Wizard: Grinding experience starting with Knight's Breathing Technique

Chapter 251 Nightmare Dragon! (Long chapter, please vote and subscribe!)

The year 1105 of the Holy Radiance Calendar, the month of Frosty Winter.

As the new year draws to a close.

Humanity has become more turbulent and unstable.

Within the Kingdom of Gaia, which borders the Kingdom of Peacock, lies a city abandoned due to plague and war.

A mysterious figure calling herself "Lady Ghost" established the evil spirit kingdom of "Ghost Kingdom" in this place, which has become a forbidden zone covering thousands of miles. Ghosts and evil spirits breed in it, and even great knights who enter will die.

After the Church of Earth sent saints to subdue the land without success, it is said that Saint Teresa went there herself. The final outcome is unknown, but in any case, the "Land of Ghosts" still exists.

Rumor has it that Lady Ghost used countless ghosts and evil spirits to create a terrifying evil spirit that even saints could not defeat and could only acquiesce to Lady Ghost's existence.

This rumor was vehemently denied by the Earth Church, which claimed that there was no enemy that the saints could not defeat. But how do you explain the naked existence of the ghost kingdom on earth?

Of course, for ordinary people, the church either doesn't exist or it doesn't exist...

Other countries are not much better off than the Gaia Kingdom.

For example, in the Skyfire City of the Molten Kingdom, some people saw a magnificent, incomparably majestic, crimson firebird with wings that blotted out the sky battling an old man whose body seemed to be composed of inextinguishable flames on the cloud peak. Under the firelight, the night was as bright as day, and the entire Skyfire City was shrouded in a white light shield.

Later, insiders revealed that the firebird was the culprit that had caused the Tuva Empire to suffer from fires and droughts some time ago.

After being defeated by Storm Saint Grado, he fled without a trace, and then reappeared in the Molten Kingdom, attempting to steal a sealed relic from the Eternal Church in Skyfire City.

Legend has it that within that sealed relic lies an ever-burning divine fire, the most important relic of the Eternal Church, bar none.

After that battle, the Eternal Church went into martial law and searched the world for the Crimson Firebird.

Unfortunately, the Crimson Firebird vanished without a trace, disappearing into thin air.

Human affairs are countless and complex.

Every day, new changes are happening.

Star Empire.

The Church of the Stars is located at [Falling Star Mountain].

The nights here are filled with twinkling stars, fireflies dotting the wilderness, and the chirping of insects, making the place even more tranquil.

The Church of the Stars, its colors resembling the night sky.

At the highest point of the church, on the dome of the Gothic building in the very center.

A young girl dressed in a starry gauze dress, with delicate features and a very comfortable appearance, is sitting here lazily, hugging her knees and gazing up at the starry sky.

"Cultivation is such a tedious thing, while the human world is becoming more and more exciting and lively."

Estella is absorbing the power of the stars.

"I wonder what old man Grado's strength is now. Could he have broken through again? I can't let myself fall too far behind the others..."

And that strange guy from before, I wonder where he went. Maybe he's hiding in the wizarding world, too afraid to come back… What happened to our cooperation?

Estella had previously visited the island where she had first encountered the monster, but aside from some knights, she did not see the monster and left.

Judging from the knight organization established by that strange man, he is ambitious and has the strength to back it up.

This made Estella even more eager to work with him.

After all, cooperating with a secret organization established by an ordinary person is always better than cooperating with those competitors who each have their own ulterior motives.

The Lord of the Stars is the most unique among the seven gods. He has no faction, no allies, and is mysterious and unpredictable.

Unlike the "Heavenly Father" and the "Earthly Mother," who are always on the same side, they are practically a pair of adulterous lovers in the Star Realm.

"I don't know how much longer I can hold on to the [worldly barrier]... Sigh, why are there so many troubles in this world?"

Estella murmured to herself, and before she knew it, she lay down on her side on the dome, asleep under the starry night...

On Twilight Island.

Inside the Supreme Dao Hall.

Within Li Wei's body, the [Heavenly Nightmare], which resembled a black mist, was mutating and fusing with a giant, seven-colored, misty dragon.

This misty dragon is Li Wei's [Dream Dragon Seed].

Time passed second by second.

When the final fusion was completed, the original [Heavenly Nightmare] and [Dream Dragon] had disappeared, replaced by a jet-black dragon with shattered wings, exuding a terrifying aura.

The dragon's eyes were indifferent, seemingly containing a strange world of red and black.

Open the proficiency panel.

Li Wei——————

Nightmare Dragon Breathing Technique: 12th Rank (1/400000), Special Effects: Nightmare Perception (Level 4), Danger Perception, Nightmare Traveler, Heart of the Heavenly Wind.

