The Wizard: From Zero-Ring Wizard to Almighty Lord.

Faced with that spiritual power, as vast as an abyss and as intense as the blazing sun, the air in the hall seemed to be sucked out in an instant, solidifying into an invisible yet heavy lead stone.

"boom!"

The roar did not originate from the real world, but exploded without any obstruction deep within the souls of the three people.

The first to break down was the middle-aged empress.

She did indeed receive a lifespan extension from the Spirit-Eyed Wizard through witchcraft, but in the face of the unconsciously emanating pressure of the Morning Star Wizard's rank, the soul of a mortal is still too fragile to withstand, crumbling like thin paper at the slightest touch.

Her voluptuous body trembled violently, her legs went weak, and she stumbled and lost her balance, falling awkwardly onto the cold, hard marble floor.

That once captivating face was now deathly pale, and the fine lines at the corners of her eyes twitched uncontrollably from extreme fear.

She was already in her fifties, and her snow-white skin had a unique texture like aged wine, but the despair overflowing in her phoenix eyes made her appear particularly forlorn.

She pressed her red lips tightly together; the cold beauty that was once etched into her bones had long been crushed to dust in the face of absolute power.

In comparison, Astrid's condition is slightly better.

Her spiritual energy surged almost instinctively, forming a fragile defense to resist the omnipresent pressure.

However, what difference is there between a second-level witch and an ant in front of the Morning Star Wizard?

Astrid clenched her teeth so hard that her red lips were bitten through, and bright red blood slowly seeped out.

Those purple eyes were fixed on the center of the hall, where the space was undergoing a subtle yet chilling distortion.

"Om."

There are no signs.

The next instant, a figure draped in a black robe appeared out of thin air in the hall.

Lynn.

He remained as handsome as ever, with no trace of time on his face. Instead, his eyes became even more profound, calm and indifferent, exuding a sense of detachment from all living beings.

He stood with his hands behind his back, then strode forward, his boots landing on the golden tiles with a leisurely and unhurried pace, as if he were not descending upon the heart of the kingdom, but rather strolling leisurely in his own backyard.

Compared to Astrid and the former glamorous queen, Jess was in the best condition, as if he had not been subjected to any pressure at all.

"Father……"

Jess Cole squeezed out the two words through clenched teeth.

However, as soon as those two words were uttered, Lynn's gaze suddenly turned to Jess, and in an instant, a feeling as if struck by lightning flowed through Jess's heart, causing his whole body to tremble.

He forced himself to steady himself, straightened his back, and pressed his right hand firmly on the royal sword at his waist, the veins on the back of his hand bulging.

His pride and dignity as a mortal emperor compelled him to raise his head high and look directly at the figure that resembled a god.

"Father, you...you're finally back."

Lynn's gaze fell on him.

Looking at the young man in front of him who bore a striking resemblance to himself, he remained calm, but a hint of interest flickered in his eyes, as if he were examining a rather intriguing work of art.

His eyes flickered slightly, deep and unfathomable like a bottomless abyss.

After just a few breaths of eye contact, Jess was suddenly jolted, feeling as if his soul had been completely frozen. It wasn't emotional fear, but an absolute suppression from the essence of life and the level of existence.

Just as Jess was on the verge of collapse, Astrid, whose red lips were tightly pursed, finally moved.

Those beautiful purple eyes quickly swept over everything in front of her: one was her husband in name only; the other was her son in name only.

She knew better than anyone that all of this stemmed from witchcraft and was essentially illusory.

Even so, Jess was still a life she had carried for ten months, a life separated from her own body.

Under this overwhelming pressure of rank that seemed to crush the soul, a fervent and primal emotion overwhelmed the calm and rationality that a wizard should possess.

That's motherhood.

Astrid suddenly took a step forward, using her petite frame to shield Jess without hesitation, meeting Lynn's cold and unfathomable gaze.

"No...please don't do this!"

Her voice was trembling with tears, "He's your child! I'm begging you!"

Her long purple hair cascaded down, making her figure appear even more slender and petite.

Tears welled up in her purple eyes, almost overflowing from their sockets.

A second-level wizard is as insignificant as dust in the face of a Morning Star wizard.

But it was only because she was Lynn's wife in name that she barely had the right to plead.

Despite the almost humble request, Lynn's expression remained indifferent, without the slightest emotional fluctuation.

He stopped, his gaze passing over Jess's face, frozen with fear, and landing on Astrid's long purple hair that reached her waist.

