Magic Industrial Age.

Chapter 621, page 619: The Fallen Lord of Hell, the Failed Astral Expedition
At this moment, the most embarrassed people were the archmages chanting incantations at the top of the Hall of Mysteries.

For these arcanists who have gone extremely far on the path of magic, multitasking is a basic skill.

While chanting incantations and casting spells, they also commanded the battle from a global perspective, deployed troops, wielded devastating war magic, and performed various micro-managements...

Their minds are not only highly focused, but also interconnected, allowing them to communicate and exchange ideas at any time.

But at this moment, at this moment, in their private 'heart channel,' no one has spoken for a long time.

It's not just fear, but more of a sense of disorientation in the face of something unexpected.

It wasn't until much later that the sounds of arguing began to emerge.

"How is this possible? How is this possible? Did you see that?"
All their methods are based on Magic Energy Industries; this is something we've disseminated.

However, the path they took was completely different from ours!

"But, but, according to Netheril's argument, the path we've taken is the most correct one, taking into account both air and ground forces, boosting morale to the limit, and making us the most powerful fighters."

But now it seems the Grand Arcane Council made a mistake, and the choice of the Speaker was also wrong.

"Their long-range attack methods seem to be based on the Magic Eye's positioning and extensive calculations."

Therefore, their remote observation and calculation capabilities surpass ours.

Although they are a group of indigenous people, I really want to say that even among indigenous people, there are some exceptionally talented individuals, and they should not be underestimated.

"And did you see their methods for defending against devastating war magic?"

This is definitely the result of targeted research; clearly, we all underestimated the mages of this plane.

"What's so amazing about that? The most impressive thing is the combination of remotely dropped bombs and teleportation portals, which can ignore most of the environment and deploy troops."

They first inflicted widespread destruction with indiscriminate bombing, leaving us preoccupied with our own defenses, and then deployed their troops directly within our defensive perimeter.

At this point, they can attack from both sides. Even if the arcane towers at the front line escaped the first phase of bombardment, they will quickly fall in the second phase.

"Given the current situation, they can at most disperse a small portion of their forces to the outside, while most of their battle lines will advance forward until they reach the Mysterious Palace!"

If the Arcane Tower is destroyed too much, we'll have a hard time even stopping it.

"And those humanoid steel golems, have you seen them? They can be ridden and controlled directly by human power, using magical energy and the power of steel to give mortals the strength to challenge legends."

This is simply a brilliant idea!

In comparison, our remote mental projection pod is just too, too, too afraid of dying!
This is absolutely something we should learn from; in fact, it could be said that if armored warriors could don these humanoid steel golems, their combat power would skyrocket.

"Isn't it too late for you to say this now? When you were choosing the route, didn't you also think that the mental projection pod was better?"
Most importantly, no one will die!

"What do you mean by that? Is this a personal attack? Weren't you even more shameless when you married your great-great-great-granddaughter?"

"Fuck your grandpa, you're taking my place..."

"I'll take it, what do you want from me..."

"........."

It's a long story, but the speed of communication between minds is extremely fast; in the blink of an eye, a quarrel erupts.

But at that very moment, the Chief of the Arcane Council roared, "Enough! Shut up, all of you!"

The mental energy was transmitted through high-frequency vibrations, directly crushing all the noise.
Only then did he turn to Michael, who had remained silent throughout, and ask, "Lord, the situation is urgent. What should we do now?"

Michael, who was used to keeping his word, hesitated this time.

He paused for a moment before asking, "What do you think?"

"We don't have many cards left to play."

The progress of the [Doomsday Cataclysm] spell is only halfway done, and it's unlikely to last until the end.

If the battle lines advance to the foot of the Mystic Palace, we will be in a very passive position.

"So, you mean you're going to stop chanting and just give up?"

"You once said that safety should be the top priority, and only by being able to advance and retreat freely can one be fearless!"

"Are you teaching me how to do things?"

"No, no, no, I was just offering some minor suggestions. I will obey your orders!"

