Wizard: Grinding experience starting with Knight's Breathing Technique

Chapter 242 The Evil Spirit! (A long chapter of 10,000 words, please vote and subscribe!)

The Realm of Ice.

Lake Baikal.

This is the largest lake in the Frozen Realm, although due to the perennial cold, a thick layer of ice always covers its surface.

The lake surface stretched as far as the eye could see, covered by an endless ice field and a blizzard that seemed to reach the sky. Five-colored rays of light spread across the horizon, resembling the aurora borealis in the Arctic.

A group of wizards, dressed in frost-white robes that blended seamlessly with the ice, were now traveling alone across the plains.

Among the group was a tall, slender witch who carried the heavy spear "Eternal Night" on her back and held the hand of a little girl who only reached Elsa's chest.

"Sister Elsa, why do you always carry that spear?"

The little girl was a wizard's apprentice, and she asked curiously.

"Because I was once a knight," Elsa said softly.

"A knight? What's that?" the little girl asked.

"It's... a kind of faith, I suppose," Elsa said with a wry smile.

What else could it be?

Even a legendary knight at the pinnacle of knighthood couldn't secure a place for himself in the wizarding world, nor could he personally venture into the Arctic Cave to kill the enemies who had murdered his master and senior sister.

"Wizards believe in truth, but what do knights believe in? Gods?" the little girl asked.

"I don't know either...maybe." Elsa recalled the past. As the Ice Queen of the Eternal Night Kingdom, the so-called daughter of God, she now seemed so ridiculous.

Ultimately, she was nothing more than a tool of the church, never possessing the dignity of a queen.

She can't even see her own child.

"Okay, Elsa, you seem to have a lot on your mind." The little girl looked ahead and said with a hint of heartache.

"Mina, where are your family?" Elsa asked.

"I have no family. I was raised by the wizards of the Silver Fox Cottage. They said my parents were killed by a dark wizard after I was born, and I was found in the polar bear's den."

"Aren't you sad? Don't you miss them?"

"No way... After all, I've never even met them. I'm lucky enough because I have wizarding talent and was saved by wizards. If it were ordinary people without talent, a child like me would have frozen to death on the streets long ago," Mina said.

Elsa remained silent, simply stroking Mina's head, her heart heavy with suppressed despair.

Countless children like Mina spent their lives in the flames of war from birth to death.

In this world where superhuman power reigns supreme, weakness is the greatest sin.

After leaving the Tower of the White Bear, Elsa wandered around for a long time, before she could join a new wizarding organization.

It was then learned that the Frost Realm had completely fallen.

The deputy tower master of the Winter Tower, a territory-wide management organization similar to the Tower of Stars, was an eighth-ring peak wizard who betrayed the organization, led the dark wizard, and betrayed the tower master who was loyal to the Frost Witch. He then became the tower master and the territory manager as he wished.

After he came to power, he massacred those close to the Tower Lord's faction and eliminated dissidents. Now he is suppressing the Frost Giants Rebellion throughout the entire territory.

The Frost Giants Resistance is an underground resistance organization formed by the former White Wizards. They are constantly fighting against the current Black Wizard rulers and awaiting the Council's support.

The reason for using "Frost Giant" as a symbol is that the legendary witch who started her career in the School of Ice and then went to the Central Realm is said to have the blood of Yogmir, the progenitor of the Frost Giants. Therefore, many of the spells and artifacts created by the School of Ice like to use "Frost Giant" as a prefix.

"We're almost there. Everyone, keep your spirits up and hold on a little longer. The parliament's army will be here to support us soon."

The leading wizard said that he was the only second-circle wizard in the group.

Everyone looked tired.

It was late at night, and the temperature had dropped even lower; water would freeze instantly, no exaggeration.

Suddenly, a cracking, tearing sound came from within the ice.

With a loud bang.

The ice, a full ten feet thick, suddenly wrinkled and cracked, producing a jarring and unpleasant sound.

Then, a gigantic, tusked beast, its entire body ice-blue and resembling a giant walrus, lunged forward with bloodshot eyes.