……

Apart from the unchanged [Danger Perception] and [Heart of the Heavenly Wind].

The original [Level 3 Synesthesia] has been upgraded to [Level 4 Nightmare Perception], and [Nightmare Walker] has been upgraded to [Nightmare Traveler].

Nightmare perception, compared to synesthesia, adds a "sixth sense - mental perception" to the original five senses of sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch.

[Heart Sensing] can see through illusions and nightmares. Unless one's level is much higher than Li Wei's, ordinary illusions cannot deceive him.

"If I had such special effects when entering the dream tower secret realm, then even if the human-faced spider is strong, her illusion ability should not be able to affect me, even though we are separated by two worlds."

Li Wei recalled his last trip to the secret realm, where he was completely outmaneuvered by that damned human-faced spider.

As for the second [Nightmare Traveler], it adds another function to the original [Nightmare Walker].

Nightmare Traveler: The Nightmare Dragon blood within you grants you the ability to enter the Nightmare World. You can enter any Prime Material Plane directly by consuming Nightmare Dragon power, or you can enter through another person's "Nightmare" and condense a "Nightmare Avatar" using Nightmare Dragon power.

By consuming the power of the Nightmare Dragon, you will be randomly sent to a certain place in the Nightmare World. If you enter through someone else's Nightmare, you will appear in the Nightmare Land related to that "Nightmare".

Items you obtain in the Nightmare World can be taken out by consuming Nightmare Dragon Power, or you can find nodes between the Nightmare World and the Prime Material Plane to take them out.

As a "Nightmare Traveler," your death in the Nightmare World will not result in death in the real world. After the Nightmare Dragon's power is exhausted, your consciousness will leave the Nightmare World and return to the Prime Material Plane.

Looking at the special effects description, Li Wei's expression turned serious.

"A nightmare world?"

This world is the most dangerous and terrifying world Li Wei has ever encountered.

Even though the proficiency panel assured him there was no danger, Li Wei didn't want to try it easily.

Learning from past mistakes, the Dreamland Tower used its self-developed "Dream Potion" to enter, and then everyone inside vanished into thin air.

Perhaps it's okay once or twice, but if you keep walking on the edge of the nightmare world and the real world, sooner or later you will be dragged into the nightmare forever.

"The Human-Faced Spider exists in the Nightmare World and is likely a dominant force there. However, given its level, it's certainly not at the true pinnacle of the Nightmare World. There are even more terrifying beings than the Human-Faced Spider, such as the Heavenly Nightmare and the Dream Dragon..."

According to the research of the Dream Tower, the Nightmare World is a major spiritual plane comparable to the Astral Plane and the Underworld.

If the astral plane is a world formed by the projection of the faith and spirit of all living beings...

That nightmare world is very likely a distorted world reflected from the nightmares and fears hidden deep within the hearts of all living beings.

There, everything was chaotic, disorderly, and utterly illogical.

Many rules of the Prime Material Plane may not be applicable, and even spells may not be usable. Monsters hidden deep within the nightmares of living beings also roam the nightmare world, drawing power from fear to strengthen themselves.

After experiencing the last secret realm, Li Wei was basically certain that the Ash World was a world corrupted by the Nightmare World.

This world shares some similarities with the Nightmare World: rampant corruption and a distorted reflection of reality, as if this world is being assimilated by the Nightmare World...

Li Wei sighed. Although the Nightmare World might also have some opportunities, resources, treasures, etc., he was not ready to enter it yet.

"In any case, ordinary illusions will be useless against me from now on, which is a good thing... However, it seems that apart from the Dream School, other schools rarely use illusions for attacks."

Try not to think about nightmares.

Li Wei walked out of the Jidao Hall.

Today is the oath-taking ceremony.

Upon seeing Li Wei emerge from seclusion, the vice-commander, the Blood Knight, solemnly announced, "Commander, all the full members of the Twilight Knights, along with the apprentices of the Twilight Temple—a total of two hundred and forty—are now present!"

Before Li Wei, in the plaza of the Twilight Temple, were figures, some curious and some expectant.

They were all focused on the tall, imposing middle-aged knight in golden armor.

His face was resolute, his demeanor extraordinary, and his powerful muscles resembled those of a celestial being in a statue.

"This is... the Yakuza Knight?"

"That's right, this is the Temple Master of the Twilight Temple, the Grand Master of the Twilight Knights... He's said to be over a hundred years old..."

"Such a powerful aura. In front of him, I feel that my cultivation as a Grand Knight is nothing more than an ant."

Looking at these young faces, Li Wei recalled that he himself had once been one of them.

Without saying a word, he drew the Sword of Oath and plunged it into the floor in front of him.

At that moment, the entire island seemed to tremble slightly, and many trainee members exclaimed in surprise.

