Ancient Wizards: A Little Progress Every Day

"...The core essence of a wizard's creation of a true spirit is to allow their own life form to more perfectly align with and conform to this vast natural universe."

"The Three Rings of Miracles, the gestation, birth, and continuous growth of the true spirit, are the sacred journey in which wizards take one step at a time, devoutly stepping into the temple of truth."

"During the three crucial accumulation stages of the fourth, fifth, and sixth rings, the laws of nature are your only mentor. All you need to do is, like a dried-up sponge, frantically absorb all the cosmic mysteries it imparts and reveals to you!"

"The level of your true spirit will directly and cruelly determine the extent of your exploration within the infinitely magnificent 'Temple of Truth' of the natural universe, as well as the level of authority you will possess."

"When you have completed the miraculous phase in your endless quest, the bell will ring to signal the end of your first glimpse of the whole truth. At this point, you will seamlessly fall into the next extreme phase filled with despair and hope—twilight."

Arahan's tone suddenly rose uncontrollably, carrying a penetrating power that struck straight to the soul.

"If you cannot forcefully break through the barriers of darkness before the eternal, silent night completely engulfs you, and usher in that immortal light that can illuminate eternity..."

At this point, Arahan's tone suddenly shifted dramatically, becoming incredibly desolate and heavy, like the lament of a hero at the end of his road:

"Then you can only watch helplessly as I am now, watching your soul be corroded by time, forever sinking and struggling in the despairing twilight, until even your bones are completely covered by the cold ashes of time."

Dago sat there, stunned, his pupils slightly contracted.

This was the first time since he embarked on the path of the wizard that he had so directly and profoundly felt the cruelty and coldness of the struggle for the Great Dao, yet at the same time he was deeply moved by the magnificent and tragic song that belonged only to seekers of the Dao.

A surge of intense emotions welled up within him, like a volcano about to erupt, yet he couldn't find the right words to express them.

Just as Dago was deeply moved, Arajan took a deep breath and continued slowly:

"The absolute end of a miracle is to strengthen and refine your true spirit to an unparalleled extreme, and then shatter it completely, perfectly merging it into your own bones and blood."

"Upon reaching the supreme realm of the seventh ring, the first and most crucial thing you need to do is—separate yourself from heaven and earth and create your own 'fundamental rune'!"

"Fundamental runes?"

Dago frowned slightly, keenly catching the key word.

"That's right, it's completely different from the common runes of heaven and earth you usually encounter. The fundamental rune represents 'you' yourself!"

"It encompasses all your knowledge and experience, your courage to draw your sword, your obsessive nature, your destructive power... all the unique essence that has settled deep within your soul!"

"Through these, you will create a rule imprint that belongs only to your personal will, a dictatorial rune."

"You must first forcibly inscribe it onto your physical body. Once the inscription is successful, your life level will be completely transcended. At that time, even a drop of your blood will have the terrifying value and significance of inheriting the laws of the Great Dao."

It can bless your descendants, flowing endlessly through the vast river of time in a tangible form called "bloodline," passed down for eternity...

"Bloodline... So this is the true, heavy, and cruel meaning of the word 'bloodline' in the wizarding world."

Dago's gaze was deep as he murmured to himself.

At that moment, as if struck by a sudden enlightenment, all the clues in his mind instantly connected.

He seemed to finally understand why, back in the North, he had been able to gain Efra's absolute approval, as if they were blood relatives, simply by forcibly conjuring a single [Winter Star] rune.

It turns out it was because of the runes.

That's right.

The true, high-level bloodline, in its essence of inheritance and transmission, has never been some ethereal gene, but rather the "rules and runes" left by our ancestors!

Afraido knows this cruel truth better than anyone else.

Therefore, after the tragic death of the last bloodline descendant of the Ice Prison Palace, the cold yet dazzling [Winter Star] rune became the only totem carrying the spirit and heritage of their family for ten thousand years.

"But if you unfortunately fail at the step of inscribing the fundamental runes..."

