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

Fear stems from the unknown.

The madness and distortion of the ancient gods represent the deepest unknown.

It's like an inextinguishable, chaotic flame that devours all reason, leaving people unable to even form fear, only to collapse and lose their way.

In contrast, the wizarding civilization is an extremely rational faction.

The unknown is not an enemy, but a specimen to be dissected; the unknowable is merely a resource that has not yet been disassembled, archived, or quantified.

Ancient god civilizations and wizard civilizations inherently possess a relationship of mutual generation and restraint.

Like water and fire: too much water will extinguish the fire; too much fire will evaporate the water.

With Lynn, a fourth-level Morning Star wizard, in charge, the third-level beings under his command seemed to surge like an endless sea under his guidance.

The original flame, corrupted by the ancient god, was intensely hot and enormous, seemingly capable of evaporating all moisture.

But with Lynn's presence, the "water" suddenly increased dramatically, to the point that the flames could no longer burn it or evaporate it.

Conversely, the massive amount of water began to backfire, gradually engulfing and extinguishing the flames.

The current battlefield is the best illustration of this.

At the command of the great wizard Nolan, the wizards who had been waiting in the depths of the wizard camp moved in unison.

The low hum of the otherworldly purification device suddenly rose, like countless silver needles piercing the heavens and earth.

The power of the device expanded outwards like a tidal wave, quickly covering the entire basin and wasteland, and even encompassing hundreds of infected believers of the gods.

The rules of heaven and earth began to distort and then correct themselves.

All those bizarre movements, maddening babbling, and strange phenomena that are impossible to look at or touch, and that would shatter one's sanity if one got too close, were suppressed, diluted, and stripped away.

The grayish-purple mist receded, the tentacles slowed their wriggling, and the geometric patterns were forcibly straightened, emitting a faint "clicking" sound, as if a high-dimensional gear had been jammed and forced back to three dimensions.

Those infected finally lost their initial "unmanageable" status; they were no longer ghosts that could not be hit, touched, or passively attacked.

They became "accessible" again.

The great wizard Nolan gave a low shout and flipped his palm outward.

"Shadow Entanglement!"

"Fel Sphere!"

"A thousand ghostly shadows!"

In an instant, shadows, like long, slender vines, surged forth densely, layer upon layer;

One after another, jet-black spheres appeared, floating and moving like ball lightning;
Countless ghostly figures swayed and rustled, leaving long afterimages in the air, sending chills down one's spine.

Various offensives are poised to be launched.

The Crimson Serpent Throne followed closely behind, providing support for Nolan.

call out!
The Crimson Serpent launched a fierce attack, its divine patterns on crimson scales seemingly scorched repeatedly by flames, leaving a scorching and sharp trail, moving so fast that it almost left afterimages.

It intertwines with Nolan's shadows, fel energy, and ghostly presence, transforming into destructive torrents that suddenly surge towards the infected believers of the gods.

The air on the battlefield was finally no longer so sticky, no longer so eerily suffocating.

Under the full coverage of the otherworldly purification device, the grayish-purple mist seemed to have been drained of moisture and quickly receded.

Those whispers, wriggling tentacles, and geometric distortions that originally drove people to the brink of madness all seemed to have been forcibly pressed into a mold, becoming dull, rigid, and understandable.

Rumble!
Nolan's shadow vines, fel spheres, and ghostly shadows intertwined with the scorching crimson scales of the Crimson Serpent, slamming solidly into the infected knights.

The leading paladin and his squad of knights finally lost their initial eerie and unapproachable aura.

The tentacles were torn apart, but no blood spurted from the cuts, only empty, hollowed-out grayish-purple cavities were revealed; the flesh was ripped open, but the cracks contained not flesh and blood, but layers upon layers of emptiness, as if a piece of reality itself had been scooped out.

Under the suppression of the purifying light, those frantic limbs struggled more and more weakly, their movements degenerating from "high-dimensional leakage" to simple "deformation".

Lynn's clone stood with his hands behind his back in mid-air, his eyes calm as still water.

"With the interdimensional purification device, my subordinates can finally have a real impact on these ancient gods' corrupted followers... and it seems there's an unexpected bonus."

He originally thought that after stripping away those "Cthulhu" elements, these guys would at least retain their original fighting strength.

For example, that paladin was already at the demigod level, between the third and fourth levels of the Great Perfection. With just his physical body and divine power, he could go toe-to-toe with Nolan and the Red Serpent Throne.