Their conversation naturally did not escape the notice of the other archmages. Everyone fell silent, maintaining their incantation, and glanced sideways at Michael, awaiting his decision.

Michael, standing in the center of the twelve-pointed star array and surrounded by all the archmages, had a tense expression and his eyes were full of resentment.

Preparing for ultimate arcane magic is not easy; the conditions are extremely demanding.
Moreover, no matter how many methods they have, there are only a few terrifying arcane spells that can overturn planes.

The "Planetary Consciousness Backlash Technique" essentially came to an end after Luo Yi intervened and the war broke out.

The fact that the [Doomsday Cataclysm] has been able to advance to this point is already quite remarkable.

It would be truly difficult for him to give up now!

However, before he could make a decision, a sense of crisis arose spontaneously.

All twelve archmages looked in one direction, their faces filled with horror.

Then, at the edge of their vision, a divine light streaked across the sky, trailing a brilliant tail of flame, like a falling meteor.

Ball lightning bolts blocked the way, forming a line of three or nine, but they were all pierced through and exploded.

But that divine light did not stop at all; it streaked across the dark clouds like a flame, burning out a long rainbow that split the clouds.

At that moment, Michael's command on the telepathic channel transformed into a roar: "Defense!"

Thus, the vast demonic energy surrounding the secret hall was mobilized, rapidly condensing into a towering, all-encompassing phantom.

His face was blurred and his figure was illusory, but his eight arms were clearly visible, tightly gripping a dazzling shield, which he held in front of him.

The next instant, the holy light collided with the dazzling shield, creating ripples that spread outwards without a sound.

At this moment, the trace of that divine light finally appeared, revealing itself to be a spear over four meters long.

Although it is made of condensed fighting spirit, its extraordinary nature is revealed in the details. Whether it is the golden pattern or the matte finish of the handle, they are clearly visible, just like the real thing.

This is Roy's combat technique, Holy Light Spear!
After Luo Yi's strength greatly improved, the power of the Holy Light Spear was now completely different from before. It seemed to collide with the dazzling shield, but in reality, the two did not make contact.

Upon closer inspection, that single point of cold light was rapidly advancing, piercing through layers of space.

What lies before that dazzling shield is an unreachable distance.

This is a contest of offense and defense, and also a clash of spatial rules.

In the end, the phantom figure freed its two hands, and in the stalemate, it grasped two magical greatswords and slashed down.

boom!
The structure of the Holy Light Spear was destroyed, exploding into a ball of light, like a small sun rising out of nowhere, radiating intense heat and flames.

However, all the damage was blocked by the dazzling shield.

This arcane spell, called "Defense," is also a destructive war spell, but few enemies can force archmages to use it.

But in the next second, space distorted within the holy light, and accompanied by the roar of a dragon, the red dragon Virgil, clad in dragon-shaped armor, appeared.

Above him, Loy stood with his hand on his sword, still wearing the dark red gentleman's suit that Lilia had specially sewn for him, the hem of which fluttered in the wind.

He stood there as if he were the center of the world; majesty, confidence, and power were synonymous with him.

Faced with the phantom, the red dragon Virgil charged headlong into it without hesitation.

Its massive size brought the purest power, crushing the folds and distortions of space, and crashing directly into the dazzling shield.

There was no fierce confrontation, nor was there a stalemate where the forces were evenly matched; there was only absolute crushing!

The gleaming shield seemed to have been subjected to an indescribable force, shattering inch by inch, flying and scattering...

The phantom solidified instantly, and under the impact of the terrifying power, it half-squatted to absorb the force, and even had water-like ripples spreading out, clearly using the power of magic to continuously dissipate the force.

It finally made it through!
But the next second, the red dragon Virgil twisted his body, flapped his wings, and his massive body nimbly made a spinning motion, his tail slamming into the phantom with the momentum.

And so it was pulverized, turning into countless magical fragments that scattered like rain.

