Above the mage

Chapter 433 Ode to Winter (Final Chapter of this Volume)

The rich magical power within the spiritual land cascaded down upon Gao De, who sat beneath the ice-jade parasol tree, like a waterfall of clouds.

This is the essence of magic from a fifth-tier spiritual land. Under the continuous operation of the "Azure Wood Longevity Scripture," it flows into Gao De's body in an endless stream, converging with the medicinal power released by the Azure Vine Spirit Dew.

The two met in Gaode's mana pool and then merged together into his liquid mana.

As the two were continuously injected, every drop of liquid magic from Gaode expanded, and fine, imperceptible patterns appeared on the surface, while the color became increasingly deep.

Expand, expand, and expand again.

There's no time for Gaode to think things through.

He took a deep breath and continued to refine and absorb the medicinal power.

Finally, after the liquid magic expanded to a certain size, the fine lines on its surface could no longer bear the weight and began to crack at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Each crack gleamed with tiny specks of gold, like fireflies suddenly illuminating the night sky.

The magic and medicinal power continued to surge, flowing into the liquid mana.

It was like adding fuel to the fire.

After the golden light, strings of emerald green flames surged from the crack, illuminating the High Magic Pool as if it were a burning turquoise fire.

Click!

The next moment, a crisp sound exploded inside Gao De's body.

He trembled violently.

It was a drop of liquid magic that shattered with a roar after the surface cracks reached a certain point.

However, the shattered liquid magic did not scatter into smaller droplets, but instead condensed into numerous, thin, cicada-wing-like jade crystal petals, as if suddenly cooled.

Each crystal petal is so thin that the lines of a palm can be seen through it, with veins flowing like molten gold along its edges, while at its core, a single point of light, resembling chalcedony, is condensed.

Click! Click! Click!

It triggered a chain reaction.

The cracking sounds blended into a rapid patter like raindrops hitting banana leaves.

As the first drop of liquid mana shattered, the remaining fifty-nine drops of liquid mana within Gao De's body began to explode one after another.

Similarly, these shattered liquid magical powers will solidify into countless tiny jade crystal petals.

These jadeite petals attract each other, swirling and circling above the magic pool, forming a huge jadeite vortex that radiates dazzling light.

The splashing crystal petals formed a dazzling vortex above the magic pool, colliding from time to time and producing a crisp, resonant sound, like countless jade chimes playing simultaneously.

Most remarkably, the moment the sixtieth drop of liquid magic shattered into countless crystal petals, all the rotating petals suddenly stopped.

As if summoned by a secret, or following some predetermined rule, they began to spiral and converge around the center of the mana pool.

As it rotates, the gold patterns on the edges of the crystal petals automatically piece together to form a complete pattern, while the core jade light spot merges into one like rivers flowing into the sea.

"Zheng Yi—"

With a resounding, resonant note, all the crystal petals fit together perfectly to form a regular octahedral rhomboid jadeite crystal nucleus.

The interior of the crystal pulsates with a bluish-gold halo as if there were living things inside, while the surface is covered with sixty water-wave-like patterns.

After taking shape, the entire crystal suddenly sank and fell to the very center of the bottom of the magic pool, where it was firmly fixed like a stabilizing needle.

A heavy feeling arose spontaneously.

The crystallization of mana was completed naturally and without any unexpected events.

With the abundant magical power provided by the fifth-tier spiritual land, and the assistance of the top-grade magic potion, Green Vine Dew, such favorable conditions mean that, let alone failure, even at the crystallization stage, if there is any slight obstacle or stagnation, Gao De would have to seriously reflect on whether he has not worked hard enough in his cultivation.

With a loud bang!

The ring-up process is still ongoing.

The medicinal power of the Green Vine Dew surged into his mind, like sweet rain nourishing his spiritual strength.

This is helping him break through the second barrier, breaking through the limits of his mental strength.

However, Gao De had already broken through this barrier, but the medicinal power would not be wasted; instead, it was used to enhance Gao De's mental strength.

The benefits of having reversed mental strength are obvious.

Not to mention its overwhelming "judgment" advantage in spells involving mental power confrontation, the sheer speed of spell model construction and the efficiency of cultivation are extremely direct benefits.

The higher the mental strength, the better.

With the help of the medicinal power of the Green Vine Dew, Gao De's original mental strength value of 211 increased to 233 in a very short time.

This is already equivalent to the mental strength of a mid-stage second-ring mage.

The first two stages have been successfully passed.

This was exactly what Gaode had anticipated; he was so well-prepared that no unexpected incident should have occurred.

But he did not relax.