As the walrus cleaved through the ice, beams of light from various magic arrays simultaneously illuminated, forming a blizzard that instantly trapped the small team.

Second Ring Magic Array: Wind and Snow as a Prison!

"Enemy attack!" the captain shouted.

"Too late." On the back of the giant walrus, two second-circle wizards stood side by side, one manipulating a magic circle, the other already chanting a spell.

Elsa's expression changed, and she patted Mina, saying, "Run with me later, I'll figure out a way to break the magic circle."

She knew that, most likely, someone had betrayed them.

In short, this time, the odds are against us.

A terrifying spell descended from the sky, and the captain struggled to resist it.

The other teammates also used magic to fight back, while Elsa protected Mina and thought about how to break through.

The walrus rampaged through the group, occasionally attacking with ice-based magical abilities.

This is a second-ring extraordinary creature with exceptional strength.

After analyzing the situation, Elsa killed several enemies and, taking advantage of the chaos, made her way to a corner of the magic circle.

"Frost Aurora Break!"

Ice runes shimmered on Elsa's body, the result of her years of learning the "Ice Body Refining Technique".

At the same time, the Aurora Bird Seed also ignited.

Accompanying this attack focused on a single point.

A hole was torn in the magic circle.

Elsa grabbed the little girl Mina and threw her out, then squeezed herself out before the opening closed.

Her protective spells were torn apart by just a slight graze from the wind and snow attack of the magic array; this was the power of a second-ring magic array.

"Let's go, Mina!"

Elsa picked up Mina and, using the speed advantage of the Aurora Breathing Technique, headed away into the distance.

The enemy came prepared and was overwhelmingly stronger. She couldn't die here. She still had grudges to settle and wanted to wait until she became stronger before going back to the human world to see her daughter!

"Someone got away, I'm going to go after them! You can handle them all by yourself, right?"

"No problem, but come back and support me quickly."

"Hmm, it's just chasing a little bug, it won't take long."

One of the two silver-haired male wizards from the second ring sneered, and then he used his flying artifact to take off and quickly gave chase.

He was a second-circle wizard; the other party couldn't escape.

"Such speed, I can't even keep up..."

After a while, the second-circle wizard was somewhat shocked. He was flying with his magical artifact, but he couldn't catch up with a witch who was running on foot.

It's a ghost story.

"Getting serious." He chanted an incantation, and then more magical power surged into the artifact.

The next moment, the magical artifact transformed into a streak of light, carrying him and rapidly closing the distance between him and Elsa.

At the same time, he began chanting a second-circle spell, then gently pointed a finger.

A terrifying ice spear shot towards Elsa.

Elsa struggled with all her might to barely dodge the second-circle spell. The next moment, another area-of-effect second-circle spell struck, and a dense rain of ice rain fell.

Every attack was enough to hurt Elsa.

Mina tried her best to resist with her apprentice's magic tricks, but they were as fragile as paper and were broken in an instant.

Elsa's spear only managed to parry for a moment before she was sent flying.

The difference between the Second Ring Road and the First Ring Road is still quite significant.

She threw Mina out of the attack range, and Mina, understanding Elsa's meaning, quickly moved away.

Without Mina, Elsa focused all her efforts on fighting the enemy.

She was like a phantom, moving through the icy rain, graceful as a startled swan, agile as a swimming dragon!

The speed of the aurora bird!

"Interesting, a body-refining wizard? Your body-refining technique is quite impressive." The silver-haired wizard temporarily stopped his attack.

"Hand over the body-refining techniques, become my witch's servant, and sign a servant contract, and I may spare your life," the silver-haired male witch said condescendingly.

Elsa hesitated, then asked seriously, "If you can keep your promise, I can sign a servant contract."

Being a slave is better than being dead.

If you die, there is no hope for the future.

As long as you're alive, anything is possible!

"Good, I like someone like you who knows when to back down." The silver-haired wizard drafted a contract and tossed the stone tablet to Elsa.

Elsa took a deep breath and was about to sign the contract when a loud voice rang out.

"We cannot sign."

