Full-Time Magister: The Strongest Summoned Beast is Actually Myself

Chapter 152, Crossing the Black Storm

Nan Jue smiled slightly and turned to the group, saying, "Let's move forward."

The group then stepped into the orange-red land of the Gobi Valley. On the stone walls on both sides, the Forbidden Moon Stone Demons, half-embedded in the rock strata, seemed to be lost in a dream, showing no further movement.

Following their previous strategy, the group cautiously continued their advance. After walking four or five hundred meters, the Gobi Valley gradually ceased to be a straight path and began to feature winding, narrow trails. In some places, the trails were so narrow that it was difficult for two people to walk side by side, requiring the temporary deployment of jamming devices to clear the way.

The deeper they went into the valley, the stronger the aura of the Forbidden Moon Stone Demons slumbering in the rock walls became. Several times, when the instrument frequency was slightly off, a faint resonance echoed throughout the valley, as if those enormous demons were about to burst out of the rock walls, which frightened everyone into breaking out in a cold sweat.

"Has anyone noticed..." Chen Hao suddenly spoke, his eyes scanning the surroundings thoughtfully, "This place is actually a natural sacred ground for earth elements."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Manyan closed his eyes in meditation with a mixture of belief and doubt, mobilizing the earth elemental stardust within his body to sense it. He then opened his eyes, his expression strange, and said, "Holy crap... you're absolutely right. The efficiency of cultivating earth elemental magic here is more than ten times faster than outside!"

"Didn't you say you didn't have any earth elemental abilities? How did you find out?" Jiang Shaoxu looked at Chen Hao suspiciously.

"I have plenty of treasures," Chen Hao grinned, his tone flippant. "If you're interested, come to my room tonight, and I'll tell you all about my treasures—"

"Get lost!! You stupid dog of a man, you animal driven by your lower body!" Jiang Shaoxu cursed mercilessly, her face slightly flushed.

Chen Hao didn't bother to reply, but his gaze fell on this sacred land as he secretly plotted in his mind.

Such a rich concentration of earth elemental energy likely indicates the presence of other resources, especially given the presence of so many Forbidden Moon Stone Demons. Elemental demons often appear alongside elemental mineral veins.

Unfortunately, the density of demons here is extremely high, and the Forbidden Moon Stone Demons are everywhere in the valley. It is basically impossible to develop this holy land by one's own efforts. Even a super-level mage cannot do it. The only way is to rely on the military or a large-scale magic organization to settle in.

But that would mean far less profit, and besides, people might not even be interested...

The magical world is full of elemental veins, especially in backward countries and territories. The development costs here outweigh the benefits, so naturally no one bothers to do it.

"This... I'll have to go back and discuss it with Zhao Manyan to see if he can act as a go-between," Chen Hao thought to himself.

……

Time passed slowly, and the group finally emerged from the terrifying Gobi Valley.

When they stepped onto the vast land outside, a sense of relief was written all over their faces. The mountain walls on both sides were no longer oppressive, the sky above them was open again, and the suffocating oppressive feeling of the Forbidden Moon Stone Demon was no longer in the air.

"If we go another four kilometers, we should be able to reach the location of the storm," Nan Jue said while adjusting the instruments.

The group quickened their pace, advancing along the gradually opening terrain. The further they went, the flatter the land became, but the magical elements in the air grew increasingly chaotic, as if a lurking ancient beast were hidden ahead.

At this moment, Chen Hao also felt a strong resonance with the Condensed Evil Pearl—the source of this power was extremely close!

"Look ahead!" Mo Fan suddenly shouted, pointing into the distance.

Everyone looked up and saw a dark gray hurricane shooting straight into the sky at the horizon, like a black dragon soaring into the sky!

That scene was absolutely breathtaking!
The hurricane was like a living creature, its dragon-like body constantly churning the ground, stirring up dust and sand wherever it passed, accompanied by howling winds. Even more terrifying was that within this pitch-black hurricane, purple-gold lightning danced and roared, chains of electricity like pythons winding and climbing within the columns of wind, sometimes exploding with a sound like heavenly drums!

The thick, hurricane-dragon-like structure stretched straight up to the heavens and earth, its tip even connecting with the thick thunderclouds, resembling an eye tearing through the sky. Its immense pressure caused everyone to involuntarily gasp in shock!
"Is this really the place we're looking for? Maybe we should just give up." Zhao Manyan's legs trembled, and he was already considering backing down.

This time, no one mocked Zhao Manyan for being a coward anymore. Anyone who witnessed the hurricane dragon that met the heavens and earth couldn't utter a single sarcastic remark.

“No wonder no one comes to explore this ruined desert city…it turns out they’ve all been deterred by this terrifying hurricane.” Li Kaifeng spoke with his neck hunched, his voice trembling.