Because what follows is the only hurdle he anticipated would cause a problem, leading to his failure to advance his ring:

Opening up the second-circle spell, Star Sea!

In the realm of consciousness, amidst a dreamlike and magnificent sea of ​​magical stars.

Countless stars wander aimlessly.

At the very center of the starry sea is the Wind Spirit Moon Shadow, which resembles the sun in the heliocentric theory, not dazzling but eye-catching.

Around it, 44 magical models of spells swirled, resembling constellations.

In addition, there are more scattered stars that move freely.

A magnificent star ring encircled the Wind Spirit Moon Shadow, encompassing these stars and magic spell models within it, forming the Zero Ring Star Sea.

Beyond the star ring lies a sea of ​​stars, also filled with numerous stars, but these are noticeably larger in both size and brightness.

In addition, the 51 first-circle spell models are like 51 more complex and massive constellations standing within them.

At the edge of the first ring of stars, there is a membrane like an egg, which confines all the first ring stars to a limited area of ​​the first ring of stars.

Outside the egg, there is only darkness, like the deep, unfathomable universe.

Splash!

Right now.

Gao De's spiritual power guided the remaining medicinal power of the Green Vine Dew, which surged into the Sea of ​​Magic like a galaxy.

During this process, he also had to spare some energy to draw a ring of magical stars and add them to the river formed by the medicinal power.

As more first-circle spell stars were added, the river began to expand.

Gaode gradually felt a strain, as if he were carrying a heavy load.

Fortunately, this burden couldn't overwhelm him, given his mental strength, which was at the mid-stage of the second ring mage level.

This is why breaking through the limits of mental power is the second hurdle.

Only by breaking through the limits of spiritual power can one control enough star particles to launch an attack on the boundary of the magical star sea and open up the second ring of the magical star sea.

Gao De's spiritual power was the commander, while Xingzi and Qing Teng Ling Lu's medicinal power were the soldiers, crashing straight into that egg-like boundary.

With a loud bang.

Unlike the numerous attempts to open up the first-circle spell of the Star Sea,

This time, due to his high mental strength, Gao De attracted up to the maximum amount of star points he could muster, and with one burst of energy, he launched a sprint toward the boundary.

The impact of this galaxy, far exceeding the membrane's capacity, was astonishing; a single collision caused the membrane to shatter instantly.

Even the process of cracks appearing and slowly spreading was so fast that it seemed to be skipped.

Accompanied by the sound of the membrane shattering, like crystal breaking, countless glittering fragments, like stars, like glass, appeared.

It soared into the sky.

Drawn by a mysterious gravitational pull within the magical starry sea, they formed a dazzling halo that began to expand rapidly outwards.

In Gaode's view, that scene was more like a shockwave formed after the explosion of truth in a previous life, both shocking and beautiful.

When it expanded large enough, all the fragments stopped moving, became fixed, and formed a fixed star ring.

Within the star ring lies the first ring of magical star seas, while outside the star rings lies the newly formed second ring of magical star seas.

Within that dark, starry sea of ​​magic, countless tiny lights suddenly shone brightly.

Twinkle, twinkle, little star.

They are newly formed second-circle spell stars.

Powerful, dazzling, and somewhat irritable.

But in Gaode's eyes, they are incredibly cute and endearing, bringing him endless joy.

In fact, once this step is completed, his ring raising is considered a success.

The remaining [Elementalized Body], although it can be considered a level, is actually more like a bonus level.

Aside from exceptional circumstances such as being too old or suffering from severe injuries that result in extremely poor physical condition and an inability to withstand elemental infusion, virtually no one will fail at this stage.

At this moment, Gao De clearly had his eyes closed, yet he could clearly see countless densely packed, multicolored light spots floating in the surrounding space.

A sudden realization dawned on him: he could now choose one type of light point and draw it into his body to form an elemental physical form.

By using these elements to strengthen their bodies, they gain resistance to the corresponding elements and extend their lifespan.

Gaode was already clear about these processes before it started the upgrade process, and the choice of which elements to use was naturally decided long ago.

His mind raced.

The relatively few red dots in the surrounding space instantly turned into bright spots of light, falling down towards Gaode like raindrops.

Fire element.

To improve one's combat strength, one must either continue to strengthen one's strengths or make up for one's weaknesses.

Gaode Maps chose the latter.

Both the "Green Wood Longevity Scripture" and his current main spell system are relatively countered by fire element spells.

Another point is that, during the early stages of a mage's career, fire elemental spells were undoubtedly top-tier in terms of power and destructive force.

Therefore, choosing fire element to elementalize the physical body and increase fire element resistance is, in Gaode's view, a very cost-effective choice.