Arazan abruptly changed the subject, like a sharp sword, forcefully bringing the heavy topic back to Dago: "Then your fate will be the bizarre appearance your body just now displayed, which is what I previously defined as the seventh ring 'decaying blood'."

"The damaged storm rune in your body is a deformed product left behind because it was not completely successfully inscribed."

"Although it also brutally grants you a portion of the enviable power of wind and thunder, under the backlash of the laws, your physical body will decay and rot faster than that of an ordinary seventh-ring being."

Furthermore, you will be forever shut out of the Gate of Truth, completely losing any possibility of advancing to the eighth ring!

Upon hearing this, Dago's breath caught in his throat for half a second.

Just as a cold glint flashed in his eyes, Arajan suddenly changed the subject and chuckled.

"However, don't worry. Actually, my description of your physical condition just now wasn't entirely accurate. You're just in a state that 'somewhat's like' blood deficiency."

"If a true 'decaying blood' is a rotten tree that has lost its vitality and is about to wither and die, then you, kid, can only be considered a mutated sapling that has just broken through the soil and is in a stage of crazy growth."

"Although these two may look somewhat similar in their incomplete physical form and the aura they exude, their inner vitality and essence are completely different, even worlds apart."

Arajan's "Advanced Lessons for Ancient Wizards" has come to a temporary end.

Dago was caught in a long and deep process of information digestion and frantic thinking.

If we follow Arajan's logic exactly, wouldn't the storm runes growing wildly in his body be equivalent to him forcibly and indirectly inheriting a fragment of the supreme bloodline belonging to the Storm Weaver?

But how could such an incredible thing happen so easily?

Even if the Stormweaver's violent spell attacks do contain profound truths about the laws of wind and thunder, they should not be so easily "stolen" and integrated into the body by outsiders as if they were drinking water.

Unless... the problem lies in...

"It comes from your body."

Arazan seemed to be able to read minds with pinpoint accuracy, succinctly revealing Dago's biggest concern at that moment.

"Your physical body... is extremely peculiar, so peculiar that it even gives me a sense of unbelievable dread."

"It's simply beyond the comprehension of ordinary logic; it's like a flawless blank sheet of paper, perfectly capable of bearing all the laws of the Great Dao! It was born to be an unparalleled divine body, existing solely to inscribe the most supreme fundamental runes!"

Is it really because of the incredible hidden attributes of the [Blue Demon Body]?

Upon hearing this, Dago took a deep breath, trying his best to suppress the turmoil surging within him, but still finding it difficult to completely calm the storm raging in his heart.

He felt from beginning to end that the Blue Demon Body was full of indescribable mystery and extraordinary nature.

Whether it was its bizarre origin in the unassuming book "Elemental Resonance Technique" or the later domineering appearance of the physical body seal "Cold Element," it all demonstrates its extraordinary nature.

Now, this mysterious understanding and awe of the [Blue Demon Body] has been forcibly elevated to an extremely terrifying level in Dago's mind.

If nothing unexpected happens, the reason why his incomparably powerful [Blue Demon Body] is stuck at the last bit of proficiency in the perfect transformation stage is because its appetite is too big and it is still missing one of the most core, even crucial, natural treasures related to the origin of the laws!

Within the mental space, Arajan seemed to still have more to explore and wanted to investigate Dago further.

He was clearly extremely eager to know what kind of incredible luck Dago had had and how he had obtained such a body that could be described as a miracle of creation. He was about to ask in detail about the ultimate secret of the [Blue Demon Body].

However, it was precisely at this critical juncture!

"call out--!"

A sharp, even sonic boom that tore through the air suddenly erupted from the fog ahead without warning!

The thick, putrid fog that lingered year-round in front of the swamp seemed to be brutally cleaved in two by an invisible giant blade, violently churning and dissipating to both sides!

The next instant, a strange figure, whose long robes billowed in the wind and whose body exuded an undisguised, chilling killing intent, burst into Dago's cold vision with an extremely domineering manner, like a ferocious bird that had locked onto its prey!