But now it seems that things are far from that simple.

The infection and erosion by the energy of the ancient gods did indeed grant them a surge in power and bizarre methods, but at the same time, it also took away something more essential.

Once those distorted fragments of rules are forcibly stripped and calibrated by the purification device, their strength decreases instead of increases, falling from "high-dimensional vassals" back to "deformed mortals".

Thus, the two pure level three beings, Archmage Nolan and the Throne of the Crimson Abyss, were able to overpower this paladin who was "between level three and four"!

On the battlefield, the offensive was relentless. The paladin's crimson armor had been torn open with several huge rips. He tried to raise his longsword to fight back, but found that his arm was half a beat too slow, as if it were being held back by invisible shackles.

The knight squad's tentacles waved wildly, but could only produce faint "crackling" sounds in the purification light, like cheap porcelain breaking apart.

Lynn's eyes flickered slightly, and a smile curved at the corner of his mouth.

"Interesting... The gifts of the ancient gods are a double-edged sword. While bestowing madness, they also silently erode the host's 'anchor point'. Once the anchor point is removed, they degenerate from 'monsters' into 'crippled' beings."

At the same time, everything that happened in the Spirit Eye plane was being clearly projected onto the Wizarding World, the Temple of Life, and the top of Lynn's Wizard Tower through the Stargate projection.

Lynn stood with his hands behind his back before the Star Gate, while Hedley sat to the side, and Tina's mental fluctuations within the bracelet rippled slightly.

Tina's voice came from it:
"According to the records of our Rogers family, these bizarre methods are not so easily suppressed in the ancient god civilization..."

"Only an ancient god can fight against another ancient god. The only way to resist the distortion of an ancient god's energy is often to submit to and accept the energy of another ancient god."

"But this process... on the surface, it seems to get rid of the invasion of one ancient god, but in reality, it is equivalent to actively throwing oneself into the arms of another equally powerful ancient god. Over time, it is only a matter of time before one's rationality completely collapses and one becomes an unspeakable monster."

"The 'enhancement' of ancient god civilizations is never a free gift. It's more like a slow parasite; the stronger they become, the more dependent they are; the more dependent they are, the more insane they become. In the end, even their 'self' will be completely devoured."

In the projection, the paladin finally let out a low, inhuman roar. The roar was no longer a murmur, but a pure, hollow echo filled with despair.

His body began to crack, and instead of tentacles, wisps of grayish-purple smoke oozed from the cracks, as if his soul was being slowly extracted.

Nolan's shadow vines seized the opportunity to entwine, and the Crimson Abyss Serpent bit into his shoulder armor, tearing a large hole in it.

Upon hearing this, Lynn's eyes suddenly lit up.

This ancient god civilization is none other than a Cthulhu-themed civilization.

It's tricky, troublesome, and quite bizarre, and it takes far more effort to deal with than it seems on the surface.

Despite the fact that he and his subordinates seemed to have easily found a way to counter and break through the Spirit Eye dimension, they were not fooled.

Once the otherworldly purification device was activated, the eerie elements were suppressed, and those corrupted knights instantly fell from "untouchable ghosts" to "tearable remains".

But in reality, this is just a facade.

The ancient god energy carried by the infected paladin was relatively fragile to begin with.

Once the purification device was applied, the modified rules of heaven and earth acted like a fine net, gradually stitching together and straightening the cracks that had leaked from higher dimensions.

He only revealed his weakness, which is why he was overwhelmed by Nolan and the Crimson Abyss Serpent.

But what about that god who has been corrupted by the energy of the ancient gods for so long?

That was a genuine Level 4 being, who had completely merged into the origin of the world, and whose status was frighteningly high.

The eerie phenomena he exudes must far surpass those of these knights; perhaps the entire plane's sky will "bleed," time will "breathe backward," and the chain of cause and effect will drift aimlessly like a kite with a broken string.

No matter how powerful the interdimensional purification device is, it's impossible to instantly transform the entire Spirit Eye plane into a mirror image of the Wizarding World.

Unless the universe and all things are completely reshaped, those elements that cause people to lose their reason at a glance and twist their soul at a touch will probably be impossible to control.

Tina's sudden mention of the ancient god's energy was clearly for this reason.

Within the ancient god civilization, the simplest and most direct way to counter the energy of one ancient god is often to ally with another ancient god, allowing the two energies to tear at each other, clash, and consume each other.

