Red Maple City.

  A city of miracles built upon the cliff faces of unforgiving mountains.

  This colossal fortress of war, which had risen from the ground in a mere three days during the initial stages of the planar war, had endured countless brutal battles of blood and fire. Instead of collapsing amidst the flames of war, it had only grown more massive and prosperous, absorbing the flesh and blood of its enemies.

  To this day, the stronghold had long become the Sword of Damocles hanging over the heads of countless nobles in the northern Winterfrost Theocracy, a terrifying existence they hated day and night yet feared from the very depths of their souls.

  Stepping out of the planar gate that rippled like the surface of water, Pierce was greeted by the sight of an incredibly vast and open giant plaza.

  The plaza seethed with noise and a weaving tide of humanity. From time to time, fully armed squads stepped hurriedly into the planar gate behind him to return to Aurora City, while exponentially larger numbers of Wizards and knights, brimming with ambition and the desire to slaughter, poured endlessly from that very same gate.

  Sophia and Payne followed closely behind Pierce, not leaving his side for a single step, like two loyal iron towers. Their eyes beneath their helms were wide open, observing the magnificent scenery that completely overturned common sense with faces full of absolute wonder.

  The plaza was situated at an extreme altitude, carved out entirely by some inconceivable, mighty power that had forcefully sheared the top off a majestic mountain.

  Gazing downward from the plaza's edge, one could see countless precipitous, grey-white mountain ranges undulating like giant dragons, stretching endlessly toward the distant horizon far beyond the reach of sight.

  Upon these treacherous mountains, amidst near-vertical stone walls, jutted perilous, densely packed rocky cliffs that resembled the sharp beaks of birds of prey. Built precariously along the contours of these dizzying cliffs were grey-white stone dwellings, varying in size. The material of these stone houses was perfectly identical to the hue of the mountain itself, as if they had grown naturally from the bedrock in seamless unity. Without focusing one's vision to distinguish them, they could easily be overlooked.

  As far as the eye could see, the surrounding peaks that originally pierced the clouds had all been sheared flat by supreme magical power, transformed into broad plazas identical to the one beneath their feet. At a glance, their numbers were impossible to count.

  Exactly as described in the top-secret intelligence obtained from the Morning Star Council prior to their departure, Red Maple City was not a city in the traditional sense. It was a magnificent, three-dimensional fortress that forcefully incorporated countless mountain ranges, using the towering peaks and steep ridges directly as its foundation.

  "This is inconceivable!" Sophia could not help but draw in a sharp breath of cold air, an unconcealable awe flashing in her eyes.

  Having lived her entire life within the towering walls of Aurora City, she had never taken a single step beyond her homeland, let alone embarked on a planar journey across crystal spheres. Seeing such a magnificent city for the first time in her life—one that so flawlessly combined the pinnacle of human endeavor with the wildness of nature, exuding primitive ferocity without losing the majesty of civilization—a tremendous shock akin to witnessing a divine miracle swelled within her heart.

  It was truly difficult for the mortal mind to fathom that this was a fortress of war conjured out of thin air by Wizards in a mere three days.

  "I wonder what magnificent sights the other seven war fortresses of the same echelon must hold?" A profound yearning for the unknown world flashed in the depths of Sophia's eyes.

  Payne, standing beside her, simply scratched his head with honest simplicity, maintaining his silence.

  Although the three-dimensional, majestic city before him also brought a touch of shock to his warrior's heart, that was the extent of it. He had never possessed much of an artistic disposition to appreciate miracles of architecture and engineering.

  Instead, it was the dense, weaving tide of humanity exuding auras of danger that made him secretly click his tongue, even causing his scalp to tingle.

  In the brief moments they stood observing, Payne's gaze had swept past no fewer than twenty Formal Wizards clad in white robes, their bodies wreathed in obscure energy fluctuations.

  Formal Wizards, who were high and mighty in the eyes of the apprentices in Aurora City's Outer City—entities as rare as walking gods—seemed to have become as commonplace as street commoners in this frontline encampment.

  As for Legendary Knights like themselves, they were as numerous as the hairs on a cow, found everywhere in droves.