Then, Li Wei's powerful aura swept across Twilight Island, his eyes were like torches, and his voice was deafening.

"Gentlemen, a storm is brewing in the human world, and we, the Twilight Temple, cannot sit idly by and wait for our doom."

To strengthen our cohesion, today, I ask you all to swear an oath with me before this sword!

This oath concerns your future. From this day forward, your destiny will be inextricably linked to that of the Twilight Temple. We will share both glory and ruin!

The road ahead will be incredibly difficult and arduous. If you wish to give up, you may withdraw now. We will erase all memories of your life and cultivation in the Twilight Temple, and you will be sent back to the mortal realm, back to your daily lives as an ignorant and uneducated noble.

After Li Wei finished speaking, he looked at the trainee members.

Some people seemed to sense that this oath would be extraordinary, and their hearts stirred.

"Commander... I want to quit."

"Me too……"

One by one, some people began to raise their hands and leave.

The Blood Knight screened out these people, his face showing disappointment.

Li Wei was as calm as a still well. With more people, there would be a mix of good and bad, which was exactly what he expected.

Therefore, the core of his future will always be the "Twilight Eighteen Riders" centered around the "Twilight Round Table".

These trainee members were mainly prepared for the training of the Twilight Eighteen Riders.

Their willpower, loyalty, perseverance, and goals vary, so it's perfectly normal for some to drop out.

In the end, only 200 of the 240 members remained.

Li Wei instructed the Blood Knight to take the forty men away, promising to use a forgetting spell to erase all their memories of the Twilight Knights afterward.

"Very good. Those of you standing here now will become companions of the Knights. Are you ready?" Levi asked loudly.

"I'm ready!" Kelvin Silvermountain, who was already at the peak of the Great Knight level and only one step away from becoming a Legendary Knight, shouted excitedly from the crowd.

Following that, more and more knights emitted deafening sounds.

"We're ready!"

Then, the knights all plunged their swords into the ground.

Li Wei nodded, his expression resolute. He placed his hand on the longsword before him and swore, "The long night is coming..."

The knightly oath contains many obligations of loyalty that members of the knightly order must fulfill to the organization. These were all adapted by Li Wei into a passionate and exciting "Night Watch Oath" from a fantasy film or television series from his previous life.

With such an oath as a constraint, these members who remain in the Twilight Temple are unlikely to betray anyone... unless one of them has a cultivation level that surpasses Li Wei's, but that is impossible.

Even Li Wei himself swore an oath, but since the organization was all his, keeping his oath was naturally no challenge for him.

After the oath was sworn, countless phantom images of swords of oath stood in the sky above the Twilight Temple.

It then entered the bodies of all the group members.

At this moment, the close connection between them and the Twilight Temple organization was truly established.

Li Wei doesn't need these people to worship him; he only needs their absolute loyalty to the Twilight Temple and their unwavering commitment to never betray it.

In this respect, humans are not as easily fooled as the crawlers of the Ancient Dragon Empire.

After all, these knights came from different cultures, had different beliefs, and were quite different from each other.

The crawlers, who mostly worship the original ancient saints and the sacred serpent, were easy for Livy to control due to their natural faith.

In the following period, Li Wei personally taught some apprentice knights in the Twilight Temple. He came from the members and went back to the members. While maintaining his supreme authority, he also left behind a good image of being approachable to the people.

Through a combination of kindness and severity, the Twilight Knights gradually moved towards standardization, regulation, and integration.

Subsequently, the Temple of Knowledge, centered around the Mirror of True Knowledge, was established, and the knowledge management system was gradually improved.

The Dawn Temple, where tasks can be posted and resources can be exchanged, has also been established. Members of the Dawn Temple can trade the cultivation resources and secret medicine materials they need with each other, or they can spend the corresponding price to exchange for them directly in the Dawn Temple, or they can accept the temple's task bounty and exchange them for labor.

After doing all this, Li Wei handed over the entrance to the Ancient Saint Plane and the method to enter the magic circle to the official members of the Knights Order.

Next, these official members will lead the trainee members into the Ancient Saint Plane in batches to train and search for resources.

Of course, Li Wei had also informed the council of elders of the Ancient Dragon Empire in advance.

It is said that in the future, a group of "believers" of the "original ancient saints" will come to the Ancient Dragon Empire for training. The two sides are brothers, and if they meet, they must not have any conflicts.

As for the ferocious beasts, Li Wei was powerless to do anything about it.

This is also why he dared not throw all the team members into the Ancient Saint Plane at once.

Aside from the official members, most of the ordinary members are just ordinary knights with the cultivation level of a Great Knight. They are powerless against the powerful beasts in the Ancient Saint Plane. If they are thrown into it without an adaptation period, it would be good if only one-tenth of them survive.