However, they are currently on a dimensional expedition, and in the Spirit Eye Dimension, there is currently only one source of infection from the ancient god's energy.

The easiest shortcut is to throw in another ancient god's energy and let them fight like dogs.

But this was clearly wishful thinking. Where would Lynn find another ancient god's energy? Moreover, he himself didn't want to get involved with that kind of thing. Once entangled, the consequences would be even more terrible than infection.

Since there are no shortcuts, we can only take the most tedious, time-consuming, and safest path.

Using the otherworldly purification device, the rules of heaven and earth are gradually corrected.

With the assistance of the world's will, the progress will be faster.

However, completely "wizarding" this plane and reshaping it into a rational, stable, and quantifiable environment like the wizarding world is still a long and arduous process.

Fortunately, there's no need to wait for a complete correction.

Lynn and Tina, the two Morning Star wizards, working together, only need to correct half of the world's rules. That would significantly weaken the distortion of the Kryptonian elements and prevent those indescribable things from leaking out unchecked, and that would be enough.

By then, most of the bizarre methods will be dismantled, and the advantage of infecting deities will be greatly diminished.

With the World Will's defection and assistance, the two Morning Star Wizards should have little trouble killing a "half-crippled" Level 4 Infected.

Lynn's gaze fell on the battlefield in the projection. The paladin's body had cracked under the purification light, and the gray-purple smoke was being drawn away little by little like a soul.

"In that case, it seems you two will be staying here for quite some time..."

Outside the Star Gate, Lynn spoke softly and calmly.

He and Tina are both Morning Star Wizards.

Although Tina has transformed into a soul and resides in the bracelet, her vision remains broad and insightful.

Based on a small victory in a local battle, the two of them were able to grasp the true essence of the entire interdimensional expedition.

For the Morningstar Wizards, the clash of civilizations and the expansion of planes are never decided by a single battle.

A single local clash can at most be an inspiration, a test, or a sample used to calibrate the global strategy.

Take, for example, the battle between Archmage Nolan and the Serpent Throne of the Crimson Abyss against that infected paladin.

Does Lynn care? Of course she does.

This was the first battle of the interdimensional expedition. The opponent made the first move, sending a group of knights corrupted by the Old Gods.

He simply analyzed the enemy's characteristics, countered their moves, solved their problems, and casually pointed out to his subordinates how to respond.

But that's about it.

A single major victory is far from sufficient to indicate the course of the entire war.

Nolan and his team working together to eliminate hundreds of infected knights does not mean they can sweep through the enemy lines.

On the contrary, the feedback the two Morning Star Wizards received from this localized clash dramatically increased the difficulty of the Plane Expedition by several levels.

What was initially thought to be an "easy victory" now appears to be many times more difficult.

Therefore, Lynn said those seemingly casual but actually heavy words to Tina and Hadley:
"In that case, it seems you two will be staying here for quite some time..."

Upon hearing this, Hedley gave a wry smile. Tina's mental fluctuations within the bracelet trembled slightly, followed by her self-deprecating chuckle.

“It’s alright… We’ve been hunted by the Rogers family for so long, and now that we’ve finally arrived at the Temple of Life of the Green Forest Wizard, we finally have a place to stay, a place to catch our breath and recuperate…”

"As long as Qinglin Wizard doesn't find us in the way, it's a good thing for him to stay here and recover."

Her voice conveyed genuine ease, yet also carried a hint of helplessness.

Of course, everything comes at a price.

Their extended stay here has given them a chance to catch their breath. But what's the price?
The Rogers family's pursuit likely follows the clues all the way, crossing the Forgestone's sphere of influence, and heading straight for the Temple of Life.

Once the pursuers arrive, Lynn and the entire temple will be drawn into this feud.

Getting into trouble will bring you down with you.

Lynn stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze fixed on the slowly closing crack outside the Starry Sky Gate.

In the projection, the lingering smoke of the battlefield had not completely dissipated, like wisps of grayish-white sighs, entwined around the edge of the silver-white magic circle.

"I wouldn't say I dislike it."

"However... the Rogers family's pursuers are still on your trail. If you stay here too long, they will eventually find you by following their scent."

He paused, glancing sideways at Hadley, then at the subtle fluctuations in Tina's mental state reflected in the bracelet.

"However, there's no need to worry in the near future; they probably won't dare to come here..."

Tina and Hadley instantly understood the implied meaning. They exchanged a glance, and Hadley spoke first, his voice low:

"But... has something terrible happened, Qinglin Wizard?"