A well-proportioned and muscular male wizard descended from the sky, smashing the ice surface and creating widespread cracks, sending ice shards flying. He stood up, clenching his fist, which cracked loudly.

Elsa was taken aback. Judging from the fluctuations in mental energy, he had only just entered the level of a formal wizard.

"Where did this greenhorn come from? A mere first-ring wizard, trying to emulate others' heroism in rescuing damsels in distress, how laughable." With a wave of his hand, the silver-haired wizard unleashed an ice arrow that shot towards the man.

The burly man raised his hand and grabbed the ice arrow.

With a creak.

The ice arrow shattered, turning into countless fragments.

At that moment, it seemed as if the blizzard had stopped.

Both Elsa and the silver-haired wizard were shocked.

Can you crush an ice arrow with your bare hands?

"Heh, another body-refining wizard. Since you're courting death, don't blame me for being impolite." The silver-haired wizard never expected that he, a dignified second-ring wizard, would be looked down upon by a first-ring body-refining wizard.

He immediately began chanting a new spell, and at that moment, the burly wizard stomped his foot, shattering the ice, and rose into the air.

His body began to grow rapidly, and his robes were stretched so taut that they looked like they were about to tear.

A golden, hazy light shone all around, like strands of golden down.

At the same time, golden power gathered in his palm.

"Ape King's Chi Kung Fu - City Destroyer!"

The silver-haired wizard didn't pay attention at first, until the protective field surrounding him was shattered by this palm strike.

He then realized the seriousness of the problem.

It's too late.

puff.

The giant hand slammed into the silver-haired wizard's chest, sending him flying like a kite with a broken string.

boom.

A burly wizard, over three meters tall and resembling a golden giant, followed closely behind and delivered a punch.

The silver-haired wizard immediately used magic to resist, narrowly avoiding the attack. The ice layer cracked and floated on the lake surface.

Elsa was even more shocked than him.

Because only Elsa knew that this was not some body-refining wizard... but a legendary knight just like herself.

How...how is this possible?

How could a legendary knight possibly overpower a second-ring wizard?

Could it be that this legendary wizard switched to body-refining wizardry, just like me?

Elsa was completely baffled.

"Sister Elsa, who is that? Why did he save us?" Sensing that something had changed, Mina, who had returned, suddenly asked.

Elsa shook her head; she was completely bewildered, as she had never met the other person before.

"Who...who exactly are you?" The silver-haired wizard dodged while preparing his spells. He had just been seriously injured, making it difficult for him to cast spells.

In truth, given his strength, he shouldn't have been in such a sorry state. He was overconfident and didn't expect that the enemy could actually shatter his protective force field.

At this moment, Elsa immediately followed suit, giving the fallen dog a good beating.

She relied on her speed advantage to coordinate with the unfamiliar legendary knight.

She also noticed that although this legendary knight had unparalleled attack power, he was somewhat lacking in speed, even a little weaker than her own maximum speed at full power.

Even Mina used the few tricks she knew to attack the silver-haired wizard.

Under the onslaught, the silver-haired wizard fled in panic.

"Ape King's Qi Gong - Shooting the Moon!"

The burly male wizard was completely focused, and the sacred ape seed within him roared, with endless sacred ape power surging into his palm.

boom!

Accompanied by a devastating blow.

The ice layer vibrated.

Afterwards, the silver-haired wizard lay on the ground, barely alive, in disbelief.

"What exactly defeated me..." He closed his eyes, dying with unresolved grievances.

A giant foot crushed him completely, his body torn to pieces.

The wizard skillfully picked up the storage bag and the magical artifacts that had fallen to the ground. He looked at the panting, sweat-drenched female knight.

"You must be Elsa, the goddess knight..."

"How...how did you know you'd seen me before?"

"My name is Mu Di. I've never seen you before, but I know you."

"Emperor Mu... I think I've heard that name before. Is it Emperor Mu of the Tuva Empire? The Fist of the Empire?"

"That's right, we shouldn't stay here any longer. Let's find a safe place to talk."

Soon, they escaped the place with Mina, Elsa, and Mudi, and found a safe place.

