Above the mage

Gao De is able to absorb the divine radiance energy within Liu Ying's body.

Based on Liu Ying's description, this should be the first time, there has never been a precedent.

In a way, it could even be considered a lifeline for meteorites.

Given Lady Wang Mian's doting affection for her daughter, it was only natural that she would "go to great lengths."

Aside from these two things, Gao De couldn't find anything else that would make the "self-important" Wang Mian family so eager to come knocking on his door. Yes, although previously in Wang Mian's inner court, both Marcus and Lady Wang Mian had been very proper and polite in their interactions with him, without any arrogance in their words.

But that deep-seated arrogance still lingers.

Moreover, it wasn't a conscious display of arrogance, nor was it a deliberately contrived posture.

Rather, it is a subconscious, ingrained attitude towards the weak, one that one may not even be aware of.

This emotion is actually very subtle, but Gaode Maps is able to clearly capture it.

As Gaode itself would like, it certainly doesn't want the Six Laws of Hosey to be exposed to the world too early.

The reasoning is simple: possessing a treasure is a crime.

His current strength is far from sufficient to master this knowledge that is capable of changing the landscape of runic literature.

It is even less sufficient to resist the covetousness and risks that come with this knowledge.

Given the vast disparity in strength between him and the Wang Mian family, there was no question of genuine "cooperation."

However, although everything is still unknown, Gaode has a vague intuition, an inexplicable certainty:

Liu Ying would not go over his head and reveal his creation of a fourth-order rune array without his consent.

Even when facing her closest relatives, her brother and mother, she remained the same.

After considering his options, Gao De chose to wait. Given the strength and methods of the Wang Mian family, even if he didn't wait here, they could easily find him.

It's better to face it calmly and observe how things unfold.

Unless he returns to the North via astral teleportation as before.

That way, he could completely disappear without a trace, making it difficult for the Wang Mian family to find him again.

However, at the same time, he would completely sever all ties with the Plantagenet dynasty, cutting off everything he had built up on this land over the years. This was by no means a wise move.

The truth is, neither he nor the North can achieve long-term development without working in isolation; they need to obtain resources from their "neighboring" nation, the Plantagenet dynasty.

Moreover, during his nearly two and a half years at the Golden Flower Dynasty, he worked hard to reach his current position step by step, accumulating connections, real businesses, and a certain reputation.

If he can perform well in the upcoming Unparalleled Magic Tournament, his status will surely rise to a higher level, and he will be able to obtain more resources and a greater voice.

Unless there's absolutely no other way, Gaode Maps is unwilling to give up these features.

Putting everything else aside, I haven't even gotten the spell recipe for [Spell Persistence] yet.

He even has four first-class merit awards that he hasn't used yet.

How could I bear to leave?

Gaode didn't have to wait long, or rather, the Wang Mian family was well-informed and acted swiftly.

In less than twenty minutes, a steady sound of footsteps came from the hotel entrance.

The mage Marcus, dressed in a mage's robe, hurried in with two imposing and dignified attendants.

Marcus looked somewhat anxious as his gaze quickly swept across the hotel lobby.

When he saw Gaode sitting upright in the chair, his eyes lit up instantly, and he quickly walked over.

"Mage Marcus." God slowly rose and greeted the other party calmly.

Unexpectedly, Marcus, who had been strolling leisurely the last time they met, let out a long sigh of relief upon seeing God this time, revealing an undisguised sense of relief: "Master God, you've finally appeared. We've been looking for you for so long..." God did not explain where he had been during this time.

Although it's not possible to tell the truth, it's not impossible to make up a reason to cover it up.

There's no need for that.

"What's the matter that Master Marcus is in such a hurry to see me?" Gao De asked bluntly.

Upon hearing this, Marcus silently cast a spell, instantly creating an invisible soundproof barrier.

"Master Gaode, His Highness Liuying said..." His tone became extremely solemn, yet tinged with anticipation, because he had truly watched Liuying grow up, and his feelings for Liuying were far more complex than those of a servant towards his master.

"You can absorb the divine radiance energy within her to help alleviate her photochemical reaction."

Sure enough... Gao De was certain.