Lynn didn't hide anything and spoke softly:
"Not long ago, when the Star Gate was connecting to the Spirit Eye plane, a small wisp of black smoke carrying ancient god energy was brought in... It was detected by the massive array that patrols the wizarding world along the way."

"Just now, a law enforcement wizard I've been in contact with sent me a message confirming this."

Ancient god energy—that's a trace of a higher civilization.

Even a mere wisp of residue appearing on the Wizarding World's homeland is enough to put the Wizarding Council on high alert.

Not long after all this, a law enforcement wizard contacted Lynn, which shows how serious the situation was.

As for that "law enforcement wizard friend," it was naturally Ald.

But what Lynn really wanted to say was not the matter itself, but the second half of the sentence.

“I also reported the situation here to that law enforcement wizard, who will then report it to the council… and at the end of the conversation, he reminded me of something.”

Lynn's gaze sharpened slightly, and his voice lowered by a fraction:

"At the border between the Black Wizards and the White Wizards... at the end of the Atlas Mountains lies the Red Swamp. Beyond the Red Swamp lies the Nightmare Rift."

As soon as she finished speaking, Tina's mental fluctuations in the bracelet suddenly trembled.

Although she was being chased and was in a terrible state, she still heard about the major events in the Southern Region: the Nightmare Rift Valley, a forbidden area that the council had designated as the highest alert zone.

Ever since the Meteor Council took control of the Rift Valley, the Wizard Council has been sending people to "suppress bandits."

But more than 30 years have passed, and the situation remains deadlocked.

The Meteor Council held firm like a turtle, refusing to come out, while the Morning Star Wizards sent by the Wizard Council took turns attacking, but they still couldn't break through that tough nut.

In a tug-of-war of this magnitude, it's naturally impossible to deploy His Majesty the Moon.

After all, this is an "internal affair" within the wizarding world, and His Majesty the Moon is not allowed to take action. The Wizarding Council cannot use this as a pretext to mobilize or invite His Majesty the Moon.

As a result, many Morning Star wizards privately thought the same thing as Tina: Could it be that the Meteor Council plans to retreat for hundreds of years?
But when Lynn suddenly brought it up, Tina's heart sank.

Nightmare Rift Valley... things seem to have changed.

She took a deep breath, suppressing her emotions, and listened quietly as Lynn continued.

"Just half a month ago, something big happened in Nightmare Rift Valley."

"More than thirty Morning Star Wizard Councilors who entered the Rift to suppress bandits have died... and the Rift has unleashed power exceeding the level six Morning Star realm."

Tina's pupils suddenly contracted.

"Beyond the Morning Star Realm...that's the power of the Radiant Moon level?!"

She blurted it out instinctively, her voice trembling with disbelief.

"Could it be... that the former master of the Nightmare Rift has returned?"

She denied the speculation as soon as she finished speaking.

wrong.

If it really is His Majesty the Radiant Moon returning, wouldn't it be enough to just wipe out the remnants of the Meteor Council in the Rift Valley?

Why kill the Morning Star Wizard who came to suppress the bandits? That doesn't make sense.

Lynn shook his head slightly, his voice still calm, but with a rare hint of solemnity:

"The power at the Radiant Moon level does indeed originate from within the Rift Valley. But that power... while reaching level seven, does not entirely belong to the wizarding system."

Tina gasped, instantly understanding Lynn's meaning.

Level 7 existence of other civilizations.

Moreover, it was a level seven power that erupted on the Wizarding World's home turf, right under the nose of the Council.

This is no longer just a "major event in the Southern Region"; it is a core-level crisis that is enough to shake the entire Southern Region of the Wizarding World.

Countless thoughts flashed through her mind in an instant:

The Wizarding Council will undoubtedly treat this matter as a top priority. In fact, not only the Council, but also the four great furnaces and four towers—these Moon-level forces—will immediately turn their attention there.

The entire Southern Region's attention will be firmly pinned to the Nightmare Rift Valley.

When such a major event occurs, all non-Radiant Moon forces would rather stay away than approach rashly.

Lynn's Temple of Life is not far from Nightmare Rift Valley, so the Rogers family naturally dared not approach it during this time.

Even if they discover Tina's whereabouts, they probably wouldn't dare to approach rashly, meaning Tina and the others are safe for the time being.

Before dealing with the strange Level 7 being in the Nightmare Rift, they were able to stay safely in the Hall of Life. (End of Chapter)