resistance is meaningless!"

Sheng Pan's voice had completely changed, like thousands of insects making sounds at the same time:

"Kneel down and receive the favor, Master Ma Ge Si has already selected you, you will be reborn and become the successor of the Wang Zuo!"

Luo En no longer hesitated and directly used the most direct interference method currently available—Mental Shock.

After becoming a formal wizard, this skill had evolved from simple "mental interference" to a more terrifying attack method, capable of directly destroying the target's consciousness core.

At this moment, he also integrated the principle of "sonic echo," making its power and activation speed take a qualitative leap.

Spiritual power turned into invisible spikes, directly stabbing into Sheng Pan's consciousness core, while triggering the "echo effect," causing a series of explosions in his spiritual world.

This attack completely bypassed physical defense and acted directly on the soul level, like an invisible blade, stabbing directly at the core of the soul.

Generally speaking, wizards of the same level rarely use "Mental Shock."

Because most wizards possess the ability to resist such attacks, having complete spiritual barriers and countermeasures.

But this is precisely one of the best weapons against abyssal existences.

There is a relationship of mutual generation and mutual restraint between wizards and abyssal existences.

Although the Awakened usually occupy an advantage due to the erosion effect and the deformed body.

But wizards also have specialized countermeasures, and attacks at the spiritual level are one of them.

Although abyssal existences have powerful bodies, their spiritual structures are often their most fragile parts.

Especially those who have just awakened or are in this state of transformation, their spiritual defense is almost zero.

Sheng Pan let out a shrill scream, his seven eyes bulging simultaneously, flowing with black liquid.

The process of apostle-ization was forcibly interrupted, and the energy structure showed signs of chaotic collapse.

That blood-red bead also lost control and began to beat violently in his chest, as if trying to break free from the shackles.

"I... Apostle Ma Ge Si... I... ah ah ah!"

At this time, he couldn't even say a complete sentence, his body began to twist violently, and those newly grown tissues began to collapse again.

High-concentration abyssal energy lost control in his body, turning into a self-destructive weapon.

Black energy surged from his seven orifices, forming eerie black mist in the air, and then dissipated rapidly.

Luo En seized this opportunity and quickly activated the "Flowing Barrier," while releasing the "Demon Hunter" state of the substitute puppet.

The Flowing Barrier turned into an exquisite cage, completely imprisoning Sheng Pan;

And the Demon Hunter-ized substitute puppet took the initiative to pounce on the chaotic Awakened, showing heart-palpitating devouring ability.

The substitute puppet's form had completely deformed, no longer that simple puppet, but turned into a hideous monster.

Its body surface was covered with dense black scales, its limbs were extended and deformed, and its fingertips turned into sharp bone blades.

The most terrifying thing was its head—a pair of compound eyes grew out of the originally empty eye sockets, flashing with metallic cold light;

The mouth was torn and extended, forming a large mouth far exceeding the normal proportion, filled with layers of serrated teeth inside.

The substitute puppet's hideous big mouth opened, and it began to crazily devour Sheng Pan's body and energy.

Thanks to the bonus of "Hunting Evil" and the devouring characteristic it already possessed, this process was unusually efficient.

Sheng Pan's body was shrinking at a speed visible to the naked eye, and those abyssal energies that should have been powerful were like delicacies in front of the substitute puppet, being absorbed bit by bit.

"No! No! Master Ma Ge Si..."

Sheng Pan let out his final wail, still wanting to struggle, but it was too late.

Just a few minutes later, Sheng Pan's figure completely disappeared, leaving only a blood-red bead quietly floating in the air—that was the so-called "Wang Zuo Seed."

"It's over." Luo En said calmly, recalling the substitute puppet, his gaze falling on the eerie bead.

Although calm on the surface, his heart was full of alertness.

The energy fluctuation emitted by that bead was extremely terrifying, far exceeding any abyssal substance he had ever seen, clearly coming from a deeper existence.

Lady Ailan walked up, her eyes alertly watching the bead:

"This is the Wang Zuo Seed, the crystallization of power from the Supreme Apostle in the deepest part of the abyss."

Her voice carried a trace of rare solemnity:

"It is said that every Wang Zuo Seed is refined by the Apostle himself, containing a part of their essence. Possessing it is equivalent to establishing some kind of connection with the Apostle, which is both a source of power and a fatal weakness."

Lady Ailan looked at Luo En deeply:

"You have two choices—hand it over to the Crystal Spire, and let them hand it over to the Truth Court for processing; or keep it yourself, but you need to perform complete isolation, and no matter whether it will be discovered or not, there will be great hidden dangers."

Luo En stared at the bead, his thoughts surging.