On the other side, due to the absence of the silver-haired wizard, another second-circle wizard, seeing that his teammate had not returned for a long time, temporarily retreated.

Inside a hidden ice cave.

"I didn't expect you to have also entered the wizarding world." Elsa was still in shock from the battle.

"I was also surprised to meet you here. I came with the Ocean School's legion to support the Cold School, but there was a slight accident during the teleportation, and I got separated from my teammates. It's fate that we met. I wonder if I could take up some of your time to introduce you to an organization with infinite light and a bright future?"

After Emperor Mu left the Yellow Earth Continent, he discovered a unique feature of his ancestral breathing method during his trials.

That means it's more suitable to cultivate in battle, becoming stronger and braver with each battle. Only in this way can one cultivate faster.

Legend has it that the sacred ape was a warlike and combative creature, and I must have inherited this trait from it.

Leader Li Wei always told him that cultivation should never involve fighting or killing; it is best to cultivate quietly, and safety should always be the top priority.

Unfortunately, this path is not suitable for Emperor Mu. He cannot become stronger by cultivating at home every day like the leader.

He must fight and battle in the vast world to become stronger!

He felt that the Holy Ape should be renamed "Fighting Holy Ape" for a more appropriate name.

Unfortunately, during the process of honing his skills in battle, he apparently accidentally killed a member of a fifth-ring wizard family.

Heaven have mercy, he was forced into it; that kid provoked him first.

That kid, relying on his father being a third-circle wizard from a wizarding family, acted with impunity and bullied me.

Unable to bear it any longer, Emperor Mu smashed his head with a single punch.

Although he was only a first-ring wizard, he was still a descendant of a wizarding family. Fearing retaliation from the wizarding family, Mu Di simply followed the army supporting the Frost School to the Frost Realm, intending to hide there for a while and return after things calmed down.

He still has a tracking mark in his body, but it's clear that now that they're so far away and not even in the same realm of the Unbeliever, the wizarding family definitely won't be able to track him down.

"Your Excellency Mudi, what is that organization you're talking about?" Elsa asked curiously.

"Ms. Elsa, do you think that legend is the end for a knight?" Mudi didn't rush to answer, but instead asked in return.

"Yes...it has always been this way," Elsa said.

"If I told you that there is still a path to follow after becoming a legend, would you believe me?" Mu Di exuded an aura of confidence, and Elsa stared blankly at this man. At this moment, he seemed so great!

"I certainly didn't believe it before, but after seeing you, I think I do believe it now," Elsa said with a wry smile.

Mudi nodded: "That's right, the path of a knight has no end. A legendary knight is actually only the first step in a knight's extraordinary journey; there is a second step, a third step..."

Elsa listened attentively, and then couldn't help but exclaim, "Your Excellency is truly a divine being, able to break through the shackles of legend and create a new path for knights."

Mudi shook his head, gazing into the distance, and calmly said, "Madam, you are mistaken. I am only on the second step of the path of knighthood. There is already someone ahead of us; he is our guide."

"What?" Elsa was shocked. What Mudi said completely overturned her understanding.

"Don't be too surprised. In this world, there are always some exceptionally talented people who are just too low-key and don't show off. Our organization is like that. If you are interested, we can sign a simple confidentiality agreement first, and I can continue to introduce you to the organization," Mu Di said mysteriously.

"Let me think..." Elsa calmed down and began to wonder if Mudi was just trying to fool her.

Emperor Mu did not urge him, but instead appeared confident.

"Haha, the commander would never have imagined that I would encounter the Goddess Knight in the Frozen Realm. Our Twilight Knights finally have a woman!" Mu Di thought to himself with pride. He was unaware that the Divine Light Knight Denise had already joined the mortal realm.

After a moment, Elsa said, "I'm willing to sign the agreement."

Mudi nodded and handed the agreement to Elsa to sign.

"Ms. Elsa, the organization I'm about to introduce to you will be a beacon for all knights in the world. Its name is... the Twilight Knights. The vice-commander is the legendary Blood Knight, who was once famous and renowned, while the commander is a great figure who has quietly reached the pinnacle of knighthood..."

"Who is it?"