A rare hint of amusement flickered in those eyes, which were as cold and abyss-like as a deep abyss.

That wasn't mockery.

Rather, it is a kind of scrutiny and curiosity that arises when an "unexpected variable" is discovered outside of the predetermined calculation.

"Astrid,"

Lynn spoke slowly, his tone calm and detached.
“I once gave you almost absolute ‘freedom.’ But I never expected that this freedom would allow you to develop an illusion called ‘family affection’ amidst decades of mundane affairs.”

He spoke each word carefully.

With each syllable, Astrid's delicate body trembled uncontrollably.

Her fair face was now filled with a pitiful look, and tears finally broke through her purple eyes, silently sliding down her fair cheeks.

But she stubbornly opened her arms even more.

A faint purple glow appeared in front of her, barely forming a nearly transparent barrier that seemed about to shatter at any moment, yet she held it together with unwavering strength.

“I know…I know everything.”

Astrid's voice was hoarse, trembling yet resolute.

“He is a product of witchcraft, your creation… but he is also the child I carried for ten months.”

"He learned his first word in my arms, and before me he was crowned king, becoming the ruler of this kingdom..."

Her voice choked with emotion, but she stubbornly continued speaking.

"I can't... I can't hand him over to you."

Lynn stood with his hands behind his back, calmly watching the scene unfold before him.

Astrid, standing at the very front, seemed like a mantis trying to stop a chariot; her slender figure appeared incredibly small under the oppressive aura of the Morning Star Wizard.

Behind her, within the thin purple light shield, Jess's body was trembling slightly and uncontrollably.

Perhaps it was because of revisiting a familiar place, but Lynn's thoughts were stirred with a rare ripple.

Back in the Crucible Wars, the purple-haired witch before me was the Black Dragon Witch, riding a black dragon and dominating the battlefield.

She commanded a large army, sweeping away numerous wizarding forces, and personally killed countless wizards, earning a formidable reputation.

At that time, Lynn was merely a cannon fodder apprentice in her army, who could turn into dust and quietly perish in the endless war at any moment.

Time has passed, and everything has changed.

Now he is the high and mighty Morning Star Wizard; but the witch who once rode the black dragon stands before him, pleading desperately for an "offspring".

Such a scene is enough to move any ordinary person, even to the point of shedding tears.

But wizards have always been creatures who prioritize reason.

Moreover, it's a Morning Star wizard like Lynn.

He clearly remembered that on the night he took Astrid's virginity, it was he who personally planted the "seed" of that forbidden witchcraft into her body.

Seeds take root, blossom, and bear fruit.

Jayce today is that fruit.

Now that the fruit is ripe, it is time to harvest it.

Therefore, Lynn simply shook his head calmly, his tone indifferent yet resolute:
"Astrid, it seems that these decades of peaceful and ordinary life have given you some unnecessary emotions."

“You should understand that he is not a true heir, but merely a fruit that I planted and nurtured myself.”

"Now that it has blossomed and borne fruit, it is naturally time to harvest it."

He did not lower his voice when he spoke.

Lynn and Astrid's conversation was made without any attempt to hide it from Jess standing nearby.

As for the once renowned empress, she had long since succumbed to the oppressive aura and collapsed to the ground, her plump, fair body lying there motionless without any reaction.

Jess heard everything clearly.

He looked at the "mother" in front of him, who had spread her arms and used her body to shield him from everything, and then looked up at the man in front of him with his hands behind his back, his expression indifferent and his eyes icy.

The man was both a stranger and a familiar face. Although it was their first meeting, he seemed incredibly familiar to them, as if they had met every moment before.

"what!"

Finally, Jess could no longer hold back.

His eyes were bloodshot, veins bulging, and his hands, with bulging veins, gripped the sword of kingship at his waist.

next moment!
"Zheng!"

The longsword was drawn, its cold light flashing!
Jess took a step forward, his sword pointing directly at Lynn. His movements were swift and decisive, without the slightest hesitation, carrying the last dignity and pride of a mortal emperor.

"I am the King of Eluria!"

"He is a monarch revered by all!"

His voice was hoarse, yet incredibly firm.

"Even if you are my biological father and want to take my life... you'll have to ask the sword in my hand first!"

The sword's edge pierced the air, its cold light condensing into a point of black radiance that shot directly at Lynn.

Jayce's move was not reckless.

