Ancient Wizards: A Little Progress Every Day

A gentle breeze rustled the leaves.

Dago, shirtless with his robes pulled down to his waist, sat cross-legged under the Blood Tree of the Prisoner God and spoke calmly.

"That's fine."

Bernal nodded without saying anything, picked up a half-foot-long bone needle from the mobile workbench beside him, dipped it in a ceramic dish filled with a dark red unidentified solution, and then began to carve it little by little on Dago's body.

The process is somewhat like tattooing; the tip of the bone needle slightly pierces Dago's skin, and then a special medicine is gently injected into the syringe.

When the entire "tattooing" process was over, a large upside-down tree pattern appeared on Dargo's chest and abdomen.

Bernal was also covered in sweat; the seemingly simple steps were actually not easy for him.

Without even wiping away his sweat, Bernal quickly handed Dago something that looked like a beetle. "Don't swallow it, keep it under your tongue."

Following his instructions, Dago put the brownish-yellow beetle into his mouth, gently pressing it down with his tongue, and could feel the beetle struggling under his tongue.

At this moment, the Bernal people were already standing under the Blood Tree of the Imprisoning God, holding the same bone needles, and busy working on the trunk of the Blood Tree of the Imprisoning God.

Following similar steps as before, once the same pattern was completed, Bernal took out a dagger and forcefully stabbed it into the trunk of the Blood Tree of the Prisoner God. The tree seemed to be in pain, and its branches and leaves trembled violently.

Bernal then took the opportunity to crush a bright green beetle, smearing the remains and juice onto the trunk of the Blood Tree of the Imprisoned God.

"Now."

He gave a low shout, and upon hearing this, Dago pressed his tongue down, causing the beetle's body beneath his tongue to explode instantly, filling his mouth with a sweet and slightly bitter taste.

The bursting beetle's body seemed to melt, turning into a stream of heat that flowed down Dago's throat.

At the same time, Dago felt as if countless ants were wriggling on the surface of his body. He immediately released control of his muscles, and in an instant, the countless "ants" crawled into his muscles.

From an observer's perspective, one can see that the pattern of the upside-down tree on Dago's body is fading rapidly, as is the Blood Tree of the Prisoner God. The wound that Bernal had previously stabbed him with his knife is also healing quickly.

Dago felt an unbearable itch all over his body, as if countless ants were marching deeper into his flesh and bones.

Suddenly, it felt like something was gripping my heart tightly!

Dago's eyelids twitched slightly before slowly drooping.

It was like a fiery spark landing on the petals of my heart, then a second, then a third.

Dago saw his skin turn red at a visible speed, like a branding iron gradually heating up under a flame. The stinging heat gathered on the surface of his heart, branding it in little by little.

"Whoosh—whoosh—"

He could hear the sound of blood flowing through his veins, all the blood in his body rushing towards his heart, and the life force sphere in his body releasing a large amount of life force, constantly and rapidly producing blood.

A beam of red light shot out from the heart, striking the Blood Tree of the Prisoner God before them, perfectly aligning with the pattern on the tree trunk.

A mysterious passage has been established.

"Buzz—"

A strange energy, crimson with wisps of gold, flowed continuously into Dago's body through the void passage.

This energy was like a clear stream, as if the burning heart was quickly "cooled down," the burning pain subsided, and something seemed to be rapidly taking shape with the coolness.

"call--"

When it was all over, Dago slowly exhaled a breath of stale air.

Looking down at himself, he saw that the tattoo of the upside-down tree on his skin had completely disappeared, restoring his original fair and smooth appearance.

However, the heart inside the chest cavity had an additional layer of pale golden light membrane on its exterior. On the surface of the heart, there was a pattern of the Blood Tree of the Imprisoning God, which seemed to be shrunk countless times. Some blood flowed rapidly along this pattern, forming a complex yet harmonious cycle.

"Divine Tree Formation"

Dago touched the spot on his heart, lost in thought.

Looking up, the Blood Tree of the Imprisoned God was several times weaker than before. The ground beneath it was covered with withered and fallen leaves, as if it had just undergone a "bloodline purification" ritual beyond its capabilities, resulting in severe damage to its vital energy.

Dago stood up and gently stroked the trunk of the Blood Tree of the Imprisoned God, a sense of guilt rising in his heart.

The Blood Tree of Imprisonment was so obedient and sensible that it was heartbreaking, and in turn, it comforted him with its withered branches and leaves.

"Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere?"

Bernal approached Dago and asked him a question, holding a notebook in his hand ready to be taken down at any time.

Dago tried to draw upon the power of his physical body and bloodline, shook his head, and replied, "Aside from a slight feeling of 'weakness,' everything else is fine."

"That's good."

Bernal's expression relaxed slightly as he scribbled in his notebook, instructing him: "The magic circle itself is relatively fragile. When fighting, try to avoid being directly attacked in the heart. Once the magic circle is damaged, I don't know what the consequences will be."

Theoretically, the energy from the Blood Tree of Imprisonment stored within the magic array can sustain its operation for about five years. After five years, regardless of whether the calculations are successful or not, you'd better come back.

As Bernal spoke, he turned to look at the "spiritually withered" Blood Tree of the Imprisoned God, and frowned as he said, "I deliberately let it draw most of its energy to you, in order to curb its rapid growth for a period of time."

However, once these long-lived species survive, their growth rate will only increase rapidly, like a snowball rolling downhill.

I don't know if this place can last for five years.

Bernal shook his head and said, "Anyway, just remember to keep an eye out for suitable transplant sites. Once it grows, it will benefit both you and me."

"I see."

Dago slowly put his robe back on, and a black metal, writhing like a living thing, flew out from his sleeve and hovered in front of Bernal.

Its name is Titanium.

Dago looked at Bernal and calmly said, "It can continuously evolve its rank by absorbing other metals."

Bernal looked slightly taken aback, a moment of disorientation flashing in his eyes.

At this moment, he seemed to recall the scene when he handed "Nightmare Tungsten Steel" to Dargo, who was only a first-level wizard at the time.

Bernal neither refused nor thanked him, but simply nodded and accepted the italt that Dago had given him.

After the symptoms of soul decay were relieved, Bernal's strength could continue to grow, and he once again had the opportunity to climb higher. He did indeed need a suitable metal-based magic medium.

"I'm gone."

"Um."

Bernal calmly watched Dago leave until his figure completely disappeared at the entrance, then walked alone to the lab bench and busied himself as usual.