"It will take about three months to return to the 'Elemental Ring' from here."
On the back of the giant bird aircraft, by the fountain in the bonsai garden, the Dawn Wizard named Cooper paused, then spoke with a meaningful tone: "The speed of the 'Silver Falcon' airship is not slow, but the central continent is far larger than you can imagine. I believe you've already experienced this on your way here."
Ronan's eyes flickered, and his lips twitched slightly, but he remained silent.
Cooper smiled, pointing to the beautiful garden villa in front of them, and said, "For these three months, you'll have to make do with staying here. The house has a dedicated communication array. If you need anything, feel free to contact us."
Without giving Ronan a chance to refuse, Wizard Cooper adjusted his Wizard Robe and turned to leave with the red-haired wizard named Lumian. The two stood at the garden gate, separated by a translucent array barrier, and waved goodbye to Ronan with a smile. In an instant, they vanished like snowflakes melting under the scorching sun, their whereabouts unknown.
The massive bird aircraft flapped its hurricane-like wings, scattering countless streams of light as it soared into the clouds. The journey was exceptionally smooth, with no sense of turbulence.
Ronan walked through the quaint little garden and headed toward the house where he would be staying. Upon entering, he immediately saw ten figures kneeling respectfully before him. They were all women dressed as maids, ranging in age from twelve to thirty-six, each with a distinct demeanor and even different races. Their voices, soft or cool, carried unique accents as they addressed Ronan, fulfilling most people's fantasies about the opposite sex.
A golden-haired girl with a voluptuous figure and an oval face stepped forward, leading Ronan on a tour of the house. It was only when Ronan heard the crisp sound of hooves that he noticed the girl's wide pleated skirt concealed a horse-like lower body—she was a young centaur.
The room was as spacious as a palace, with a crystal chandelier casting a bright yet soft light from above. Ronan stood on the plush carpet that covered the entire bedroom, calmly surveying the impeccable surroundings. He slowly walked to the wall, pressed his hand against the rouge-colored surface, then released it and gently rubbed his fingers, watching as fine fluorescent powder scattered from his fingertips.
"Is this the wizard faction you wanted to join?" Alazan's voice slowly echoed in Ronan's mind. In their era, different wizard factions were often distinguished by "schools."
"It seems they hold you in high regard."
Ronan didn't respond immediately. Instead, he gazed at the wall before him. After a moment, he spoke softly, "Don't you think... their attitude toward me is a bit too polite?"
"Isn't that a good thing?" Alazan's voice showed no trace of emotion.
Ronan shook his head and said indifferently, "As two fourth-level wizards who have already stepped into the Dawn, they were stood up by a junior like me, who is still in the Mist stage, for two whole months in the harsh environment of the Blazing Flame Realm. Yet, when we finally met, their smiles were brighter than the tulips blooming in the Fairy Plains..."
"You underestimate the patience and grace a fourth-level wizard should possess."
"This is no longer your era."
Ronan calmly replied, and then a faint white light began to shimmer in the depths of his eyes.
This white light grew like vines from his eyes, weaving a lifelike eye pattern at the center of his forehead where his eyebrows met.
Under the [Eye of Truth], Ronan re-examined the entire room.
The Rune Arrays hidden beneath the wall's surface, embedded within the structure, gradually revealed themselves, densely packed and almost covering every corner of the room.
Ronan slowly released his mental power, and some of the arrays began to glow.
His mental power easily penetrated the walls, extending into the garden outside the house, but as it spread further, it was firmly blocked by an invisible energy barrier.
Ronan reached out his hand, gently tapping on a specific array in the room, his lips moving slightly as if he were conversing with someone.
After a moment, the spell eye on Ronan's forehead dissipated. He sat down cross-legged, closing his eyes in a meditative posture, though in his mind, he was engaging in further communication with Alazan.
"This room has over thirty different surveillance arrays. The protective arrays outside the house cannot be opened from the inside."
"I possess a spell legacy that is very important to them. I made a deal with a high-ranking figure above them, exchanging the legacy for the resources I need to advance to Dawn and beyond."
"A very reliable friend of mine once told me that this high-ranking figure is someone who strictly adheres to the principle of 'equivalent exchange.'"
"In my expectation, he shouldn't treat me this way... at least, not before meeting me in person and seeing the legacy."