His soul is not pure, and he is destined not to embark on the path of a spiritual wizard, but he is the king of the Kingdom of Eluria and can choose the knight system.

The ruler of a country has no shortage of resources.

He possesses all the top-tier breathing techniques, the rarest body-tempering elixirs, and the most rigorous and renowned instruction from master teachers—everything that is within reach in the mortal world.

With such a foundation, Jess's path as a knight is virtually unhindered.

In his early twenties, he stepped into the realm of Grand Knight, equivalent to a third-level wizard apprentice; several years later, through massive resources and life-or-death trials, he forcibly broke through the shackles and advanced to Legendary Knight!

A legendary knight is now equivalent to a wizard of the same level.

Even in the wizarding world, they deserve equal respect.

Unfortunately, he was not facing a first-level wizard at the moment.

He was a true Morning Star Wizard.

A level four being who is also a peak life form who cultivates the path of the body.

The opponent didn't even need to use his mental power; his physical body alone was enough to crush a level three archmage, let alone a legendary knight like him.

Lynn's expression remained unchanged; he simply raised his hand slowly and extended a slender index finger.

"Ding."

Fingertips touched the tip of the sword.

There was no roar, no explosion, and not even any energy leakage.

Jess strained with all his might, his muscles tense, his face pale from the rush of blood, only to find that the longsword, a symbol of royal power and glory, could not advance even an inch further.

It was as if he had struck not flesh and blood, but an unshakeable wall of the world.

The next moment!
"Bang."

The longsword slipped from his hand and fell to the ground.

Jess froze on the spot, his pupils unfocused, as if all the strength in his body had been drained away in an instant.

He lost, lost without a doubt, and didn't even put up a decent fight.

He couldn't even beat one of his father's fingers.

Despair engulfed him like a tidal wave.

He staggered a step and finally knelt on the cold floor tiles, his hands falling limply, tears streaming silently down his face.

This scene caught Astrid's eye; her purple eyes were already brimming with tears, which streamed down her fair cheeks, making her look pitiful and evoking pity.

But Lynn's expression remained calm, almost cold.

His voice was calm, yet it caused the temperature in the entire hall to plummet.

Lynn slowly raised his right hand, his slender fingers gently tapping in the air.

"This mortal drama should come to an end."

His gaze fell on Jess, who was kneeling on the ground, looking down at him without showing the slightest emotion.

“Jace Cole…”

"You seem to use this surname quite smoothly."

"It seems that your decades as king have indeed given you some unwarranted illusions."

"Do you really think that by donning this magnificent robe and grasping that iron blade, you've become the master of this land?"

As soon as she finished speaking, the hall fell into a deathly silence, broken only by Astrid's soft sobs and Jess's numb breathing.

At this point, Lynn's voice suddenly paused, then he continued:

“I thought you would only hide behind your mother, trembling and crawling at my feet, awaiting my judgment…”

"In desperation, you drew this sword and stabbed me. Not bad, not bad..."

Although Lynn's voice carried a hint of praise, it didn't mean he wouldn't do anything to Jess.

On the contrary, Jess's performance convinced him that this "fruit" was good and worth all the effort he had put into cultivating it.

The next moment, Lynn raised his slender index finger and gently tapped it in the air.

Without a sound, the golden floor tiles of the entire hall suddenly darkened.

Dark gray runes emerged from the ground, densely packed, slowly wriggling and spreading like living blood vessels.

They didn't appear out of thin air, but spread out from Jess's feet, climbing up his shadow, penetrating his magnificent royal robes, and outlining eerie and cold patterns on his neck, the back of his hands, and his cheeks.

Each character exudes an aura of deathly stillness and taboo.

Jess suddenly realized that he could no longer hear anything.

The sounds of the wind outside the hall, the distant footsteps, and the lingering scent of incense in the air were all cut off in an instant.

Then, the sensation also disappeared.

He could no longer even sense the royal sword lying not far away, as if it had never existed.

Pale golden runes emerged from beneath his skin, intertwining with dark gray patterns, like countless living creatures pulsating wildly within his flesh.

His hands, in full view of everyone, became transparent at a speed visible to the naked eye.

There was no bloodshed, no pain.

There is only a sense of emptiness, as if the world has completely stripped away and erased it.

Those things he once regarded as the foundation of his life:

The cheers of the people, the weight of royal power, the glory of the coronation, the mother's whispered admonitions and gentle calls...