The fire element entered Gao De's body, seeping into every inch of his muscle, every drop of his blood, every bone, and every cell.

The feeling was like soaking in a hot spring, warm and comforting, yet also light and airy, making you unconsciously immerse yourself in it, unable to extricate yourself.

Correspondingly, his body's resistance to fire elemental spells is also continuously increasing.

This feeling lasted for an unknown period of time. When the final transformation was completed, strands of life force emerged from his body and were instantly refined.

In just a moment, Gaode sensed that his lifespan limit had suddenly increased from 340 years to 415 years.

There is a cultivation method that makes you younger the more you practice it; that is the Green Wood Longevity Scripture.

At this point, all four stages of the Ascension Ring have been passed.

This means that Gaode has already entered the ranks of the second-tier experts.

But the process of raising the ring is not yet complete.

Because there is one last step that has not yet been completed.

Awakening Specialization.

Practice makes perfect.

This time, Gaode didn't make a fuss and waited quietly.

He didn't have to wait long.

A powerful and profound thought flowed around him like a tide, starting from the top of his head and flowing downwards, washing over his entire body, then flowing upwards along the same path, repeating this cycle.

Each rinse sent a strange tremor through his entire body.

After countless rinses, the idea finally entered Gaode's mind.

The sunlight burst forth.

An incomparably dazzling light bloomed in his mind, bringing boundless light and wonder, leaving Gao Degong feeling "dazzled and mesmerized".

The world spun around.

Rise, rise, and rise again.

At this moment, Gao De felt as if he had lost gravity, his consciousness kept rising, and everything in front of him became blurry, until he rose to a bizarre world, where everything in front of him began to become clear again.

The world seemed to be above the clouds, with clusters of clouds of different colors and sizes drifting past Gaode's eyes.

Absolutely dreamlike.

Where is this? What are these cloud formations?

This question subconsciously flashed through Gao De's mind.

The next moment, a strange message appeared in my mind.

Having mastered over fifty first-level spells, completed multi-dimensional potential evolution of your body, and developed the power of your magical origins, you are now capable of unlocking your bloodline inheritance. Please choose a dormant bloodline within you and awaken it.

Bloodline inheritance?

Gaode was still caught off guard and only had a vague understanding.

Just then, a cluster of greenish-blue clouds, about the size of a cotton candy, drifted right towards us.

He instinctively reached out to block it.

The cloud was stopped by Gaode's hand and came to a halt.

Then, a message surged into his mind from the cloud.

"Verdant Bloodline - You will gain knowledge of nature, and your spells will be able to influence plants."

what?

As if he understood something, Gao De immediately touched another grayish-white cloud next to him.

"Darkborn Bloodline - You will receive an additional bonus to stealth spells, and you will be more powerful in dimly lit environments."

Sure enough.

A sudden realization dawned on Gao De.

The most primal extraordinary power of a mage comes from their own bloodline, the most famous of which are the Iceborn, Wolfborn, and Dragonborn bloodlines.

However, this power comes from a very primitive source and is beyond our control.

Our ancestors used their extraordinary wisdom to create the system of magician cultivation, which allows people to obtain supernatural powers such as magic through cultivation.

The lineage of bloodline mages gradually declined as a result.

The Iceborn bloodline is now weak, the Dragonborn bloodline is nowhere to be found, and the Wolfborn are barely surviving. But this does not mean that the power of bloodline inheritance is weak; it only means that they are too limited in terms of inheritance.

There are actually countless types of bloodline power.

Over such a long and long period of time, through generations of mating and inheritance, to this day, every person's body actually contains countless chaotic bloodline forces.

Of course, they are all too weak and not pure enough to awaken, and can only remain hidden within the body.

And he can now choose a way to awaken it.

After a moment of contemplation, looking at the cloud formations of unknown size before him, Gao De finally made a wise decision.

Let's read it all first.

Blue cloud cluster:

"Child of the Sea - You will find it easier to master water elemental magic, and you will gain professional skills such as swimming and sea navigation."

Larger green cloud clusters:

"Longevity Bloodline - You will gain a longer lifespan..."

Black cloud cluster:

"Child of Shadows"

"The bloodline of the dragon."

"Blood of the Wolf," "Son of Steel."

"The spirit of craftsmanship."

As Gaode explores this cloud-like world, examining the bloodline power represented by each cluster of clouds, he is dazzled by the sight.

Gradually, some patterns were identified.

The larger the cloud, the more and stronger the power of that bloodline contained within oneself, and the more powerful the power that can be obtained upon awakening it.