"Yakuza Knight, Levi!"

……

The endless sea.

Hades City.

There is a tavern.

Li Wei sat alone in a private room, drinking the alcohol he had brought with him.

Unnamed wine.

"Speaking of which, the grass on the Nameless Knight's grave should be taller than me by now. Of the seven legends of the Shining Tavern, I've already won over the Blood Knight and the Black Knight."

The Nameless Knight, the Golden Knight, and the Lionheart Knight are confirmed dead.

I'm too low a level to romance the Knight of Flowers, so the only one left is the adventurous Snowflake Knight, Freyle.

He lived hundreds of years ago; he's most likely dead, unless he has a naturally immortal bloodline or became a wizard.

Li Wei shook his head.

Just now.

The sounds of chatting and laughing could be heard outside the private room; it seemed that the Rose Witch had arrived with her friends.

Li Wei put away the nameless wine.

"Lord Li Wei, you've arrived," the Rose Witch said with a smile, clearly in a good mood.

Behind her were two wizards. One was a male wizard wearing a blue robe with golden lightning patterns on it. Judging from his mental energy fluctuations, he was similar to the old Golden Lion who had mastered two innate spells, and was very likely a senior wizard of the third ring.

This wizard was extremely handsome and had an elegant demeanor, befitting someone from a prominent family.

The other was a witch dressed in a white robe with daffodil patterns. The moment Li Wei saw this witch, he remembered that he had seen her before.

"The White Water Witch, she really didn't die."

Li Wei remembered that before the Ninth District fell, she and the Extreme Fire Ancestral Witch were chased by the Black-Eyed Crow and their whereabouts were unknown.

It seems she ran back to the Starry Sea. Come to think of it, she is different from the Extreme Fire Ancestral Witch. The Extreme Fire Ancestral Witch was a rogue cultivator with no backing, but she did.

The White Water Witch had naturally met Li Wei before, but she hadn't greeted him. She had even wanted to invite him to join the Monsoon Tower, but unexpectedly, the Monsoon Tower was destroyed by the Black-Eyed Raven, and she herself almost perished there.

"Lord Levi, let me introduce you. This is the Whitewater Witch, one of the twenty-four maids of the Flower Witch, just like me. This gentlemanly wizard is Regrio Letney, the pride of the Letney family and a third-circle magic circle wizard. Of course, he is also the Whitewater Witch's partner."

After speaking, the White Water Witch smiled slightly: "Lord Li Wei, we can be considered old acquaintances, although we haven't greeted each other before."

Li Wei smiled and said, "I had some urgent business at the time, I hope Madam Bai Shui will understand."

Regorio's expression changed slightly, but he quickly returned to normal, coughed, and did not speak.

"Lord Regorio, it's a pleasure to meet you. I hope our cooperation will go smoothly," Li Wei said amicably.

Regorio nodded and smiled, saying, "With Lord Levi's participation, this exploration of the ancient ruins should be no problem." He looked at the Whitewater Witch and said jokingly, "I didn't expect you to know Lord Levi. Such a young and promising extraordinary biologist, and a third-circle apothecary, must be from a powerful family. Why don't you introduce him to me? Haha."

"We've only met once, we didn't even greet each other, so how can I introduce you? Besides, Lord Li Wei isn't a member of the family," the White Water Witch said, rolling her eyes at Regorio.

"Just kidding, let's get down to business. It's about the precautions for this exploration. Lord Levi must already have a basic understanding of that ancient wizard's ruins," Regorio said, looking at the Rose Witch.

"That's right, I've already introduced him to Lord Li Wei."

"That's good. I wonder if Lord Li Wei has any way to counter the Crimson Nether Sparrow's immortality?" Regorio asked.

"I have a way to stop its regeneration, so you can rest assured," Li Wei said. He possessed the power of death and could suppress the Crimson Nether Sparrow's self-healing ability.

"Alright, since I was the first to discover this secret realm, and I was also in charge of the most important part of the magic array in this secret realm, I will take forty percent of the harvest from this secret realm botanical garden. You have no objections, right?" Regorio said.

