Above the mage

This is just the beginning.

Gao De's gaze remained unchanged, but the fluctuations of magical power in his hands grew increasingly intense.

Ice Cone!

Several ice cones, each as thick as an arm and pure white, materialized out of thin air.

The surface of the icicle gleamed with a cold, sharp light, and its tip was as sharp as a blade.

They whistled and roared out, carrying a chilling aura, precisely locking onto the eagle-beast flock controlled by Feng Lin's [Hypnotic Pattern].

Before the ice spikes could hit their target, Gao De once again gathered his True Ice power and activated the next spell model.

[Snowstorm!]

In an instant, thick ice mist rose above the cave.

Countless tiny ice particles and needles poured down from the icy mist, forming a dense snowstorm that covered the entire area where the hypnotized eagle beasts were located. The ice spikes struck their targets first, the sharp spikes piercing directly through the eagle beasts' bodies, the icy chill instantly freezing their internal organs. The snowstorm that followed followed like a torrential downpour.

Each ice particle and each ice needle possessed immense penetrating power, raining down densely upon the eagle beast.

Ice particles pierced their iron feathers, leaving countless tiny wounds.

The cold air seeped wildly into their bodies through the wounds, instantly freezing their blood vessels and nerves.

Two more third-circle ice elemental spells were quickly unleashed, further intensifying the already established ice-based environment.

The two spells that Gao De cast this time were directly aimed at the eagle beasts that were controlled by Feng Lin's [Hypnotic Pattern].

The reason Feng Lin stopped others from attacking these hypnotized Ironfeather Eagle Beasts was because she knew that these Ironfeather Eagle Beasts had extremely strong defenses and, as third-tier earth vein creatures, were exceptionally resilient.

If she cannot kill it in one blow, the awakened Ironfeathered Eagle Beast will rejoin the battle, causing great trouble to her control of the field.

However, if a single blow could kill, this problem would not exist.

In her view, only violent methods like fourth-circle magic could guarantee a fatal blow.

Cedric was focused on controlling the elemental creatures and had no time to spare for anything else.

Evan is still lying in wait for his chance.

Gareth excels in close-quarters defense but is not adept at area-of-effect attacks.

The remaining two, Gao De and Aria, are both third-ring mages and certainly do not possess the ability to kill such a large number of Ironfeathered Eagle Beasts in one strike.

That's why I specifically reminded you.

Gao De had already seen through this and decisively struck, using two third-level ice spells combined with the amplification of the ice environment to achieve an instant mass kill. This large-scale reduction in numbers freed up Feng Lin, who had been struggling to control the battlefield, allowing her to operate with ease.

"Beautiful!" she exclaimed, her purple staff never stopping.

However, she did not choose to cast [Hypnotic Mark] again.

The reason why the [Hypnotic Pattern] was so effective just now was because it caught the eagle beast off guard.

The eagle beast is now in combat mode and its alertness has increased significantly.

It's impossible to achieve the same results with a second attempt at hypnosis.

Therefore, she made a decisive move and chose to continue using [Advanced Illusion] to create a wider area of ​​control.

In the eyes of the eagle beast, everything around it had been completely transformed.

Everywhere there are illusory giant wind elements and illusory city walls.

They simply cannot distinguish between what is real and what is fake.

They could only hover, hesitate, and waver in the illusion, unable to make the right attack decisions, and were completely tied down in place.

Feng Lin's magic restrained more than fifteen eagle beasts.

Maintaining such a realistic and massive illusion was extremely taxing on Feng Lin's mental energy, even for someone at the fourth level, and beads of sweat had already appeared on her forehead.

Maintaining focus on a higher phantom requires an extremely high level of mental concentration and must not be interrupted.

Boo!

Just then, a high-pitched and sharp whistle suddenly rang out.

Its penetrating power was extremely strong, instantly drowning out all the sounds in the cave.

That was the voice of the eagle beast leader!

It had already stood up from the deepest recess of the cave, its wings fully spread, with a wingspan of three zhang (approximately 10 meters).

The jet-black feathers reflected a dark, cold luster under the sunlight streaming through the cave ceiling.

The base of the feathers still shimmered with a faint blue halo, a trace of the wind element energy.

Its eyes were pure gold, with narrow, sharp pupils that burned with a kind of wisdom that transcended the instincts of wild beasts.

Clearly, it had seen through Feng Lin's [Advanced Illusion].

The howl was a reminder to the Ironfeathered Eagle Beasts, who were being misled by the illusion, to break free from the spell.

The howl pierced through every corner of the cave and reached the ears of every eagle-beast, carrying an undeniable majesty.

That was the leader's order.

The eagle herd reacted almost instantly, sweeping away all hesitation, doubt, and confusion.

The confusion in his eyes was replaced by a bloodthirsty madness.

They were no longer deceived by illusions, and at the same time, they flapped their wings.

Ignoring all the illusions and obstacles around them, it rushed straight towards Feng Lin and Cedric like a black torrent.

Anger burned in the eyes of every eagle-beast, and their sharp screech echoed throughout.