The energy fluctuation emitted by that bead was indeed heart-moving, and the power contained within it might be able to help him improve his strength faster and climb to a higher realm.

But at the same time, he also knew very well that this "gift" from the abyss must be accompanied by a price.

It was a power that had broken away from conventional understanding and was likely to bring unforeseeable dangers.

This was a gamble concerning the soul—choose the steady but slow conventional path, or take the risk of adopting this unknown shortcut?

"Hand it over or keep it?"

Lady Ailan asked again, her eyes carrying a bit of exploration, seemingly observing Luo En's reaction when facing temptation.

Luo En took a deep breath and made a decision.

He remembered everything he experienced during the advancement process of the True Path.

Those terrible illusions, the powerlessness of being played by high-level existences, and the sense of achievement of finally overcoming challenges through his own will.

"Hand it over, I don't need this kind of power with hidden dangers."

His voice was firm, without the slightest hesitation:

"I would rather walk towards a higher realm step by step through my own efforts than take risks with external shortcuts. This power derived from the abyss is ultimately incompatible with my path."

In fact, what he thought in his heart was that he could explore and make it safe through his own dissection and research.

But he would naturally not let the manipulators behind it get their wish by accepting this so-called "seed" that must have deep-seated hidden dangers.

A flash of approval crossed Lady Ailan's eyes, and the corners of her mouth rose slightly:

"A wise choice, I will arrange for someone to send it to the Crystal Spire, where there are facilities specifically for handling such items. They will report this discovery to the Truth Court, and let those Great Wizards who truly understand the mysteries of the abyss handle it."

Just then, urgent footsteps came from outside, accompanied by several powerful energy fluctuations.

The door was rudely pushed open, and Hayek and Youni rushed in, their robes stained with blood and residual abyssal energy, clearly having just rushed from some battlefield.

Hayek's gaze quickly swept over the situation in the room.

Seeing the blood-red bead floating on the ground and Luo En's calm expression, a trace of shock and confusion flashed in his eyes.

"The intruder... has been defeated by you?"

Hayek's voice was full of disbelief: "That Mr. Sheng Pan who held the Supreme Apostle's blessing, was just..."

"Luo En, are you okay?"

Youni asked with concern, her purple eyes flashing with caring light.

Her gaze quickly checked Luo En's whole body, seemingly confirming whether he was injured.

"I'm fine." Luo En answered calmly:

"Mr. Sheng Pan disguised himself as Huo Huo Erte and came, it should be to lure me to the bloodline altar. Fortunately, I perceived the abnormality in advance through 'my own special talent' and defeated him before he completed the apostle-ization transformation."

Hayek and Youni exchanged a shocked look, obviously feeling unbelievable about the strength Luo En displayed.

"How about Mentor Suo Lun? He should be responsible for guarding the bloodline altar." Lady Ailan frowned and asked suddenly: "How is his situation?"

Hayek's expression instantly became solemn:

"The situation is not optimistic. He was ambushed by Sheng Pan at the bloodline altar, his heart was dug out, and he barely maintained his life by relying on a 'Heart's Tear.' What's worse, the abyssal pollution has begun to erode his spiritual world."

"Currently, he is relying on his own will to temporarily delay the complete collapse of the seal, buying us some time."

Youni added, her eyes flashing with painful light: "But his state is extremely dangerous, and he needs immediate deep treatment, otherwise..."

Luo En's expression became solemn: "I'll go take a look. Maybe I can help."

Hayek and Youni heard Luo En take the initiative to ask for help, and wanted to say something, but thinking of the various incredible achievements on the other party, they held back their words.

He turned to Lady Ailan: "Madam, I'll go handle this emergency situation first. Regarding the Wang Zuo Seed..."

"I will handle it well."

Lady Ailan interrupted, a firmness that had not been seen for a long time appearing on her face:

"You can rest assured to go help Mentor Suo Lun."

Luo En nodded, then left with Hayek and Youni to the bloodline altar.

When only Lady Ailan and the three young people were left in the room, Li Li Liya walked up cautiously:

"Lady Ailan... everything that just happened, we..."

"Don't worry, child."

Lady Ailan smiled slightly, her emerald eyes flashing with wisdom:

"You three are all people Luo En cares about, so naturally you are qualified to know these things. But next, we have more important things to do—prepare to leave here."

Her gaze turned to the window, where the outline of the Black Mist Jungle had begun to become distorted, clearly the leakage of abyssal energy had begun to affect the entire school:

"I'm afraid the Black Mist School will be difficult to survive this disaster."

………………

The seventh layer of the abyss, "Soul Abyss."

Thirteen thrones were arranged in the shape of a distorted eye, and the gray vortex in the center was still rotating slowly.