  Even among the crowds brushing past, there were many powerhouses emitting auras as thick and profound as the abyss. The oppressive might inadvertently leaked by them made even the newly ascended Legendary Knight Payne feel a secret trepidation. Barring any surprises, those were absolutely veteran Tier 2 or even Tier 3 Legendary Knights tempered in blood and fire.

  On this planar battlefield that represented the apex clash of martial might, Grand Knights and Wizard Apprentices who had yet to condense a mental crystal were ironically the rarest species at the very bottom of the hierarchy.

  After taking a keen look around the surrounding strategic environment, Pierce withdrew his gaze. He turned to a grey-robed man beside him and offered a slight, acknowledging nod. "You have my thanks, Colin. I appreciate you taking the trouble to accompany me and act as a guide."

  Colin let out a hearty laugh, waving his hand. "Pierce, you are too polite. My original itinerary was to return to Red Maple City anyway. We merely traveled the same path."

  Colin was a Tier 1 Wizard whom Pierce had met by chance on his way from Aurora City's Inner City to the legion's planar gate.

  During their brief exchanges on the journey, Pierce learned that Colin had already been surviving in the meat grinder that was the Plane of Turin for half a year. He had only returned to Aurora City briefly to handle some private affairs. Now that his business was concluded, he was immediately preparing to return to the planar battlefield.

  Hearing in casual conversation that Pierce's destination was also Red Maple City, Colin astutely grasped the opportunity to forge a connection. He immediately volunteered his services, offering to act as Pierce's temporary guide to familiarize him with the complex war fortress.

  Pierce was as clear as a mirror in his heart; Colin had undoubtedly heard of his thunderous reputation among the apprentice circles and newly ascended Wizards, which birthed his deliberate intent to associate and build connections. However, Pierce did not expose him, nor did he reject the goodwill, instead smoothly accepting the offer.

  After all, as a newcomer, he was completely in the dark regarding the resource distribution and the intricately entangled factions within Red Maple City. Having an experienced hand to guide the way would undoubtedly save him an immense amount of tedious time gathering intelligence.

  As the two conversed about the frontline situation, they descended the broad steps carved into the rock face, making their way toward the mid-mountain level.

  Independent Wizards newly arriving here, in order to save on expenses, generally chose to rent the grey-white stone houses clinging to the cliffs. The rent here was relatively cheap, requiring only a dozen or so Magic Stones per month.

  Colin pointed to the dense cluster of stone houses suspended on the precipice like honeycombs, continuing his introduction.

  "However, as the war on the frontlines expands daily, the influx of Wizards and mercenaries rushing into Red Maple City to seek their fortunes is increasing. Those once-ignored stone houses have become exceptionally highly sought after. But I've heard from within the legion that command has already mobilized earth-moving golems to excavate and hollow out more mountains. I believe this housing shortage will soon be alleviated."

  Pierce nodded slightly in understanding.

  Just over three months ago, during the vacuum period when he had completely sealed his laboratory and undergone his grueling seventy-five-day secluded ascension to Wizard, the brutal tournament between Aurora City and Crimson Lotus City over the new planar shares had finally concluded.

  Exactly as he had learned upon emerging, Aurora City ultimately trampled the arrogant Crimson Lotus City without any suspense, claiming a two-to-one victory ratio and aggressively seizing seventy percent of the core profit rights of the Plane of Turin.

  With the two apex wizarding city-states having settled their score at the gambling table and the dust settled, Aurora City's upper echelon immediately engaged its terrifying war machine. They began pouring unreserved effort into the conquest and deep exploitation of the Plane of Turin.

  Driven by profit, an increasing number of Wizards and Legendary Knights hungering for wealth, knowledge, and advancement resources swarmed madly into the Plane of Turin, like schools of sharks scenting blood in the water. This caused the scale of the planar war to grow ever more colossal and fierce.

  "Ah, look, what is that thing?!" Sophia suddenly let out a cry of disbelief. She halted her steps, her eyes wide as she stared fixedly at the distant horizon.

  Following the direction of her finger, Pierce gazed into the distance. At the furthest reaches of the horizon, upon the highest peaks of the grey-white mountains, a dark red object resembling an inverted, colossal bowl abruptly leaped into his vision.