After speaking, Ronan quietly "watched" the golden ladybug representing Alazan's soul, perched on one of his Mental Power Crystals.
"You're worried that the special treatment you're receiving now is because you'll suffer a greater loss in the upcoming formal exchange... that what you gain might be far less than you anticipated."
"If it were just that..."
Ronan spoke calmly, "Then I wouldn't need to be so concerned."
Alazan was silent for a while before saying, "Since you've already made up your mind, what do you need me to do?"
"Communicating with a wise elder like you is truly a relaxing and pleasant experience."
Ronan thought for a moment and said, "After you brought me out of the Spirit Realm, you showed me the scenes that occurred within it."
"You want me to help you monitor those two fourth-level wizards?"
Alazan's tone rose slightly, carrying a hint of surprise and displeasure.
"You can do it, right?"
Alazan fell silent again.
Within the consciousness space, the glow of the Mental Power Crystals shimmered faintly, and the golden ladybug remained motionless, as if asleep.
After an unknown amount of time, Alazan's voice sounded again.
"Kid, you should know my current soul state best. If I help you..."
"I know."
Ronan calmly interrupted Alazan, saying, "In fact, I've been preparing all along, waiting for you to make some not-too-unreasonable demands at the right time."
"Huff—"
Ronan heard Alazan exhale.
With his eyes closed, he clearly saw a beautiful golden ladybug crawl out from between his brows and silently merge into the void.
"Actually, I didn't want to establish the future relationship between us like this."
The golden ladybug flew away, and Alazan's voice seemed to drift in and out, carrying a faint sigh.
"But as you said, this is no longer the era I once knew."
"In fact, you don't need to place so much importance on the so-called inheritance in your hands. With the 'Spirit Heart Amber,' you are already above the majority of wizards in this world. And I have many similar inheritances."
Ronan listened to Alazan's ramblings, which sounded like those of a lonely old man, without responding.
Finally, at a certain moment, some blurry images flashed in his mind.
Ronan's spirit slightly stirred. In one of the images, he saw a wizard named Cooper from the Elemental Ring, sitting on a high-backed chair, idly playing with a blue crystal ball while quietly flipping through a wizard's book.
Ronan's mind moved, and his spiritual energy quickly extended outward. When his spiritual energy touched the protective Rune Array outside the garden, Cooper in the image immediately seemed to sense something, shifting his gaze from the wizard's book to the crystal ball.
He narrowed his eyes, staring at the suddenly glowing crystal ball for a long time, until Ronan withdrew his spiritual energy, then expressionlessly put the crystal ball down.
Ronan's eyes flickered, and his gaze turned to another image.
This image showed another fire wizard from the Elemental Ring, Lumian, who was standing in front of a huge transparent crystal tank, intently watching the mating and reproduction process of several red-shelled beetles inside. In just a few breaths, the image in Ronan's "sight" disappeared.
Then Alazan's voice rang out.
"I can't keep an eye on both of them for long, but I can alert you if they make any unusual moves."
"That's enough."
Ronan nodded and softly said, "Thank you."
Alazan didn't respond further, and Ronan noticed that a part of his soul energy was slowly being drawn away.
Knowing that Alazan's surveillance required energy replenishment, he didn't pay it any mind.
During his time in the Hall of Spirits, Ronan had "burned" nearly a decade of his soul's lifespan for Evaque's trial.
But this portion of his soul's lifespan was completely restored after he completed a session of practicing the 'Spirit Heart Amber.'
The increase in soul density was just one of the benefits that came with it. If Ronan continued to practice the 'Spirit Heart Amber,' it was foreseeable that his lifespan would far exceed that of an ordinary wizard.
This was also a major reason why Alazan had become the longest-lived Wizard Chief in the Hall of Spirits.
With Alazan keeping an eye out for him, Ronan felt much more at ease.
What he needed to consider next was, if something unfavorable to him were to happen, how he could quickly escape from this seemingly exquisite "cage."
Ronan calmed his mind, and while pondering, he entered the practice of the [Ancient Star Meditation Technique].
Ronan stood on the balcony of the garden villa's second floor. Beyond the energy barrier, dozens of meters away, thunder cascaded like a waterfall, and the wind, carrying sand and dust, tore through everything in the world like an ancient demon breaking free from its seal.