But it was more active than before, emitting a low roar, like the snoring of a giant beast in deep sleep.

Ma Ge Si's body, composed of countless black threads, trembled slightly, and the nine eyes on the mask flashed simultaneously, emitting light of different colors.

"It seems that your plan has failed."

A cold voice came from the tenth throne, which was a strange existence made of countless bones, the voice like glass shattering.

"The seed you personally selected, the messenger you personally blessed, was just defeated by a formal wizard who had just advanced."

On the fifth throne, the woman entangled by chains let out a shrill laugh: "Really... an impressive failure, Ma Ge Si."

Other apostles on the thrones also joined the ranks of ridicule, commenting on the failure of this operation.

Some were sarcastic, some were gloating, and others shook their heads and sighed pretending to be sympathetic.

Facing these ridicules, Ma Ge Si maintained a calm surface, and the nine eyes on the spider mask flashed in turn, as if calculating something.

But beneath that calm exterior, an undisguised anxiety was spreading.

"The plan is not a complete failure." Ma Ge Si finally spoke, his voice as calm as usual:

"We have confirmed that Luo En Ralph does indeed have the potential to become the Fourteenth Supreme Apostle. His performance even exceeded my expectations—being able to defeat Sheng Pan who held the blessing in a state of just advancing, this already explains his extraordinary talent."

"So what?"

The dragon-headed apostle on the third throne sneered, his golden eyes flashing with mocking light:

"If the seed is discovered and destroyed over there, and Sheng Pan is killed, we lose a valuable pawn, but we get nothing."

Ma Ge Si's thread body expanded slightly, seemingly expressing dissatisfaction:

"Not so, no matter whether Luo En Ralph chooses to keep it or hand it over, the abyssal aura in the seed has already been contaminated, which is an indelible connection."

"Even so, we cannot influence him in the short term."

The liquid metal creature on the seventh seat made a buzzing sound, its form changing constantly: "Unless he takes the initiative to step into the abyss, we cannot intervene directly."

Ma Ge Si's nine eyes flashed simultaneously, emitting a deep light:

"This is exactly what I am waiting for. Luo En Ralph has the nature of an explorer, and his soul longs for true knowledge and power. Sooner or later, he will take the initiative to step into the abyss and seek the answers that only we can provide."

"Have you forgotten the surveillance of those Wizard Kings and Great Wizards?"

The dragon-headed apostle retorted: "Especially now, a primary wizard who advanced through the True Path will inevitably receive the attention of the Truth Court. Any attempt of ours may alert those old guys."

Ma Ge Si was silent for a moment, and the eyes on the mask dimmed:

"We indeed cannot act directly now. But time is on our side—the abyss is waking up, and the boundaries are becoming blurred. One day, we will no longer be bound by these restrictions."

The thrones fell into silence, and every apostle was immersed in his own thoughts.

They all knew that for Awakened like Sheng Pan who could be sent out, it was already the limit to explode to near Dark Sun level through special means in a short time.

Stronger Awakened and Apostles are all existences registered and named, and any slight movement will be besieged by the wizard world.

And the power of these Supreme Apostles is also difficult to extend beyond the abyss.

"Now we can only hope that Luo En Ralph keeps the Wang Zuo Seed and takes the initiative to come to the abyss to explore one day."

Ma Ge Si finally said, his voice containing both expectation and a trace of imperceptible annoyance: "Only then will we have a chance to strike."

The gray vortex suddenly rotated violently, emitting a deafening roar, as if it were some kind of response to this discussion.

The thirteen Supreme Apostles immediately stopped talking and all turned to the vortex, their eyes containing both awe and fear.

"It seems to have become more active."

The chain woman on the fifth seat whispered, her voice carrying a trace of unease: "Since the end of the Third Era, it has never been so restless."

Ma Ge Si's thread body contracted slightly, which was an instinctive defensive posture:

"Perhaps, time is much shorter than we imagined. In any case, we must find the successor of the Fourteenth Apostle as soon as possible, whether it is Luo En Ralph or other potential candidates."

The chain woman glanced at Ma Ge Si, a trace of mockery flashing in her silver eyes:

"You wouldn't still be holding onto that ridiculous hope, would you? Thinking that the Fourteenth Wang Zuo can change our destiny?"

Ma Ge Si did not respond, and the nine eyes on the spider mask extinguished in turn, falling into some kind of contemplative state.

In the world of Supreme Apostles, hope is a luxury, or even a dangerous delusion.

But at this moment, Ma Ge Si could not deny that in his "heart" composed of countless threads, there was indeed a faint but tenacious expectation.

The Fourteenth Wang Zuo, perhaps it can really change something.

(End of chapter)