At this moment, they all transformed into tiny, dim, dark gray runes, slowly emanating from his eyes, ears, mouth, and nose, shimmering with a terrifying, forbidden light.

Finally, a layer of complete darkness enveloped Jess's consciousness.

His eyes became empty and dull, and he seemed like a soulless puppet, mechanically taking steps toward Lynn.

Lynn raised his hand and grabbed his head.

In the next instant, Jess Cole, along with everything he was as "King," vanished completely from the hall.

Astrid collapsed to the ground, her arms still outstretched in a protective posture, but behind her, there was nothing at all.

The magnificent royal robe, a symbol of royal power, lay silently on the ground, having lost its owner and its meaning.

She stared blankly at the empty space, her purple pupils dimming completely, as if her soul had been ripped away.

Tears fell silently, soaking her clothes, but they brought her no response.

Lynn's gaze slowly swept across the hall.

The middle-aged queen had long since succumbed to her injuries and collapsed unconscious on the cold ground, her plump body motionless; only Astrid remained kneeling there, her eyes vacant, as if the whole world had frozen at the moment Jess disappeared.

Lynn walked up to her, bent down, and gently lifted her fair chin with his slender fingers, forcing her to look up and meet his calm eyes.

His purple eyes were filled with despair and an instinctive evasiveness.

Astrid's body trembled slightly as she saw that face so close to hers, still as handsome as ever, and she finally began to sob softly.

There was no hysteria, no threat of suicide, just a feeling of suppressed despair and brokenness, as if even the strength to cry had been drained away.

Lynn's expression remained calm throughout.

He was not angry because of her earlier obstruction, nor did he pursue the matter of her "overstepping".

Just speak lightly:
"Let's go back to the temple of life."

“After some time, I will have Helen come here to choose the next king.”

As soon as he finished speaking, a dazzling yet gentle golden light descended from the void, enveloping Lynn and Astrid together.

The light shimmered and then vanished.

Inside the main hall, only the unconscious queen and the royal robe that had lost all meaning remained.

………………

A few days later.

Inside the Temple of Life, in the Wizard's Tower.

Lynn casually leaned back on the sofa, her legs dangling over the edge of the table, her posture relaxed and composed.

In his right hand, a piece of Void Reflection Moss, sealed by a crystal ball, floated quietly, its faint glow flowing between the crystal walls. His gaze was fixed on it, focused and calm.

At that moment, light and rhythmic footsteps came from inside the tower.

Lynn didn’t even need to turn around to know who it was.

Beverly, the head maid of the Temple of Life, quietly approached him from behind.

She wore a dark black velvet gown that trailed on the ground without appearing cumbersome. The cut was extremely form-fitting, perfectly outlining the slender curves unique to elves.

Her neckline was slightly open, revealing a glimpse of snow-white skin and a hint of cleavage. A snow-white silk apron was tied around her waist, with subtle and exquisite patterns on it.

White stockings encased her straight, slender legs, and her little leather shoes made almost no sound.

She stood behind Lynn, her hands clasped in front of her abdomen, her posture respectful and quiet.

Her long, silvery hair cascaded down her shoulders, highlighting her flawless profile, making her look like a meticulously crafted work of art.

"master."

Beverly handed over a glass of already prepared black beverage, its liquid shimmering with tiny sparkles, like sealed-away starlight.

"Miss Astrid hasn't been in a good mood lately; she seems rather sullen."

She parted her red lips slightly, her voice low and tinged with a hint of probing.

"It's understandable that she'd be sad about what happened to Master Jess."

Beverly paused, her tone becoming even gentler, "If you want to cheer Miss Astrid up, perhaps the master... could give her a real child."

She glanced at Lynn, then quickly lowered her gaze, as if carefully choosing her words.

"Speaking of which, it's been a long time since the master and Miss Astrid's wedding... she hasn't been touched by anyone. So much time has passed..."

Lynn took the drink, took a small sip, and his expression remained unchanged. Then, he glanced at Beverly and said in a flat tone:

"Some people will come to visit here in a while."

"Since you have so much free time, why don't you clean the inside of the tower again, so as not to tarnish the dignity of the Temple of Life?"

Upon hearing this, Beverly's face fell immediately, but she dared not say anything more and could only obediently bow.

"Yes, sir."

She left with light, delicate steps, her skirt swaying gently, and soon disappeared into the corridors of the wizard's tower. (End of Chapter)