The masterpiece of the Archmages of Netheril—destructive war magic and powerful arcane spells dedicated to protection—only withstood two blows from the red dragon at this moment.

However, this ultimately bought the archmages some time.

Without Michael issuing any orders, at this moment, the thirteen most powerful archmages of Netheril either cooperated with each other or cast spells independently.

Using their own magic as a guide, they mobilized enormous magical energy and each unleashed their unique special skills.

Then a great arcanist, staff in hand, pointed into the distance and shouted: "Exile!"

Then, space trembled, and an inexplicable power descended, carrying an indescribable terror, as if to throw Luo Yi's entire being into an unknown region, into some remote corner of the multiverse.
Kroyi's battle aura flared up, and she transformed into an incredibly terrifying size, clinging tightly to the void, remaining completely still!
You can banish an ant, but if that ant is the size of a mammoth, you can't banish it.

The backlash from the arcane magic caused the archmage's face to turn pale and then red, until the suspended piece of amber that had been used as a substitute broke, which brought him back to his senses.

Another archmage, gripping his staff with both hands, stomped the ground and roared, "Death has arrived!"

Suddenly, a projection of the Grim Reaper appeared beside Luo Yi, holding a scythe high, ready to reap souls.

He merely appeared, and countless souls wailed around him, their screams seemingly capable of creating a mental storm.

However, Loy simply reached out and grasped the scythe.

The blade, existing between nothingness and emptiness, does not harm the physical body but can damage the soul. However, when it falls into Luo Yi's hands, it takes on a physical form and is then crushed bit by bit.

As the cracks on the scythe's blade spread, disbelief filled the eyes of the Grim Reaper clone, but the next second, he was engulfed by the red dragon's breath.

Another blue-white high-energy laser beam descended, carrying unparalleled burning power, attempting to pierce the red dragon's body.

A devastating war spell, [Apocalypse]!
The divine avatar of the orc god Amon was reduced to ashes by this magic.

However, Luo Yi appeared in front of the laser beam, crossed her hands in the air, and a small, independent space appeared. The blue-white laser beam seemed to be absorbed into it and then completely dissipated.

Another archmage roared, "Great Destruction!"

Then, beams of destruction rained down from the sky, carrying unique high-frequency vibrations, seemingly intent on annihilating Loy and the red dragon completely. In magic, there's a concept of 'true damage,' which ignores all defenses and attacks the target directly.

In other words, even if a god were to appear, no matter how low the damage is, some health would still be lost.

Many mages believe that as long as their health bar is lit up, they can kill even a god.

The renowned "Cult of the Five Fireballs" are believers in this principle, but clearly, the "Great Destruction Spell" unleashed by this great arcane mage is even more terrifying.

Faced with beams of dark light, Luo Yi finally drew his sword. You couldn't see the sword light, or rather, the sky was filled with flashing sword light.

The rays of those 'Great Destruction Spells' were all enveloped by battle aura and reflected back.

During this time, a high-ranking arcane mage secretly cast a curse spell – Extreme Weakness.

The recipient will fall into a state of weakness, just like after a serious illness, where even a slight jump could cause them to cough to death!

Kroy only trembled slightly before becoming immune to the curse.

Or perhaps it's because he's too physically strong and has too solid a foundation, so he doesn't care about this curse at all.

Another powerful arcane spell descended, a mixture of hellish and abyssal power, a tiny flame that even gave off an extremely dangerous feeling.

But when it landed on Luo Yi, it was engulfed after only a few breaths of stalemate with the holy fire.

There's no way around it; the power of Yi Huo is no joke!

Another extremely cold ray of light fell, and although it did not hit them directly, large swathes of ice spread, as if to freeze everything, turning Roy and the red dragon Virgil into ice sculptures.

At absolute zero, everything can be frozen!
Before the archmages could cheer, a 'click-clack' sound rang out.

Within the ice, Luo Yi and the red dragon struggled to move their bodies, and in a short time, they broke free from their restraints.