"No problem, this was all discussed and agreed upon beforehand," said the Rose Witch.

"I'm fine with that too, but the corpse of the Crimson Nether Bird has to be mine. I don't care about the rest," Li Wei said.

That's why he came; he can always find herbs and such again.

Extraordinary creatures like the Crimson Netherworld Bird, which are almost extinct, are the most important to him.

Regorio nodded in satisfaction and said, "Hmm, I admire the mentality of a rogue cultivator like Lord Li Wei. After all, most rogue cultivators are poor and always like to fight over trivial interests, without any gentlemanly manners. I have never liked that."

Li Wei maintained his smile: "You're right. Given the choice, who wouldn't want to be a high-ranking member of a powerful family?"

He didn't try to refute anything; it was pointless. A prodigy like Regorio was from a different world than him.

"Alright, let's go, don't waste time." Rose sensed the awkward atmosphere; both sides were friends, so she could only step in to smooth things over.

"Alright, I know you're from a big family. But aren't Rose and I also independent cultivators? If you look down on independent cultivators, why are you with me?" Madam Baishui said with a hint of resentment.

Regorio smiled and said, "You are different. Besides, I didn't mean to look down on Lord Li Wei. Don't misunderstand. I was just stating some objective facts. I still respect Lord Li Wei."

Li Wei simply smiled and didn't say anything. He silently followed behind the group without uttering a word.

Having left the no-fly zone of Hades City, Li Wei had just taken out the Flying Shark, preparing to enter.

Regorio took out a small model of a magical airship from his storage bag.

Then he chanted a spell, and the model grew larger and larger in the wind, until finally a finely crafted and luxurious magical airship appeared there.

On the hull of the airship was engraved a sharp golden lightning bolt pattern, which was the crest of the Lightney family and was clearly custom-made.

"Lord Levi, your Flying Shark is a bit slow. Why don't you come aboard my Lightning? We can exchange ideas and work together on the way, and discuss how to deal with the ferocious creatures in those ancient ruins. As far as I know, there are more than just the Crimson Netherbird there." Regorio let the two ladies board first. The Rose Witch frowned slightly, and the White Water Witch on the other side also looked unwell. She regretted mentioning that she knew Levi.

Li Wei flashed a bright white smile and said in a sunny and kind tone, "In that case, I won't stand on ceremony. Thank you."

Nothing happened along the way, and three days passed in the blink of an eye.

Somewhere in the Starry Sea.

On the sea, a golden magical airship suddenly descended, creating huge waves. Then, the runes on the surface of the airship flashed, and it broke through the seawater, diving into the sea and transforming into a submarine.

In the deep sea, Li Wei suddenly saw a green light spreading in front of him.

He was constantly on guard, his sense of danger alerted him, though he didn't know if it was because of the dangers within the secret realm.

As for Regorio, there's nothing wrong with him. Although he's very arrogant, he probably doesn't have any hostility. He just likes to show off.

"The entrance to the secret realm is just ahead. I'll put away the magic airship in a bit. Everyone, get ready to enter," Regorio said.

In the deep sea, a cave is emitting a green light.

Four wizards appeared at the edge of the cave, and a ferocious fish rushed out. It was about the level of a first-ring transcendent creature and was easily annihilated by the golden lightning chain at the tip of Regorio's finger.

"There are always some overconfident ants," Regorio chuckled softly, snapping his fingers.

Golden arcs of electricity, scattered like a spiderweb, danced on his palm, illuminating the deep seabed and everything within the cave.

"The Lightney family's magic is truly amazing," Lady Rose exclaimed, and the White Water Witch nodded in agreement.

"He could clearly use light magic or mental power to sense things... To cultivate to this level, he must be at least a hundred years old, how come he acts like a little kid?" Li Wei complained.

He simply couldn't understand the thought process of the disciples of powerful families.

What's the point of showing off? Aside from the fleeting sense of vanity and satisfaction, it's utterly meaningless.

Of the three thousand great paths, the true path endures.

Li Wei followed silently behind, and then stepped into the green-glowing portal.

When he reappeared, Li Wei was in a place filled with birdsong and fragrant flowers.