Liu Ying did not reveal that she had mastered the rune array beyond her level.

He knew in his heart that Liu Ying must understand what this represented, the value of this knowledge, and the enormous benefits it could bring to the Wang Mian family.

But she just didn't say it.

What a lovely girl...

"Yes." Gao De nodded without hesitation.

From an emotional perspective, he was willing to help Liu Ying.

From his own perspective, he also wanted to take advantage of Liu Ying's physique to continue improving his adaptive progress and evolve into the [Intermediate Ying's Body] or even the [Advanced Ying's Body].

Moreover, once this is confirmed, it will be equivalent to him gaining a powerful backer.

As long as he doesn't commit any crimes, the Wang Mian family will definitely protect their eldest daughter's lifeline, right?

However, Gao De did not exaggerate, but added truthfully: "But I must point out that my absorption efficiency is limited, and it is only a drop in the ocean compared to the enormous divine radiance energy in Liu Ying's body."

Marcus, however, didn't care about that. After receiving Gao De's affirmative answer, he took a deep breath and said, "Master Gao De, the lady has learned of this matter and wishes to see you again. Would you do me the honor?"

"Please lead the way," Gao De replied.

The inner court of the King's Crown, a place most people in the Plantagenet dynasty would never set foot in their entire lives, was where Gao De once again entered after a month's absence. However, this time, Marcus didn't lead Gao De to the reception room, but instead led him slowly towards the deepest part of the inner court. The two traversed layers of corridors, passing many rooms along the way, each guarded at its door by a guard in silver armor, their aura subtly restrained. Further in, the corridors gradually widened, and the windows on both sides were replaced with star crystal glass that shimmered with a pale blue light.

Looking through the glass, the towering peaks of the Mithril Mountains in the distance are clearly visible.

The mountain peaks were covered in snow that never melted, and amidst the swirling clouds and mist, several silver dragon-birds with wingspans of over ten feet circled past, their shrill cries faintly audible. The scene was fantastical and magnificent.

At the end of the corridor stood a uniquely styled room, with intricate runes carved on the door.

The doorknob is a silver vine shaped piece inlaid with a pale purple gemstone, faintly radiating a protective magic.

At the door of the room, Gao De saw Lady Wang Mian again.

She maintained the same calm and composed demeanor as before, her expression serene and unwavering.

However, her attire became much more formal, changing from the deep purple dress she wore last time to a more dignified dark blue formal gown.

"Madam." Gao De bowed slightly, performing a proper courteous bow.

When Lady Wang Mian saw Gao De arrive, a glint flashed in her eyes.

She nodded slightly in response to Gao De's greeting, then her gaze slowly fell on Marcus beside her, a hint of inquiry in her eyes. Marcus understood, and nodded emphatically to Lady Wang Mian, conveying a certain message.

And so, the next moment, a flawless, standard smile appeared on Lady Wang Mian's calm face.

"This is a species of Whispering Wood." She raised her hand, and a faint light flashed in her palm, revealing a deep purple polyhedron about the size of a little fingertip. The surface of the polyhedron had spiderweb-like silver patterns, and a smoky substance could be vaguely seen slowly rotating inside.

"I heard you really enjoy collecting magic tree seeds, so I prepared one especially for you."

Madam Wang Mian's tone was gentle, without the slightest hint of artifice, as if it were just the most ordinary object. "The rank is not high, only the fifth rank." Gao De couldn't help but be taken aback.

It's not just because of the tree species' rank, although rank five is indeed high enough.

In the Northern Territory, this is already the highest-ranking tree species besides the Ice Jade Wutong.

The key point is the significance revealed by Lady Wang Mian's actions.

He had indeed been collecting demon tree seeds, and with the Wang Mian family's methods, obtaining this information would have been a piece of cake.

But how many people are truly worth Wang Mian's wife's effort in doing such a thing?

Her willingness to investigate Gaode's preferences and cater to them is, for someone of her status, already a "condescension." This is undoubtedly a clear signal of goodwill and an expression of goodwill.

"Liu Ying has never had many friends. You are the only person she calls a friend. As her mother, it is only proper etiquette for me to prepare a gift for her friend," Madam Wang Mian added.

