Ancient Wizards: A Little Progress Every Day

Dago shook his head. "Where should I look for you next?"

The giant green-flame face spoke, "Wait for me where you are. I will find you."

After saying that, the giant face exploded, turning into countless green sparks that dissipated into nothingness.

The flames on the ground went out, and since Evaque had told him to wait where he was, he stayed there.

To be honest, Dago was new to the central region and unfamiliar with the area. If Evaque had simply given him an address and told him to go there on his own, he would have frowned.

Before he came, Farin from the Arcane Workshop gave him a map of the central continent, but it was very simple, only marking the territories of a few super-large wizarding forces.

—The Emerald Court, the Pendulum of Fate, and Tangista.

These are the three wizarding empires of the central continent.

The Emerald Court is roughly elliptical, the Pendulum of Fate is triangular, and Tangista resembles a coiled serpent. The three empires stand in a triangular formation on the map, with blank areas separating each other. At the center of the three empires lies an unknown void.

Dago's current location should be in a mountain range on the southern edge of the central continent, very close to the Emerald Court, but he couldn't find the address of the "Omnipotent Magic Ring" on the map.

Dago stored the conspicuous airship into his spatial ring, lit a campfire, and then caught some river fish in the creek.

There was a type of fish that was about two fingers long and half a finger wide, with light purple scales. He didn't know its name and had never seen it in the south before, but it was extremely delicious and was a top choice whether grilled or used in soup.

Third-ring wizards are not completely transcendent and still need to eat regularly. Dago ate dry rations for half a year on the airship and rarely got to taste the deliciousness of fresh ingredients.

The aroma of the river fish attracted several waves of wild beasts and magical creatures, but they were all scared away by the aura that Dago exuded.

Before we knew it, the sun had set and the stars and moon filled the night sky.

Beside the stream, amidst the murmuring of the flowing water, Dago gently wiped the corner of his lips by the moonlight, stood up, and beneath his robes lay a small mountain of fish bones.

He caught almost all the purple-scaled fish in this stream today, and it will probably take some time before it returns to its former liveliness.

Dago had originally intended to practice meditation and test the newly constructed [Spiral Palace] secret technique when, under the huge full moon above his head, a dark shadow flew rapidly toward him.

He squinted and saw that it was a flock of black-bodied, white-headed owls. As he got closer, he saw the dense swarm of owls gather in one place, and finally transform into a strong human figure that quietly landed in front of him.

"May all spirits protect you, my friend."

Evaque performed an ancient ritual to Dago, opening his arms to embrace him warmly.

Dago returned the courtesy. He was somewhat surprised that Evaque had arrived so quickly; he had been prepared to wait here for half a month or even longer.

"Thank you again for keeping our appointment, Dago."

Evaque's eyes were pure, and his words were sincere. He was completely different from the domineering and arrogant man he was during the Wizards' draft. Perhaps this was his true self.

"I should be thanking you."

Dago shook his head. Whether it was the mysterious finger bone that Evaque gave him to conceal his soul aura or the guidance he received on his soul, both were of immense help to him.

"There's no need to say these things between friends."

Evaque smiled as he looked Dago up and down, a strange light flickering in his eyes. "Your soul's problems are almost perfectly resolved; you've become stronger than you were a year ago."

"If I can successfully pass this trial, I might be able to resolve the remaining issues you have."

Dago's expression shifted slightly; he knew what Evaque was referring to—Beheilite's remaining will!

Although he used various means to "send" most of Behelight's revived will to the Great Ice Serpent, as long as Behelight's bloodline still flowed in his veins and he continued to use that power, Behelight's will could not be completely extinguished within him.

This has always been a problem that has been troubling him, but he has no good solution. The ancient spirit shaman is an expert in the way of the soul, and Evaque might really have a way to solve it.

"Let's go."

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Evaque gestured for Dago to set off, saying, "The nearest entrance to the Temple of Souls isn't far from here; we should be able to enter in time for the next full moon..."

Dago nodded, and the two set off under the cover of night.

Evaqui was much more familiar with the central continent than Dago, but only relative to Dago. He also knew very little about the three great wizarding empires and other large wizarding forces.

Evaque explained, "I spend most of my time in the central continent wandering outside the areas under my control. With our strength, we would only be considered at the bottom in the central region."

"Before I officially gain the approval of all spirits, I dare not fully expose myself to the sights of any major powers..."

Dago expressed his understanding, noting that the Spirit Witches had caused great turmoil in the wizarding world in ancient times, and it was hard to guarantee that there weren't any grudges against them among the current wizarding forces. After all, the Central Region was not like the South, where the Fourth Ring Miracle could practically do whatever one wanted.

From Evaque's words, it is clear that even fourth-circle wizards are quite common in the Central Region.

They might not even qualify as powerful figures; they could only be described as having considerable strength, barely qualifying them to travel the continent.

This is a bigger stage.

A faint sense of anticipation arose in Dago's heart.

The two wandered through the mountains, venturing deeper into the wilderness, and finally arrived at the entrance to the Temple of the Souls that Evaque had mentioned at noon on the fifth day.

"This is it."

Pushing aside the layers of gnarled vines, a damp, slightly rotten smell wafted towards them. Evaque led Dago to a certain place.

This was a small swamp, filled with withered branches and leaves, as well as the carcasses of wild animals that had drowned there, some fresh and some rotting.

"There are still three days until the full moon."

Evaque looked up at the sky and said to Dago, "I need to make some preparations. You can rest for a bit."

Dago nodded, and then he saw Evaque step into the swamp alone.

Completely disregarding the filth and stench, he allowed the filthy mud to cover his entire body, and with a solemn and devout expression, he picked up a half-rotten bird carcass covered in maggots from the swamp, and then walked step by step back to the dry shore.

Evaque murmured ancient prayers as he gently placed the bird carcass on the ground, emanating an inexplicable aura of holiness, as if he were performing a special ritual.