He was there to hone the team members, not to make them play PUBG.

……

The year 1106 of the Holy Radiance Calendar, the Primordial Moon.

Storm City.

Shining Tavern.

Li Wei was alone, savoring his Snow Beer.

Listen to the bard on stage recounting the legendary story of the "Snowflake Knight".

After the story was finished, Li Wei, the drummer, cheered.

"May you all possess the courage of the Snow Knight!" the bard said happily.

After reminiscing at the Shining Tavern and gathering some information, Li Wei was about to leave when a richly dressed, plump nobleman approached him.

"Is there something you need?"

Li Wei didn't recognize this fat man; he must be the owner of this Shining Tavern.

"Sir, our boss wants to see you... not me, I mean all the big bosses of Shining Taverns..." the fat man said softly.

He originally thought Li Wei was just an ordinary person, but who would have thought that the behind-the-scenes boss who happened to be doing business here could tell at a glance that Li Wei was no ordinary person.

The boss was eager to see what it was all about, so he sent the fat nobleman to invite Li Wei.

Upon hearing this, Li Wei smiled and said, "Alright, lead the way."

He was also curious to know who the mastermind behind this Shining Tavern, which was so deeply rooted in the mortal world and comparable to the church, was.

Led by the fat nobleman, Li Wei made his way to the backstage of the tavern.

In what appears to be an ordinary dressing room, a beautiful noblewoman is combing her hair in front of a mirror.

She wore a fiery, aristocratic gown adorned with hand-embroidered roses, making her both alluring and beautiful.

After a brief assessment, Li Wei discovered that the other party was likely an ordinary person, with nothing particularly special about them.

"Please wait a moment, Your Excellency." The noblewoman adjusted her corset in front of the mirror, pushing up her breasts to reveal a beautiful view.

Li Wei seemed to be deep in thought, so he stood there quietly and waited.

"You are a wizard, aren't you..." the noblewoman said with a radiant smile, staring intently at Li Wei.

"Interesting. How did you figure that out? You're just an ordinary person," Li Wei said.

Upon hearing this, the noblewoman chuckled: "Does Your Excellency really believe that an ordinary person could control so many dazzling taverns?"

The noblewoman chuckled softly. "When I first took over this tavern, even Hundred Blossoms hadn't been born yet..."

Upon hearing this, Li Wei's expression shifted slightly: "You're a wizard?"

The noblewoman released a slight fluctuation of spiritual power, and Li Wei was startled upon sensing this vast spiritual power.

The person in front of me should be at least a fifth-circle wizard...

Li Wei had also met fourth-circle wizards, but the feeling they gave him was far inferior to that of this one.

The owner of the Shining Tavern is actually a fifth-circle wizard...

No wonder it has stood the test of time for so long.

"Please forgive me, senior. My strength is too weak to recognize that you are a wizard," Li Wei said.

I should show some respect to the Fifth Ring Wizard.

Although, judging from the sense of danger, this person did not have any ill intentions towards me.

"It's not your fault. The elemental power in the human world is scarce. Most of the time, I use secret methods to seal the wizard's cultivation to prevent it from declining. Over time, I even feel like an ordinary person myself," she said.

Li Wei thought to himself that he was indeed too ignorant; the wizarding world actually had such secret techniques.

Judging from this, there are probably quite a few wizards hiding among humans.

These old folks, living in seclusion in the city, observe the changing world and the passage of time from an outsider's perspective.

He remembered the "Ghost Lady" who had appeared in the Kingdom of Gaia some time ago; she must also be a powerful sorceress.

With the keen senses of wizards, they probably already sensed the impending convergence of the celestial spheres and the resurgence of the demonic tide. Perhaps some wizarding organizations have already secretly begun to plot and scheme in the human world.

It's just that I was too weak before and had no access to the world of these important figures.

"You don't need to worry, I mean no harm. I just happened to pass by this Shining Tavern today and noticed that you were somewhat special, so I specially invited you here for a chat," the noblewoman said with a smile.

"I'm just a wild wizard who was forced to stay in the human world because of the war... What's so special about me?" Li Wei smiled bitterly.

"Because you are not only a wizard, but also a legendary knight... I have been running the Shining Tavern for five hundred years. Apart from the Lionheart Knight, who has been around for a long time, among the Seven Shining Knights, I have met the Golden Knight and discussed the secrets of bloodlines with him; I have also had contact with the Thousand-Faced Knight, but he is quite cunning and I don't like him; I also personally sent the Hundred Flowers Knight into the wizarding world and witnessed this little girl rise like a comet to become a Soul Wizard..."

The noblewoman sipped her wine and casually recounted stories that, to outsiders, would be considered legendary tales.