Feng Lin's [Advanced Illusion] has completely failed.

But at that moment, the eagle beast leader suddenly let out a sharper and angrier howl.

This time, it was no longer an order to remind subordinates, but an instinctive scream after being attacked.

It's Evan.

He lay in ambush on the top of the rock, taking in everything below.

Seeing that Feng Lin's illusion had failed, the eagle beasts swarmed towards her, attacking without waiting for the optimal moment to strike, in order to prevent the eagle beast leader from further harming Feng Lin and the others and disrupting the entire battle.

From the shadows of the rocky summit, a bluish-gray figure suddenly burst forth.

Thunderbird.

Its entire body was engulfed in violent lightning, and its surroundings were filled with crackling lightning energy.

With a dazzling bolt of lightning, accompanied by the sunlight from the cave ceiling, it descended from the sky like a shooting star.

Its claws stretched forward, lightning surging from its fingertips, aiming straight for the eagle beast leader's head, moving so fast that only a bluish-gray afterimage remained. Seeing Evan, transformed into a thunderbird, swooping down, the eagle beast leader's golden pupils instantly ignited with a raging inferno of fury.

It felt far more furious when attacked by its own kind than when attacked by humans.

The eagle-beast leader suddenly raised its head and let out an even sharper and higher-pitched cry.

The howl was no longer a command to direct the eagle pack, but a pure, murderous battle roar.

Before its whistling had even subsided, it spread its wings and flapped them violently.

A surge of violent wind energy erupted from its body, forming an invisible wind wall that completely blocked the lightning bolt.

Crackle, crackle.

Lightning flashed across the ground.

At the same time, its sharp iron beak opened slightly, spitting out a condensed wind blade.

The wind blades gleamed with a pale blue light, accompanied by a sharp whistling sound, as they pierced straight at the Thunderbird's wings.

As the leader of the eagle beasts, it is a fourth-tier ley line creature.

Its greatest transformation lies in its complete mastery of the power of the wind element, which allows it to launch various ranged attacks, rather than purely physical assaults. The thunderbird that Evan had transformed into was completely unafraid of this.

Its wings flapped suddenly, and the lightning around it surged instantly.

The crackling lightning coalesced into a lightning shield, blocking his path.

With a "bang," the wind blade struck the lightning shield, instantly shattering the lightning and turning it into a sky full of lightning.

The power of this wind blade is beyond imagination!

Thunderbird quickly dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding the wind blade.

However, at that moment, the leader of the eagle beasts swooped down.

The Thunderbird flapped its wings, and countless lightning-infused feathers shot out like arrows, precisely targeting the eagle beast leader's eyes and wings.

This is Thunderbird's classic attack move, [Lightning Feather Shot].

Each feather carries powerful lightning energy; upon striking a target, it unleashes lightning damage, paralyzing the opponent's body.

Upon seeing this, the eagle-beast leader suddenly lowered its head, using its hard iron feathers to block out most of its feathers.

However, a few feathers still pierced through the weak spot at the base of its wing.

The lightning spread out instantly, paralyzing its wings and causing its flight to falter slightly.

Before it could regain its footing, the thunderbird that Evan had transformed into had already swooped down in front of it.

Sharp claws, crackling with lightning, clawed fiercely at its golden eyes, while a thick beam of lightning gathered from its beak, piercing straight at its chest. The eagle-beast leader roared, slamming its wings against the thunderbird, the flapping of its wings stirring up a violent whirlwind.

The violent whirlwind actually blew the Thunderbird away.

But the Thunderbird was not to be outdone. It flapped its wings again, and the lightning around it intertwined, turning into a gray-blue net of lightning that enveloped the eagle beast leader.

Two beasts were locked in fierce combat above the cave, their lightning and wind energies colliding to create a deafening roar.

Feathers, fragments of lightning, and wind dust filled the air.

For a time, it was difficult to determine a winner.

The eagle beast leader was tied down by Evan and had no time to attend to other matters.

However, for Feng Lin, the illusion had already failed.

A dozen or so Ironfeathered Eagle Beasts fearlessly pounced on Feng Lin and Cedric, who were focused on maintaining their spell.

Cedric was focused on dealing with the twenty-odd Ironfeathered Eagle Beasts, but his expression remained unchanged upon seeing this situation.

He continued casting the spell without blinking, seemingly completely unconcerned.

Because they still have Gareth!

Although it's our first time teaming up, since we've been assigned tasks, we should have faith in each other.

This is his view.

The first eagle has already swooped down on Cedric.

Its speed was astonishing; the iron feathers cut through the air at high speed, emitting a sharp whistling sound.

The claws reflected a chilling glint, aimed directly at Cedric's back.

Gareth did not disappoint Cedric.

He snorted coldly, took a step forward, raised his left hand, spread his fingers, and a semi-transparent force field shield immediately appeared around his body. *Sizzle!*

The eagle's talons slammed against the shield with a screeching sound.

Ripples spread across the surface of the shield, yet it remained perfectly still.

At the same instant, Gareth swung his steel warhammer with his right hand.