Gao De instantly understood the deeper meaning behind Lady Wang Mian's additional statement:

This Whispering Wood seed is neither a bargaining chip for repaying favors nor a tool for exchanging benefits.

It was merely a testament and gift to his "friendship" with Liuying.

Whatever happens before or after this seed is irrelevant.

"Thank you, Madam." Gao De accepted the tree seed without any hesitation.

The Whispering Wood species has a cold touch and will slightly wriggle when held in the hand, as if it is breathing.

Information about the Whispering Tree flashed through his mind:

This is a magical tree specializing in anti-prophecy and protection, also known as the Guardian Fir.

It has always been one of the most treasured magical plants by mages, spies, conspirators, and various secret societies.

Because once the Whispering Tree reaches maturity, it will automatically establish a powerful protective barrier.

All divination spells that attempt to peer inside the barrier, including but not limited to mind detection, perception, eagle eye, and detection magic, must make an immunity to the Whispering Wood.

If it fails, the spell will instantly become ineffective, and no information can be gleaned.

Even if successful, in most cases, the Whispering Tree will immediately sense the presence of being spied on and emit a faint magical fluctuation to alert the creatures within the barrier.

In addition, within the Whispering Tree's protective barrier, all creatures can avoid being targeted by tracking spells such as those that detect or locate other creatures. This is equivalent to having an extra layer of natural concealment.

If you actively touch the tree trunk, you can also activate another ability of the Whispering Tree: a protective barrier.

Within this barrier, any magical experiments conducted will have their damage from explosions or magical backlash halved, even if the experiment fails, greatly reducing the risk to mages.

Also, the leaves of the Whispering Tree can be used to concoct special anti-prophecy and anti-interference potions.

It can also be used to make extraordinary amulets, and has its own economic value.

"Do you know the specifics of Liu Ying's constitution?" Seeing Gao De accept the tree seed, Madam Wang Mian's smile faded, her tone gradually becoming serious as she slowly asked.

The atmosphere around them became heavy.

"She briefly told me that it's her innate constitution, both a gift and a curse," Gao De replied.

"Yes, but no," Lady Wang Mian sighed softly.

"The divine radiance energy within Liu Ying's body is not actually an elemental affinity phenomenon, but an extremely rare and dangerous natural phenomenon, or what can be called divine infusion."

"At birth, her life form formed a deep and intense erroneous connection with the world's primordial light energy. This connection is irreversible and cannot be severed artificially..."

"This makes Liuying's body an extremely pure yet unstable vessel of the source of light."

"Inside her body, there exists something similar to a spatial rift that grows continuously over time."

Divine, radiant energy poured uncontrollably into the crack, relentlessly burning away her body, which served as its vessel.

"And this divine and radiant power comes directly from the primordial sea at the deepest part of the primordial plane of light elements."

It is a pure, ancient, and willless primordial force, and therefore merciless and incomprehensible. "Therefore, even the great mages of the dynasty are helpless against it."

"Liu Ying has been working hard to cultivate and race against the ever-expanding rift, but as her mother, I can't help her at all and can only watch her endure this pain and pressure."

As she spoke of these things, Madam Wang Mian's brows furrowed, a look of heartache flashed in her eyes, and even her voice carried a hint of emotion.

"She's only eighteen..."

"Therefore, I will not give up any hope." Lady Wang Mian looked directly and steadily at Gao De, "No matter how small that hope may be." "Can you really absorb the divine radiance energy within Liu Ying's body... for a long time?" Her gaze was locked on Gao De's eyes. "Yes," Gao De answered decisively.

"Is it because of your expertise?" Madam Wang Mian asked again.

Because the divine radiance energy within Liuying's body is of such high quality that it touches upon the very source.

Ordinary mages, let alone absorb it, would be burned by the energy or even annihilated by just touching it.

To be able to absorb this level of energy is simply a fantasy.

What Wang Mian and the royal family tried countless methods and consulted numerous people to achieve, Gao De, a mere third-ring mage, was able to accomplish. This was far too extraordinary.

Only the existence of expertise, which is illogical and cannot be explained by conventional logic, can reasonably explain all of this.