"Lord Li Wei, please don't run around or try to fly away. The Crimson Netherbird is the least dangerous creature here because it won't leave the botanical garden. Based on our last exploration, there may be other dangers in this secret realm, appearing and disappearing unpredictably and impossible to guard against," the Rose Witch warned.

Li Wei nodded and followed behind the group.

Everything around him, from the slightest breeze to the smallest movement, was within his synesthetic perception range.

This secret realm is much larger than the Giant Tree Secret Realm and Li Wei's Wind Disaster Secret Realm.

The Giant Tree Secret Realm is a miniature secret realm, the Wind Disaster Secret Realm is a small secret realm, and this is a medium-sized secret realm.

I don't know how far we've traveled.

"Master...I'm hungry."

Inside the Wizard of Oz's house, Leon lay on the ground, while strange insects hovered back and forth, seemingly very anxious.

Helpless, Li Wei put some prepared meat from extraordinary creatures into it.

After doing all this, he realized that he seemed to have fallen far behind the Rose Witch and her group.

He quickly chased after him and followed silently behind.

As he walked, Levi noticed that the Rose Witch and her companions ahead seemed to have stopped talking... He felt something was off.

"Your Excellency Rose, how far is the botanical garden?"

Li Wei asked calmly, gazing at the slightly raised hairs on his body.

The Rose Witch ahead kept walking without turning back or paying any attention to Levi, as did the White Water Witch and Regorio.

The dense forest blocked out the sun, the light grew dimmer, and the birdsong seemed to fade into the distance. The air was damp and chilly, and the faint sound of dripping water could be heard intermittently. A cold wind seemed to penetrate the skin and brush against the soul.

In my mind, the Holy Tower of the Ring of Law rotated slowly, and everything seemed normal.

Li Wei closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, the Eye of Ash appeared, reflecting a gray kingdom within them.

Ashes fell from the sky, and the three wizards in front of Li Wei were now completely devoid of fire, as if they were made of ash.

This means that they... have no chance of survival.

Li Wei's eyes were as still as a deep well.

With a gentle tap, he unleashed the Frost Sword Finger, piercing through Regorio in front of him.

Regorio deflated like a punctured balloon, making a "poof poof poof" sound, while grayish-white water seeped out from the hole.

Moments later, Regorio had turned into a human skin and a pool of grayish-white water.

Meanwhile, the Rose Witch and the White Water Witch continued walking forward, seemingly unaware of Regorio's change.

A moment later, Regorio's human skin stood up and walked forward shakily, as if it were a paper effigy moving forward.

"interesting."

Li Wei's lips curled up.

Lyon's voice came from inside the Wizard of Oz.

"Master... let me out, I want to eat something," Leon said.

"Wait a moment."

After Li Wei finished speaking, accompanied by chanting, a golden flame radiating scorching heat appeared in his hand.

boom.

He directly caused the golden flames to explode around him.

Flames shot into the sky, instantly charring and burning the trees to nothingness, while the ashes, expanding under the intense heat, soared into the high altitude.

Within a radius of nearly a hundred meters, everything was burned to nothingness, including the three illusory figures in front of them who were only concerned with walking.

The human skin and the ash water began to dissolve and turn to ashes.

Flames purify everything!

"Playing tricks!"

Suddenly, a cold wind swept over me from behind.

The heavy water barrier lights up.

The golden snake's scales are layered.

Li Wei revealed his true form as a fire dragon, his entire body engulfed in flames, but that was all; the power of death and ashes swirled around him.

Ashes and flames rose up.

With a bang.

It seemed as if something had hit Li Wei on the back.

Li Wei grabbed it with his backhand.

A thin snake with a miniature female head was struggling in his hand, emitting a horrible hiss that Li Wei couldn't understand at all.

Li Wei tossed out an ashes coin.

"The Unyielding Ginza Owens!"

He said coldly.

Windmill Village in the Ash World.

The armored burly man, who had been sitting alone at the village entrance, chin in hand and lost in thought, suddenly became excited. He drew his silver sword and exclaimed, "Wah-ya-ya!"