Li Wei could understand her state of mind. He was only a little over a hundred years old, yet he had witnessed so many changes in the world. How much more so for a five-hundred-year-old monster like her?

"After saying so much, I still don't know your name, senior..." Li Wei asked.

"Me? In the human world, my employees like to call me 'Lady Rose,' but in the wizarding world, I am the Rose Witch..."

"The Rose Witch... if I remember correctly, she's one of the twenty-four flowers under the Flower Witch's command, right?"

"That's right, I guess I was the one who guided the Hundred Flowers Knight. After her soul was restored, I took the initiative to join the Twenty-Four Flowers. I've been running this Shining Tavern ever since. It's quite interesting to witness the rise and fall of families and the destruction of dynasties in the mortal world from time to time," said the Rose Witch.

"Speaking of which, I've met the White Narcissus Witch, the Violet Witch, and the Rose Witch once, and we had a pretty good relationship. Now that I've met you again, it's truly wonderful," Li Wei said with a smile.

"Bai Shui died some time ago. I have her spirit tablet here, but it's broken..." The Rose Witch said with a somber expression as she took out a tablet engraved with a white daffodil pattern.

Li Wei's expression changed, and he asked, "Senior, do you know what the reason is?"

He already had the answer in his heart: it was most likely related to the Nightmare World.

"I don't know either. I've been in the human world for a long time, and with the impact of the war, the passage was closed, and my connection with the other witches was severed," said the Rose Witch.

"You didn't just call me out for a chat, did you?" Li Wei asked.

"I'd like to ask about your legendary title. I've heard of all the new legends that have emerged in the world in recent years, but I know nothing about you, which is why I'm curious," said the Rose Witch.

"I have no legendary title... I prefer a quiet life to being celebrated by others."

"Well, you certainly have a unique personality... I thought knights were all a bunch of show-offs who wanted to make a name for themselves and achieve great things..."

However, a great era of upheaval is about to begin, and everyone will be forced to make changes.

I've come to see you today to find some allies. You seem young, but you're already at the third ring level and a legendary knight. Your future achievements might not be less than those of Baihua. It would be good to get to know you beforehand.

"Hahaha... Senior is quite direct," Li Wei laughed.

"Also, there's something else I wanted to discuss with you."

"Please speak, senior."

"Have you heard about the attack on the Eternal Church by the Firebird?"

"I've heard of it." Li Wei's heart stirred slightly. That fiery divine bird was clearly the fire elemental spirit, which Li Wei had accidentally brought here...

"The Eternal Church is currently searching for the Flame Bird. I have roughly figured out where it went based on the information from the Shining Tavern, but we are short-handed. It is too difficult to find a wild wizard with decent cultivation in the human world. A third-ring wizard like you is a rare find, so I invited a few wizards to go and meet the Flame Bird together."

"Senior, I am merely a third-ring wizard, with meager strength. That Flame Bird can defeat a Saint; its strength is likely far beyond ours..."

"Don't worry, according to my estimation, that Flame Bird is probably only at the fifth level, about the same as me. The elemental power in the human world is thin, so neither it nor I can exert our full strength."

So this time I found a fourth-circle body-refining wizard who was living in seclusion in the mortal realm and was less affected by elemental forces, as well as a magic array wizard. The three of us can trap them for a moment...

As for you, your cultivation level is relatively low, making it difficult to confront the Flame Bird head-on. Therefore, your task is to lure it into the magic array we have set up. I will grant you a one-time spell scroll to prevent the Flame Bird from catching up with you and to ensure your safety.

Besides, my goal isn't the Flame Bird, but the sealed relic it stole. Once it's done, I'll reward you accordingly based on your contribution. I've been in the wizarding world and among humans for hundreds of years and have accumulated some good stuff. As a third-ring wizard, you probably haven't prepared the breakthrough potion to advance to the fourth ring yet, have you?

I have a potion recipe here. If you can help me, I'll give you the recipe. You can use it to make money or find someone to help you refine it.

If you don't need the recipe, I also have some unused third-ring magical artifacts here, which should be invaluable items for a wild wizard practicing in the mortal realm.

After the Rose Witch finished speaking, she waved her hand, and streams of light appeared in front of Li Wei. They were five magical artifacts of different shapes and extraordinary appearances. Some were defensive, some were offensive, and they were all different types.

Li Wei glanced at these magical artifacts and felt they were all mediocre, not even as good as the Great Black Sky Curtain.

He thought for a moment and asked, "May I ask, what is the name of that recipe?"

His current mental strength is 160 points, only 40 points away from reaching the upper limit of a third-ring wizard. He really needs to prepare a breakthrough potion.

"【The Succubus's Crimson Whisper】".

"That's what the Rose Witch said."