The hammer, carrying immense force, slammed into the eagle-beast's chest, producing a dull, resounding thud.

That wasn't the sound of metal clashing; it sounded more like a hammer striking thick leather.

The eagle's breastbone caved in under the hammer blow, and its entire body was sent flying backward, crashing into the rock wall and sliding down.

He was severely injured in one blow.

At that moment, another eagle beast swooped down from the side.

The claws were aimed at Gareth's back, attempting a sneak attack.

Gareth didn't turn his head, as if he had eyes in the back of his head.

The warhammer in his hand had already been swung out, the hammerhead carrying a faint blue arc of light.

An electric arc spread from the hammerhead to the eagle beast, instantly stiffening its wings. With a sharp cry, the beast plummeted from mid-air. Gareth kicked it away.

That's his strength.

He is indeed not good at group attacks, but in contrast, he has an exceptionally high single-target damage output.

He was even more efficient at eliminating these Ironfeathered Eagle Beasts that came to him on their own initiative than Cedric.

But there were too many eagles.

A dozen or so eagle-beasts charged forward one after another, with three eagle-beasts swooping down simultaneously from different directions.

They flew almost skimming the rock face, avoiding Gareth's direct defense, their claws outstretched, their target aimed directly at Feng Lin, who was focused on casting a spell and unable to concentrate.

Gareth's pupils contracted slightly, and he instinctively wanted to turn the steel warhammer in his hand around. He had already moved his feet, preparing to turn around and defend, but then he heard Gao De's calm voice in his ear.

"Leave this to me, you just need to protect Cedric."

Gareth was startled and subconsciously glanced at the source of the sound out of the corner of his eye.

What he saw gave him a slight jolt:

A longsword of ice crystals had somehow materialized in Gao De's hand. The blade was pure white and translucent, radiating a chilling aura.

The blade was surrounded by faint icy blue magical energy fluctuations, and the blade was covered with fine ice patterns.

It was a second-circle Evocation spell, [Frost Sword].

However, in Gao De's hands, this common magic sword exuded a level of refinement and weight far exceeding that of ordinary mages.

Before the three eagle beasts could get close to Feng Lin, Gao De flashed like a blur and instantly blocked Feng Lin's path.

With a gentle swing of his ice crystal longsword, the blade traced a graceful arc, and the ice energy of the [Frost Sword] erupted instantly. The ice patterns on the blade lit up, and the blade struck precisely the foremost eagle beast.

Clang!

Instead of the harsh sound of metal clashing, there was a crisp sound of ice freezing.

The ice blade instantly shattered its body, and at the same time, the power of pure ice spread out, leaving a thick layer of ice on its wings.

The icy chill instantly enveloped its entire body, causing it to stiffen.

Immediately afterward, Gao De lightly leaped into the air, dodging the sharp claws of the eagle beast on his left, and thrust out his ice crystal longsword with incredible precision, aiming precisely at the weakest point on the eagle beast's abdomen.

The power of pure ice surged into the eagle beast's body along the sword blade, instantly freezing its internal organs and blood.

The eagle's body stiffened abruptly, its eyes lost their luster, and it fell stiffly from the sky, crashing heavily onto the ice, its limbs twisted and sputtering, splattering ice chips and bloodstains onto the ice.

The eagle on the right seized the opportunity to pounce, its sharp claws aimed directly at Gao De's shoulder.

With a flick of his wrist, Gao De blocked with his ice crystal longsword, and with a clang, the claws struck the blade.

The power of pure ice emanated and froze its body.

Gao De raised his foot and kicked the eagle beast in the chest, sending it flying.

In just a few breaths, Gao De cleanly and decisively repelled and severely injured the three Iron Feather Eagle Beasts.

The movements were fluid and precise, with controlled advances and retreats, and no superfluous moves.

Every strike of his was precise and deadly, perfectly blending magical power with close-combat swordsmanship, combined with the power of the [Frost Sword].

Jing was in no way inferior to Gareth, who was skilled in close combat, and completely protected Feng Lin.

Gareth felt a chill run down his spine.

As a fourth-ring mage specializing in melee combat, he understands best the difficulty of close-quarters combat.

Gaode's moves are not just for show; every point of force application and every angle of dodge reveals traces of professional training.

It is clearly the result of rigorous training and practice, and cannot be achieved through last-minute cramming.

He suddenly understood why only God and Evan were not carrying any extraordinary weapons:

Evan is skilled in shapeshifting, so he doesn't need weapons.

Gaode likely chose it because it can fight both at close and long range, and its combat mode can be flexibly switched. Using magic as weapons is actually the best choice.

However, even though he and Cedric were among the most elite battle mages in the dynasty, they each had their own strengths.

How come only Gaode can have both?

He had just witnessed Gao De's area-of-effect spell, and its power and casting speed were astounding. Now, he had displayed such superb melee skills.

That's not all... Gareth's mind raced.

He suddenly remembered the natural language that Gaode had shown earlier.

Not only does he possess both skills, but he also seems to be quite adept at these "fancy tricks" outside of combat.

Just how many things does this kid know?