"I wouldn't be surprised if a monarch-level demon suddenly jumped out of here at any moment..." Mo Fan said stubbornly, but his eyes showed a hint of seriousness.

"Let's go, we're already here." Chen Hao said calmly, stepping forward.

The group exchanged glances, took a deep breath, and followed closely behind.

The black storm was close at hand, like a demon god slumbering between heaven and earth, its body churning with black clouds and purple lightning, its mouth roaring as if whispering ancient taboos.

Passing through the ruins and stepping into the core area of ​​the ruined city, one is surrounded by weathered and broken stone pillars, collapsed ancient walls and dried-up altars, a scene of desolation and decay.

The only thing that caught the eye was the astonishing black lightning storm!

Yellowish dust swirled in the air, carrying dry grass clippings and broken pebbles, which were constantly being drawn towards the storm by an invisible suction force.

Although the pulling force of this airflow was not fatal, equivalent to only a level 7 or 8 wind, it was not dangerous for most mages. However, the closer one got to the core of the storm, the stronger the oppressive feeling became. The air seemed to have turned into flowing blades, slightly cutting through every inch of exposed skin.

Apart from this colossal black wind pillar that shook the heavens and the earth, this ancient desert city was completely unremarkable.

There were no fragments of ancient magical artifacts, no unusual gathering of elements, and not even a guardian demon appeared.

After searching for most of the day, all they found were a pile of weathered and broken stones. Only Nan Jue found a few lines of ancient characters on some broken stone pillars and enthusiastically made rubbings of them.

"I feel like this place is a scam." Mo Fan kicked away a piece of gravel in frustration. "Apart from a huge pillar of wind, there's nothing there."

"What a pity, I was so excited, I thought there would be a soul seed." Zhao Manyan also looked disappointed.

Chen Hao remained standing still, watching the storm, his expression unwavering.

"Don't rush, maybe the best stuff is yet to come. I plan to keep going, what about you?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the air seemed to freeze for a moment.

"You mean, go into the lightning storm?" Jiang Shaoxu's eye twitched.

"Well, I can handle this storm," Chen Hao said.

"That's too risky. This is a lightning storm that's even more terrifying than high-level magic." Mu Ningxue frowned. Only wind-type mages knew how terrifying this was.

“It’s okay, if you don’t want to go, you can wait for us outside,” Chen Hao said.

"What are you talking about? Of course I'll agree with you." Mo Fan looked eager to try.

Zhao Manyan's face was pale, but he still gritted his teeth and said, "I'll go too! Count me in."

“This is a rare opportunity, and who knows, there might really be some treasure inside.” Nan Jue nodded. “Alright.” Jiang Shaoxu sighed, “They’re a bunch of lunatics. I’ll join them too.”

Seeing that everyone else was going, Li Kaifeng and Mu Ningxue, who were left behind, naturally had no objections.

"Let's go then." Chen Hao took a deep breath, moved swiftly, and took the lead in approaching the black wind and thunderstorm.

The roar of the storm grew clearer, like the howls of thousands of thunderous beasts or the wails of countless dead souls. Chains of purple-gold lightning raged in the wind, like pythons and snakes.

"Sizzle sizzle sizzle~~~~~~~Smack!!!"

A bolt of lightning suddenly struck down, almost grazing Mo Fan's head. Before the thunder roared, the lightning slammed into the footprints that had just been left behind him, instantly turning the ground black and sending wisps of smoke rising.

The gale was like countless sharp blades, stinging one's face. A few unruly strands of hair, barely lifted, were instantly swept away by the wind and disappeared.

Now, even if the group doesn't continue forward, the storm's currents already have enough suction to try and drag them deeper.

The group followed closely behind Chen Hao, slowly advancing towards the heart of the storm. The winds were now strong enough to tear ordinary servant-level monsters to shreds; even these high-level mages had to rely on powerful defensive magic to maintain their progress.

Chen Hao's gaze sharpened, and a dark golden contract mark suddenly shone on his body, as dazzling as the sun falling into the night, particularly striking under the pressure of the storm and lightning. He took a deep breath, and in his spiritual world, a huge, ferocious figure slowly opened its eyes.

"—Sun-devouring Spider Spirit, possess me!"

A beam of light rose from beneath his feet, followed by countless golden threads that spread rapidly along his skin, making his entire body appear as if draped in a radiant armor. Behind him, a semi-transparent spider-shaped phantom emerged, exuding a chilling aura, like a god looking down upon the mortal world!

At the same time, Chen Hao suddenly raised his arm, and golden light burst forth from his palm. Countless spider-like rays of light instantly intertwined to form a precise three-dimensional barrier, steadily enveloping the seven of them within it.

The wind howled like knives, and the lightning bolts lashed like snakes, but this golden spiderweb-like barrier remained firmly suspended in the storm like a stabilizing anchor. The violent forces from the outside world crashing against it could only generate ripples of light, unable to penetrate even a fraction of its depth.