Li Wei nodded. He had indeed heard of this kind of potion in a pharmacology book, but unfortunately, the book did not record the formula or the method of making it.

Judging from the name, the main ingredient likely contains succubus ingredients, but the rest is completely unknown.

It seems the Rose Witch wasn't lying to him.

Actually, the [Mirror of True Knowledge] also has some breakthrough potion recipes, but unfortunately, they are all outdated knowledge. Many of the ancient herbs recorded on it have long since disappeared after being consumed by hundreds of thousands of times, making them quite useless.

If you want to find a suitable alternative through experimentation and research, the difficulty is comparable to that of purification agents.

Therefore, modern potions like the Succubus Potion are what Li Wei needs.

"Senior, let me think about it," Li Wei said.

"Well, it would be best to give me an answer within seven days. If it's delayed, things might change. If the Flame Bird is found by the Holy Ones of the Eternal Church, our plan will be ruined," said the Rose Witch.

Before leaving, the Rose Witch gave Levi a keepsake made of rose petals.

Li Wei can use this to communicate with the Rose Witch.

"As expected of a fifth-ring wizard, his methods are indeed different. Most low-level wizards still have to rely on traditional messengers to make contact," Li Wei sighed.

"That succubus potion recipe is indeed what I need. This Rose Witch has me cornered. No one can resist such temptation."

……

Seven days later.

The Shining Tavern in Storm City.

The Rose Witch smiled as she watched Levi arrive.

"You still came," she said.

Li Wei nodded. He noticed that there were two other wizards beside the Rose Witch.

One of them looked very old, with white hair, just like an ordinary old man with a kind face.

The other one stood upright, clad in knight's armor; he was presumably the fourth-ring body-refining wizard. He looked at Li Wei with a cold expression.

These are all old things hidden among people.

"This is Wizard Levi, a wild wizard among mortals, a third-ring wizard, responsible for luring the Firebird," said the Rose Witch. "Levi, and this one in armor is Wizard Balzan, a rather rare fourth-ring body-refining wizard even in the wizarding world... The other one is Master Orlov, a magic array wizard I admire, erudite and versatile."

"Senior Rose, you flatter me. I only have a superficial understanding of magic arrays," Master Orlov explained with a wry smile.

Although the Rose Witch is a fifth-circle wizard, she has lived among mortals for a long time and interacts with ordinary people every day, so she is not pretentious.

"Greetings, esteemed seniors."

Since his level of understanding was inferior to others, Li Wei naturally treated them with utmost politeness.

"Senior Rose, your cultivation at the third ring level... isn't that a bit low?" Wizard Balzan said in a low voice.

"There's no other way, time is limited. This is the human world, not the wizarding world. A third-ring cultivation level is already extremely rare," said the Rose Witch.

"I don't think it's a big deal. Anyway, all this little guy needs to do is lure the firebird," said Wizard Olof.

"Alright, I meant well, after all, we have to face it, but the existence of the Five Rings... I personally feel that Lady Ghost is more suitable," Balzan said.

"Lady Ghost... she has a strange personality, and I don't like dealing with her. It is said that the power behind her is a high-level wizarding organization in the [Realm of Hell]... I'm afraid she came to the mortal world prepared this time," said the Rose Witch.

Listening to the conversation of these old men, Li Wei realized they had known each other for a long time, which made him even more wary, constantly monitoring changes in his sense of danger.

"After completing the seduction mission, there's nothing more for me to do, right...?" Li Wei asked.

"Well, you can find a safe place then. The three of us will be setting up a four-ring magic circle," said Wizard Olof.

After explaining some precautions, the four of them left the tavern, found a secluded spot, and each used their flying abilities to head towards their destination.

"That fiery bird is in an overseas land. I found it in an underwater volcano," said the Rose Witch.

Li Wei wondered if the spatial passage to the Wizarding World had been discovered.

After all, besides him, the fire elemental spirit also knew about this entrance.

However, after the fire elemental left last time, Li Wei used a magic circle to hide the island. If it weren't for the wizard, Li Wei felt that it might not have been able to find the entrance.

Five days later.

Li Wei and his group arrived at a place in the outer sea that was extremely far from the Seven Kingdoms continent. This was not the place of that subspace node, which made him breathe a sigh of relief. It seemed that the magic array had worked after all.

Li Wei could sense that the elemental power here seemed to be much denser than on the mainland, almost half the amount found in the outer seas of the Wizarding World.

This indicates that the resurgence of the demonic tide has intensified.

Then, they landed on a small island, where there was a natural cave with a complex array of concealing magic outside.

"This is also an overseas outpost of the Shining Tavern, but the people stationed here are some apprentices I took in from the mortal realm. A month ago, they saw a firebird descend from the sky and fall into the sea ahead, and it never came out again," said the Rose Witch.