With a 'bang,' the ice exploded, only to be melted by the high temperature. The splash damage nearly broke through the defenses of the Mystic Palace.

It was only when an eight-armed phantom appeared, bearing a dazzling shield, that the aftershocks were blocked.

However, at this moment, the ultimate moves of the archmages were also completed.

It was a makeshift altar, upon which at least a dozen extravagant offerings were laid out, and under the spell of five great arcane mages, it connected with Hell.

As the pervasive hellish power contracted like swallows returning to their nests, it revealed an elegant demon lord.

He has the dark red skin unique to demons, vertical pupils like those of a wild beast, two horns growing upwards on his head, and a pair of demonic wings like bats and a flexible, long tail like a poisonous stinger on his back.

But unlike ordinary demons, he was handsome.

Her loose hair fell on either side of her forehead, and with a slight tilt of her head and a faint smile, she could captivate any woman.

He was dressed in the attire of a human gentleman, with elegant manners and graceful movements. Even when he lowered his head or frowned, he exuded an indescribable charm.

However, at this moment, He was in a bad mood and even found it hard to believe.

Clearly, He did not come here of His own volition, but was brought here by an irresistible force.

Only one person was able to do this, or rather, did it before He even had time to react.

His master, the ruler of Bathor, the eternal king Asmodeus.

And He was none other than the lord of the seventh level of Hell, Grand Duke Balzeb, the Lord of the Flying Insects.

As a rising star in Hell, Balzeb, originally named Trier, was a trans-ethereal god from Mount Sanctuary.

He was demoted to the ninth level of hell simply because of a mistake, but soon he gained the favor of the Lord of Hell and was promoted to a member of the devils in a terrifying ceremony.

Because of his pursuit of perfect brutality, He not only became the lord of the seventh level of hell, but also nearly erased everything about the previous lord.

Because of the schemes He devised, which were like a net that could not be escaped even by flying insects, He was called the Lord of Flying Insects.

But a trick is a trick, and a conspiracy is just a conspiracy; they are insignificant in the face of absolute power.

He knew very well that he was being punished by Asmodeus because he had conspired to betray the Lord of Hell, and had been thrown here without his knowledge.

In other words, this was a deal between the archmages of the Silver Top and the Lord of Hell; all the sacrifices were taken by Asmodeus.
And He is the price paid for the sacrifice!

It was also the Lord of Hell's punishment upon Him!
Don't forget, the Herka plane is still shrouded in the [Cataclysm of the Gods], making it impossible for any divine avatar to descend.

At this moment, His ability to come means that what has come is not an avatar, but His true form!

That's right, He was thrown over here whole by the Lord of Hell, and He is now in Saint form.

In other words, although He is quite powerful at this moment, He really will die!
At this moment, the shouts of the archmages could still be heard in the ears of Balzeb, the Lord of Hell.

“Kill him, kill that person in the sky, and you can return to Hell and continue being the lord of the seventh level.”

"The Lord of Hell's punishment of you has come to an end!"

"So, kill him! Kill him for us!"

He hated the clamor, but still looked up. At that moment, Loy also looked down.

Their eyes met, and a sound like an explosion seemed to resound in the air, booming and rumbling like thunder.

At this moment, Grand Duke Barzeb couldn't help but smile bitterly: "I know you, although I've never met you, I've heard of you!"
The new king of the 138th level of the Abyss, the greatest hero of mortals, the Conqueror, Loy!

Luo Yi also spoke up: "Judging from your features, you should be the lord of the seventh level of Hell, Grand Duke Balzeb of the Flying Insects."

But judging from the current situation, things don't look good for you!

The Lord of Hell seems to dislike you?

"Therefore, I need to offer sacrifices to my master to express my loyalty, and there is no one more suitable than you."

I had no choice!

"On the road to kingship, many have wanted to sacrifice me, and countless others have tried to kill me, yet I am still here."

Therefore, I wouldn't mind another hell lord dying by my sword.

"Then let's fight!"

"war!"