"Owens, the strongest man in Windmill Village, has arrived!"

Then, Owens, who was only a little over a meter tall, looked at his underdeveloped body with a worried expression.

"I said, could you summon me with a silver coin next time...?" Owens said.

"I didn't bring you here to fight. Show me what this is. Is it the kind of 'corruption' you mentioned?"

Li Wei used his Ash Power to grab the thin snake with the human head, and the snake's body wrapped around Li Wei's arm, struggling incessantly.

"This...this is corruption! What's going on? Has your world also been invaded by corruption?" Owens asked gravely.

"I don't know."

Livi's deadly power and the eruption of flames ultimately crushed the Corrupted.

"What exactly is corruption?" Li Wei asked.

In his hand was an irregular gray crystal containing a trace of mysterious energy.

"This is a good thing, but unfortunately I'm just an avatar and can't take it back." Owens looked at the crystal.

"Master, I want to eat, I want to eat... I'm hungry." Inside the Wizard of Oz, the anxious voice of the worm Leon reached Li Wei's mind.

Li Wei didn't rush to give it to Lyon; he simply gave it some ordinary flesh and blood, and then put the gray crystal away.

"What is Corruption... I can't really explain it either. Baron Megan said it seems to be an immortal existence formed from the negative, dark, and corrupt obsessions of all living beings. In our world, only the swords of the Grey Swordsmen can slay Corruption. You can slay Corruption because your power is of the same origin as the power of the Grey Swordsmen. It is this power that allowed you, an outsider, to enter the Ash World. In a way, you are one of us in the Ash World," Owens said.

Li Wei took out a silver coin, on which was engraved a dead dragon.

"Then what is this?" Li Wei asked.

"This Coin of Life," Owens said with a simple, honest expression.

"I mean the pattern on top."

"Oh, that? I don't know, since I'm illiterate and haven't gone to school. I only heard Baron Megan say that a long time ago, in the Ash World, there were many powerful figures who possessed the authority to mint coins. They were collectively known as the Ash Lords or Ash Kings. The life coins minted by each Ash Lord had different designs, but they were basically all in their own likeness, serving as symbols of supreme royal power."

They would reward their bravest Gray Swordsmen with these Life Coins. Back then, in the Ash World, there were many powerful Gray Swordsmen of level six or above. Unlike now, where a Gray Swordsman like me of level three is considered a master...

Unfortunately, for some unknown reason, the Ash Lords have all disappeared, or perhaps... perished.

After that, the Corruption began to spread throughout our world.

Life Coins are dwindling, advancement for Grey Swordsmen is becoming increasingly difficult, the strong are dwindling, and corruption is rampant—it's a vicious cycle.

Li Wei stared at the silver coin with a solemn expression, deep in thought.

"Wasn't this something I created using the power of the dead? Am I the Lord of Ashes?"

He put away the silver coins, and not long after, Owens disappeared into the secret realm due to exhaustion of his power.

Li Wei gazed at the scorched forest clearing.

Continue onward.

Those things just now were probably illusions or something created by the corrupted [Snake Beauty]. The corrupted's abilities are indeed as Rose said, impossible to guard against. Even Li Wei didn't know when he fell for it.

"Beautiful Snake" is a name given by Li Weiqi.

Its strength is probably no less than that of a third-ring wizard.

The most troublesome thing is that if you rely solely on magic, it might take a lot of effort to kill it.

Not long after, Li Wei found Rose and her group resting in the woods through synesthesia. They were chatting and laughing, completely unaware that they were missing.

Li Wei's expression changed slightly upon seeing this.

Beside the Rose Witch sat another Levi, whose expression, demeanor, and aura were exactly the same as hers, sitting silently...

"Then who am I?"

This secret realm seems to be more complex than imagined.

Li Wei suddenly thought of a chilling question: "During the last exploration of the secret realm, did Rose and the others really... come back alive?"

This is a long chapter of 10,000 words. I will correct any typos later. I will add 4000 words today, and still owe 5200 words.

I'm asking for monthly votes and recommendation votes!

(End of this chapter)