Before long, several wizards who were only at the apprentice level came out.

"Is that firebird still around?"

"Yes, just two days ago I saw a towering white column of smoke rising from the distant sea, and heard the mournful cry of that divine bird..."

The Rose Witch nodded.

"You should all leave this island first. We need to set up a magic array here to trap that firebird," said the Rose Witch.

"OK."

After these people left.

Orlov flew into the sky and observed the island's topography, magnetic field, elemental forces, and so on.

This was also Li Wei's first time seeing a fourth-circle magic array wizard cast a spell, so he watched intently from the side.

"I need three days to set up the formation. I'll trouble Senior Rose and Lord Balzan to help me," Orlov said.

"I'll do whatever the master says," the Rose Witch laughed.

A fifth-circle wizard and two fourth-circle wizards began to busy themselves here. Li Wei saw magic arrays, shaped like longswords, flying out from in front of Olof. He chanted incantations, and these longswords, gleaming with white light, disappeared into the island.

Two days later, Olof looked somewhat pale, and he quickly took a potion to restore his mental and magical power.

"Damn, almost there." Olof said, looking at the Rose Witch and Balzan who had already set up their formations in their respective positions.

"Olov? What's wrong?" the Rose Witch asked anxiously.

"The magnetic field here is a bit difficult to control; it's different from where we practiced before. I need a wizard to help me complete the magic circle..."

"Olov, why didn't you say something so important earlier!" Barzan's face turned cold, thinking to himself, "This old man, why did he let me down at such a crucial moment?"

Besides the three of them, only Li Wei was present...

So they all turned their attention to Li Wei.

"Seniors, my strength is meager. If anything goes wrong because of me, please don't blame me," Li Wei said hastily, his expression changing.

"Stop arguing and come on!" Balzan urged.

"Li Wei, give it a try. If it really doesn't work... we'll try again another day." The Rose Witch was worried, clearly concerned that the firebird had flown away.

Li Wei seemed to be going on stage reluctantly, and Olof explained the key points and precautions to him.

"Did you understand?" he asked.

"Got it...?" Li Wei said hesitantly.

"Sigh, go ahead, just do your best," Orlov said helplessly, clearly not having high expectations for Levi.

"Thank you, senior. I will do my best."

Li Wei joined in. Although his cultivation level was low, he was still a second-ring magic array wizard. So, during his observations these past few days, he had already discovered some problems, but he didn't want to be too high-profile, so he didn't bring them up.

He was frowning, sweat beading on his brow, looking tense as he carefully set up his magic array modules.

Orlov, the Rose Witch's heart was in her throat.

Three days later.

After all the array elements and rituals were set up, Orlov wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, then looked at Li Wei and gave him an approving smile.

"The little guy seems to know a bit about magic arrays, doesn't he?"

"I only have a rudimentary understanding; I can't claim to be an expert in front of you, senior," Li Wei said with a smile after drinking some of the potion.

"You've really surprised me..." The Rose Witch was also covered in sweat. She looked at Levi, this little guy, who had given her so many unexpected joys.

"Let's take a break and get started quickly, or things might change," Balzan said.

Half a day later, everyone was in peak condition.

The Rose Witch handed Levi a one-time spell scroll engraved with flowers.

"This is the scroll of 'The Withering of Flowers,' which contains a fifth-circle spell. Once you tear it open, you will temporarily gain the speed of a fifth-circle wizard. Just fly over here. With your alertness, you'll be fine," said the Rose Witch.

"OK."

Li Wei received the scroll and, without saying a word, immediately flew towards the distant sea.

Even without this scroll, he could save his life with the Crimson Escape, but there was no need to reveal his trump card.

After a while, Li Wei arrived at a sea that was churning and boiling, with thick clouds forming in the sky.

He noticed that below the sea, there was a large firebird, which was lying among the volcanic clusters below. It seemed to be in pain. Inside its translucent body, there was an ancient oil lamp with a wisp of golden flame burning at the wick.

"It's trying to refine the flames inside this sealed relic, and it seems to be at a critical moment... to the point that it ignores me when I get close to it." Li Wei was startled.

"Finally, I can get my revenge! You've done me a lot of harm!"

He quickly activated his magic to attack the firebird, but the bird, which usually chased after him, ignored him.

"Hmm? Looks like I didn't hit it hard enough. My third-circle spell is just tickling it..."

Li Wei's most powerful spell is Fire Dragon Calamity, but unfortunately, this giant bird's fire element resistance is no weaker than Li Wei's.

Li Wei immediately took out the Crimson Dragon Iron Slash and slashed with it.

A gray-white sword aura, entwined with flames and capable of annihilating everything, swept across the area.

A mournful cry came from the great firebird.