Since the conflict could not be resolved, war was the only option. The next second, Luo Yi stepped out from the top of the red dragon's head, falling like a meteor.

The flying insect lord Balzeb also drew his weapon, an elegant noble rapier, and with a flap of his demonic wings, soared into the sky.

And so, the two collided in the void.

This scene was no less terrifying than a collision between Mars and Earth, with terrifying aftershocks spreading outwards in a mighty wave.

In front of the mysterious hall, in addition to the solidified eight-armed phantoms raising their dazzling shields for defense, there were also lightning shields erected to try to divert the shockwaves.

But the scope of their mutual assistance is ultimately limited!
A slash of battle qi swept across the earth, leaving a crack that stretched to the horizon.

Countless more buildings were damaged, burned, and reduced to ruins.

In the sky, divine battle aura and hellish power intertwined, and the resulting violent aftershocks shattered the dark, heavy clouds.

At the heart of this floating continent, a vast city was struck by a catastrophic impact.

In the aftermath, cracks, craters, shattered buildings, scattered arcane mages, and trembling mortals were everywhere.

But when they looked up, they couldn't even see who had caused the disaster.

Only true powerhouses, the archmages, with the insight of the 'Eye of Truth,' could glimpse even a fraction of the battle between Loy and Balzeb.

In their eyes, the core of the battle even appeared to have a strange distortion, and everyone seemed to see it differently.

To some, their battle was clearly slow, every move was clearly visible, the rapiers clashed, and the sparks that flew were clearly traced.

However, in the eyes of some great arcanists, their battle had reached an unbelievable speed, like two raging winds entangled together.
The swords flashed, like countless stars falling from the sky, their attacks coming and going, utterly incompatible.

In the eyes of some great arcane mages, they seemed to have split into countless individuals, pairing up in twos and fighting endlessly.

Even the most knowledgeable and experienced archmages paled at this sight.

However, what made them even more surprised was that at a certain moment, all the seemingly real and illusory images completely disappeared, leaving only two figures standing in mid-air.

Luo Yi remained atop the throne, her elegance unchanged, seemingly without the slightest alteration; only the divine slender sword in her hand hummed and vibrated.
Meanwhile, the seventh level of hell lord, Grand Duke Balzeb of the Flying Insects, resided below, his body covered in wounds from which blood continuously gushed.

Most seriously, the divine rapier was slowly pressed down on His chest, piercing through His heart.

Barzeb reached out and gripped the blade, as if trying to resist, but to no avail.

In the end, the divine light in His eyes dimmed, and His demonic body fell limply. Then, a holy flame caught up with Him and set Him ablaze.

At this moment, Luo Yi seemed to have done something insignificant, speaking softly, as if talking to herself, or as if making a declaration to the multiverse.

"From this day forward, the lord of the seventh level of hell will be a different demon!"

At that moment, the archmages felt a chill rise from their tailbone to the top of their head, and an overwhelming fear surged in their hearts.

At that moment, before Luo Yi could make a move, Michael, the master of the floating city and the practitioner of truth, let out a sharp explosion.

"Abort [Doomsday Cataclysm]! Quickly, abort it immediately!"

"Contract the defenses and focus all your energy on defense! Defend!"

With his command, the twelve archmages simultaneously ceased their incantations. The sudden interruption of the ultimate arcane spell had a rather astonishing backlash.

Almost all of them opened their mouths and spat out mouthfuls of blood, their faces turning deathly pale.

However, various colored lights flashed on his body, and various death-substitute magic appeared, which helped him recover.

Then, without any command, they acted almost immediately, manipulating the Tower of Nesser to retract, and with a rumble, it crashed into the earth, while the dome of the Mysterious Palace quickly closed.

Various defensive spells rose up, and four eight-armed phantoms appeared, completely protecting the Mysterious Hall.

Thus, the Silver Dome floating city's attempt to destroy the Herka plane civilization was completely thwarted!

This great interplanetary expedition, which lasted for hundreds of years, ended in failure!

(End of this chapter)