"Let's go!" Chen Hao gave the order and took the lead.

The barrier moved with him, and everyone hid inside it, as if the power of the wind and thunder was blocked in another world. Each step took them deeper into the belly of the storm, and the further they went, the more deafening the thunder became. They could even see that the ground was scorched and cracked, covered with traces of lightning strikes.

The storm's power was enough to tear apart the bodies of warrior-level demons, and even high-level mages would find it difficult to escape unscathed without protection. However, Chen Hao's steps remained firm and unwavering.

He could sense that the power required by the Condensed Evil Pearl was deep within the storm.

The further in you go, the more frequent the lightning becomes. The deep yellow lightning crisscrosses in the wind, like whips that rip through the sky, frequently tearing through the chaotic wind curtain and weaving together a sinister and terrifying net of lightning, as if guarding some secret that cannot be seen.

"This is not right... The density of this lightning has exceeded the limits of nature!!!" Nan Jue suddenly stopped in his tracks, a look of alarm appearing in his eyes.

“It’s a restriction.” Chen Hao’s eyes shone brightly. “A lightning-type restriction… and an extremely ancient one at that.”

Everyone was taken aback, and Jiang Shaoxu's expression changed slightly: "A restriction? You mean... these aren't natural lightning bolts, but man-made restricted areas?"

“Not bad.” Chen Hao nodded. “This kind of deep yellow lightning is exactly the same as the one we encountered in Shuangshou Pavilion, only on a larger scale and with greater power.”

"As expected, the best things are always in the most dangerous places." A hint of excitement flashed in Mo Fan's eyes. "This restriction must be protecting some extremely important treasure!!!"

Hidden within the storm lies a restriction, and behind that restriction may be sealed a treasure from some ancient ruin—a clue that most ruin explorers dream of.

But then the questions arise: what kind of secret is worth covering up with such a terrifying hurricane? And who set up this cage of lightning here?
“This is indeed a very ancient lightning-based restriction technique.” Nan Jue’s eyes gradually became more intense. “I might be able to try to crack some of the outer structure. We must get closer.”

After saying that, she quickened her pace and walked to the front.

"You all move closer," Chen Hao suddenly reminded him, his tone slightly urgent. "I'm going to shrink the barrier's range."

The group quickly closed up their formation, almost touching each other.

The area of ​​the light barrier rapidly shrank, and its density increased by a level. The outer light filaments flickered even brighter, and even the lightning chains that occasionally struck could only stir up a few shallow arcs at the edge of the barrier.

Under Chen Hao's protection, the group successfully arrived at the restricted area filled with yellow lightning.

From the outside, the entire storm appears black, obscuring the color of the lightning and giving a sense of destruction. However, upon entering, one discovers that the truly dense lightning is actually caused by these yellow barriers.

"Can it be untied?" Mo Fan asked seriously.

A barrier is a wall made of aggressive magical energy, requiring several times its own strength to destroy. But it also has a door and a key; once you find the door and the key, the barrier isn't actually that terrifying or inaccessible.

“Sure, the ruins and broken walls of the ruins will give me some clues. It just will take some time,” Nan Jue replied earnestly.

Just as she was about to make her move, she heard Chen Hao speak calmly:
"Actually, I know a little about restrictions. Let me give it a try."

Everyone was taken aback and looked at him with surprise in their eyes.

"You can do this too?" Zhao Manyan couldn't help but mutter.

"Nonsense, have you forgotten that I am a formation master, although my skill level is only average..." Chen Hao smiled slightly and walked closer to the place where the lightning converged.

With a gentle lift of his finger, 343 bright stars in his spiritual world slowly rotated, their orbits connecting. A silvery-white spatial force swirled and appeared in his palm, like a mirror rippling with waves.

The next moment, his eyes became exceptionally focused, staring at the places within the barrier where lightning converged most frequently.

It was clearly impossible for him to break the restriction with his own array formation skills alone, but when he was making the wooden fish vessel that day, the system provided a lot of secret methods to break the restriction, which also included a lot of ideas about unblocking the restriction.

"Spatial Blade - Boundary Line!"

With a low shout, the silver light, as precise as a scalpel, instantly severed a delicate intersection point within the yellow lightning structure. The previously tightly locked lightning barrier suddenly trembled slightly, as if some kind of linkage mechanism had been loosened.

Immediately afterwards, Chen Hao spread his five fingers and pressed them down in the air!
"Spatial Nodes - Reorganization!"

An invisible wave rippled outwards, and a barely perceptible slit suddenly appeared in the very center of the yellow lightning net, just wide enough for one person to pass through.

"It's...it's untied!!!" Zhao Manyan's eyes widened.

(End of this chapter)