This sword strike finally made the firebird make a move.

It was at a crucial moment in its refining process and initially didn't want to pay any attention to this ant in front of it, but this guy was relentless, and it got angry...

The next moment, the seawater exploded, and terrifying flames shot into the sky. The fire elemental glared angrily at Li Wei and let out a clear cry like a fledgling phoenix.

"Good boy, let's go!"

Feeling the terrifying aura, Li Wei immediately tore open the scroll. Countless petals emerged around his body, vibrant in color and vying for attention, their fragrance filling the air.

The next moment, he was carried by the petals and flew towards the island ahead.

Before long, with his fifth-ring-level speed, he arrived on the island, with the fiery bird following behind.

After the giant bird entered the area above the magic circle, endless long swords connected heaven and earth around the island, forming a prison exuding a chilling sword aura!

Four-Ring Magic Array: Sword Prison!

"Here's your recipe. You're done here. I need to focus on dealing with the Flame Bird and don't have time for you."

The Rose Witch appeared, and a stone tablet fell into Li Wei's hands.

"Thank you, senior." Li Wei took a look and confirmed that it was indeed a succubus potion recipe.

His face lit up with joy, and he quickly left, finding a place to hide and watch the battle from afar.

Once he got the formula, he made his profit, and everything else was none of his business.

However, he still wanted to take this opportunity to witness the battle between the five rings and see the fate of the Flame Bird. If the opponent was seriously injured and escaped, he could take advantage of the situation and subdue it with the Crimson Contract, thus possessing a level five fire elemental spirit. Wouldn't that be wonderful?

The contract that was previously used on the Golden Feather King has been removed by Li Wei and replaced by the Sword of Oath.

The terrifying battle and the power of the four-ring magic array were displayed without reservation.

Needless to say, the Rose Witch's every move was imbued with powerful ocean-based magic, perfectly countering the fire element, making her incredibly formidable.

"This is still because the elemental power is too weak to unleash its full power... The Thunder Dragon Clan's [Thunder Spear] is no weaker than the Rose Witch's."

As for Balzan, his entire body shimmered with golden runes, like a body cast from metal, impervious to water and fire, and invulnerable to swords and spears, making him equally formidable.

"He seems to be a rare Bronze-faction body-refining wizard, radiating a strong metallic elemental power... This Balzan is no ordinary person either."

Meanwhile, the wizard Olof focused all his efforts on maintaining the magic circle, his longsword relentlessly piercing through the fire elemental's body, causing it to wail in agony.

"Everyone's giving it their all, but this guy's almost done for," the Rose Witch said.

However, the next moment, her expression changed drastically.

Under various attacks, the fire elemental spirit actually transformed into an egg-shaped sphere, its surface covered with cracks, from which terrifying flames erupted.

boom.

The sphere exploded.

The shockwave swept through.

The four-ring magic array was destroyed on the spot.

Orlov coughed up a mouthful of blood and became listless.

"Self-destruction?"

Barzan's golden body was also shattered, bleeding profusely, and his magic was dimmed.

Only the Rose Witch was somewhat better, but her expression was unpleasant.

The moment the magic circle shattered, a smaller firebird transformed into a streak of light and fled with the sealed artifact!

"What's going on? We can't beat them three against one... Is this fire element that strong?" Li Wei muttered, ready to retreat at any moment.

He saw the Rose Witch and her companions and quickly chased after the fire elementals, clearly not wanting to give up easily.

"Forget it, I'm not going to watch the show anymore. Getting the formula is enough. I can't be too greedy." Li Wei immediately chose to leave.

At the same time, on the distant horizon, a towering pillar of flame suddenly shot up, its golden flames seemingly igniting the sky.

Turning his head, Li Wei witnessed a horrifying scene:

The golden flames seemed to cling to an invisible curtain, burning ever larger until a huge gap appeared in the curtain.

Through the dark gap, Li Wei saw a deep, dark world, where the sky was shattered and the earth was ravaged, like scorched earth.

Li Wei immediately turned around and flew towards the mainland. Although he didn't know what was going on, his sense of danger told him that staying here might be dangerous.

Meanwhile, on the distant continent of the Seven Kingdoms.

Tuva Empire

A sacred mountain standing tall in the sea, shrouded in lightning and hurricanes.

This is the holy site of the Church of Storms, 【Storm Mountain】.

A middle-aged man, dressed in a purple royal robe and wearing a storm crown, stood atop the Storm Church, gazing into the depths of the outer sea.

"The barrier to the mortal world... has been broken, much faster than I expected."

I'll correct any typos later. Today's chapter is 12000 words, plus an extra 6000 words. I still owe 16000 words. Please vote with monthly tickets, subscriptions, and recommendations.

(End of this chapter)