The dense black clouds completely obscured the sky, with silver lightning snakes darting unpredictably through the layers. Tornadoes of various sizes ravaged the earth, and Ronan saw an enormous, deep blue vortex resembling the eye of the heavens. Within the vortex, purple lightning took the forms of giant birds and dragons, roaring and howling as the "Silver Falcon" airship navigated through this apocalyptic scene. Battling countless lightning strikes and storms, it surged forward like a cloud-piercing seabird.
Despite the protection of the Rune Array, the maids residing in the house still huddled in corners, trembling with fear.
The fear of thunder and storms is an instinct for most living beings. Even Ronan felt a slight palpitation when facing all of this.
"That's the entrance to the Storm Realm," said Cooper, who walked up behind Ronan with the grace and elegance of a nobleman. He pointed at the immense deep blue vortex in the distance, which seemed unchanged in size no matter how long the "Silver Falcon" flew. "Don't be fooled by how close it appears; we're actually much farther away than you think. As long as we don't approach the eye of the storm, we're safe."
"Once we pass through this area, it will take about half a month to reach the Elemental Ring," Cooper added.
Ronan nodded and suddenly asked, "How long will it take to completely traverse this area?"
"Also half a month," Cooper replied. His attitude towards Ronan was extremely friendly, with a constant smile on his face, and every word he spoke was as comforting as a spring breeze.
"Is the Storm Realm... very dangerous?" Ronan's gaze never left the distant eye of the storm, showing intense curiosity.
"Don't try to challenge it," Cooper said, patting his shoulder gently. "The Storm Realm is a gathering place for wind and lightning elemental beings and has existed for a very long time. At its center resides an incredibly powerful elemental entity. Some call it the 'Storm Lord,' while others refer to it as the 'Storm Weaver.' It's said that even a sixth-level Dawn Wizard once perished there."
"Storm Weaver... sixth level..." Ronan murmured, his eyes flickering with thought.
Cooper, noticing his expression, smiled and said, "I know you've always been dissatisfied with the array outside the garden, feeling like we're confining you. But the truth is quite the opposite—it's a measure specifically set up to protect you. Where you are now is the safest place on the entire Silver Falcon, bar none."
"The dangers that exist in the central continent are truly beyond your imagination. You never know where they might come from or in what form they might suddenly appear... Do you understand what I mean, Damien?"
"I understand," Ronan said, taking a deep breath and nodding.
Cooper shook his head and suddenly added, "By the way, Damien, could you show me that thing you obtained in the Herams Prodigy Competition one more time?"
Ronan hesitated for a moment but quickly nodded. "Of course."
He retrieved a starry-glazed armlet from his space ring and handed it to Cooper.
"It's truly magnificent," Cooper said, his eyes gleaming with a strange light as he looked at the armlet Ronan handed over. He seemed to want to reach out and touch it but forcibly restrained himself.
"No matter how many times I look at it, I can't help but be deeply captivated by it."
Cooper murmured in admiration, reluctantly tearing his gaze away from the armband.
"Keep it safe, Damien. It's not the time to bring it out yet."
Cooper suddenly turned serious, his expression grave as he looked at Ronan and spoke word by word: "Remember my words, Damien.
From now on, never show it to anyone lightly, even within the Elemental Ring. You have no idea how many people in the Central Continent covet Herams's Legacy of the Law-Bender."
Ronan nodded with a slightly tense expression, quickly stowing the armband away, and sincerely thanked Cooper: "Thank you!"
Cooper shook his head, then smiled and said.
"Alright, I won't disturb your rest any longer.
Remember to contact me anytime if you need anything, or Lumiere. He is also someone you can trust."
"Yes, Lord Cooper."
Cooper waved goodbye to Ronan and walked all the way to the edge of the garden.
Some scattered storms and lightning fell like raindrops on the exposed metal deck of the Silver Falcon. Cooper strolled through it, and all the lightning and wind vanished without a trace around him.
The smile on his face gradually faded until he reached a certain spot at the rear of the airship. He casually picked up a short, horn-like object and spoke calmly into it: "Come to me.
It's about time... we should prepare to make our move."
After saying this, he looked up, squinting his eyes to gaze at the center of the raging storm in the distance.
Then he turned and walked in another direction.
"My lord, the tea you asked for."
--Support me in Patreon for more chapters 35+ chapters in there
patreon.com/LegendaryTL
Thanks!