For example, the legendary dragon bloodline is theoretically the most powerful, but unfortunately, the dragon bloodline within Gao De is far too weak:

"Dragon Bloodline - You will gain some knowledge of wyverns, and may awaken some wyvern spells."

Even if he awakens the Dragonborn bloodline, all he can obtain are some peripheral powers of the Dragonborn bloodline.

Some bloodline powers are not inherently strong, but in return, Gao De can obtain their full power.

This is somewhat like having two people to choose from. One has a thousand dollars in savings, but he will only give you ten dollars. The other only has ten dollars in savings, but he will give you both ten dollars. Which one would you choose?

Gaode wanted all of them, but didn't have the opportunity.

Too many choices can actually make it difficult to make a decision.

Gaode Maps now faces a bittersweet frustration of feeling helpless.

Even as they were nearing the end of the journey, Gaode still hadn't figured out which lineage to awaken.

When they finally reached the end, a massive, silvery-white cloud, dozens or even hundreds of times larger than any of the previous clouds, came into view, giving Gao De a jolt.

The tangible silver light caused Gao De's pupils to shrink sharply, and ripples surged on the surface of the cloud, carrying the aura of ancient glaciers.

How could he have such pure and powerful bloodline power within his body?

Filled with shock and curiosity, Gaode reached out his hand towards the cluster of clouds.

"The Iceborn bloodline—the Anivia blood flowing through your body—can purify your other bloodlines, granting you the power of a pure Iceborn."

Gaode Maps is stuck in the same place.

Anivia?

Who is that?

He had never heard of that name.

But that doesn't matter anymore, because he can understand the annotations that follow.

"Pure-blooded Iceborn".

No need to think anymore, no need to hesitate anymore.

Gaode made a decision.

Ice bloodline.

The next moment, this enormous silvery-white cloud split apart like quicksilver, suddenly dispersing into millions of silvery-white wisps of air.

Vast and pure, it enveloped his entire body.

A melodious song, moving from the virtual to the real, from afar to near, resounded in Gaode's "ears".

The song was sung in an extremely unfamiliar and ancient language, but Gaode was able to understand its meaning:

"Wild spirit, you travel everywhere."

"Destroyer and Protector: Listen, and take a good look!"

"Above your flowing stream, a mighty torrent surges through the sky."

"The scattered clouds are like fallen leaves on the ground."

"Blown down by the north wind from the intertwined branches of the sky and the sea."

"To become a messenger of rain and electricity:"

"They drift down onto the surface of your ethereal blue waves, shimmering like the flowing hair of a madwoman."

"From the farthest and most indistinct edge of the sky,"

"Reaching the highest heavens, everything is swaying."

"Black rain, icy lightning, and flames: oh, listen!"

"Raging spirit! Become me, borrow your might!"

"Please scatter my long-forgotten thoughts throughout the universe."

"Let it, like a withered leaf, give rise to new life!"

"Oh, please heed this incantation-like poem,"

"Let my heart's voice be like ashes and sparks."

"Spread it from the still-burning fire to the world!"

"Let the trumpet of prophecy pass through my mouth,"

"Awaken the slumbering earth!"

"Oh, North Wind,"

"If winter comes, can spring be far behind?"

Sunafa, who was closest to Gaode Maps, suddenly had a slight change in expression.

At that moment, she actually heard a faint hymn.

She subconsciously looked in the direction of the sound, and then her gaze settled on Gao De, who was standing very close.

A chill was emanating from Gao De's body.

Looking up, Gao De's body was covered with a thin layer of silver frost, and his skin seemed to have turned into a translucent ice blue.

Faintly, one by one, scarlet blood vessels appeared in his body.

The blood inside is fading at a rate visible to the naked eye.

Instead, a transparent fluid containing suspended ice crystal particles was formed.

Each heartbeat causes a thin layer of frost to form on the walls of the blood vessels, which then shatters into finer ice crystals with the next beat, spreading along the veins toward the heart.

Wow!

The next instant, Gao De's entire body, including his hair, radiated a dazzling, natural silver-blue light.

The dazzling light caused Sunafa to subconsciously squint her eyes.

Then, a power that felt incredibly familiar to Sunefa slowly rose from God's body.

"It is...the King!"

"This is... the power of Zhenbing!"

It wasn't just her.

Throughout the entire Northern Territory, all those of the Iceblood lineage felt their souls tremble at this moment.

They all heard the same hymn, not knowing where it came from or why.

But the reverence stemming from their bloodline compelled them to spontaneously join in softly chanting this hymn:

"Awaken the slumbering earth!"

"Oh, North Wind,"

"If winter comes, can spring be far behind?"