  His initial judgment was no different from a commoner's; he assumed it was the domed architecture of some extremely magnificent central fortress. Yet, relying on the acute perception of a Wizard, he soon noticed the anomaly. Focusing his mental power for a closer look, he was astonished to discover that it was no architectural dome at all. It was, unmistakably, a sky-blotting canopy woven from countless branches and leaves!

  Pierce's pupils contracted slightly, a wave of shock immediately washing over his heart.

  The position where he currently stood was separated from that red canopy by an immense physical distance. Judging solely from the visual magnitude it presented at this range, the diameter of that blood-vibrant canopy was terrifyingly likely to span over a dozen kilometers!

  To support such a gargantuan canopy, one that resembled a floating landmass, to what terrifying, cloud-piercing heights must the main trunk of this living giant tree ascend?

  "That is the Great Red Maple," Colin said with a smile, taking on the role of commentator upon seeing the shock on the trio's faces. "The name of Red Maple City is derived precisely from it."

  "According to the verifications of scholars specializing in paleobiology, the age of this giant tree exceeds thirteen thousand years. It is a true native of this divine plane. Currently, several of the grand figures presiding over Red Maple City's supreme command are deducing spell models day and night. They are attempting to formulate a viable method to forcefully refine this ten-thousand-year-old behemoth into a treant golem possessing apocalyptic power, serving as the ultimate weapon to safeguard Red Maple City's absolute security."

  Sophia and Payne were already dumbstruck. They stood frozen in place, utterly flabbergasted, their brains practically losing the capacity for thought.

  To hollow out a ten-thousand-year-old giant tree with a canopy exceeding a dozen kilometers in diameter, and refine it into a controllable treant golem? Such a concept was even more fantastical than the most absurd mythological tales spun by traveling bards!

  Yet, on second thought, recalling the terrifying, rule-bending, near-omnipotent power of the high-tier Wizards who stood atop the clouds, the two faintly felt that such a maddeningly taboo modification might not be impossible to achieve.

  Even within Pierce's rock-solid heart, a trace of awe toward such vast power involuntarily rippled outward.

  The slight complacency and loftiness that had just taken root in his heart after successfully breaching the barrier of life and ascending to a Formal Wizard were instantly extinguished by a basin of ice water. Upon witnessing this magnificent mighty power that used planetary geography as a chessboard, all such arrogance vanished without a trace.

  Compared to those high-tier Wizards who could casually refine ten-thousand-year-old giant trees and rewrite planar ecosystems, he remained nothing more than a slightly sturdier ant in the vast astral sea. On the Wizard's path in pursuit of truth, he had only just taken the first, insignificant step. Before him lay a despairingly long and distant road waiting to be conquered.

  Quickly gathering his wits, Pierce regained his composure. He looked at Colin and asked, "According to the common knowledge I've gleaned from various texts, shouldn't large-scale war fortresses of this echelon be universally equipped with Divine Corpse Golems as their absolute foundation?"

  Colin shook his head, shattering this rumor with a bitter smile. "The manufacturing process of Divine Corpse Golems involves the stripping of divinity and the reconstruction of laws at an exceedingly high tier. It is brutally difficult, and the divine husks required as raw materials are exceptionally rare. How could they possibly be as easily mass-produced and commonplace as the rumors suggest?"

  "Among the eight great war fortresses across the entire defensive line of the Plane of Turin, only Clearwater City and White Ice City, possessing the most robust resources, each barely anchor a single Divine Corpse Golem. Were it not for a lack of foundational resources, the grand figures of Red Maple City would not have settled for the next best thing, racking their brains to research how to refine this treant golem as a substitute."

  Pierce nodded, suddenly enlightened.

  Just then, a series of shrill, cloud-piercing screeches echoed from the high skies.

  The group immediately looked up, only to see over a dozen eagle-like creatures, as massive as small airships, tearing through the distant clouds. They flew in a defensive formation, whistling past like meteors two to three hundred meters directly above Pierce and the others.

  Possessing the massive biological database of the Omniscient Eye, Pierce instantly recognized the species with a mere glance. They were Giant Eagles, large magical beasts with extreme tactical value. Frontline Wizards had utilized captured Blackgrid Giant Eagles as templates, employing flesh modifications and targeted breeding to finally achieve mass production of these excellent vessels of war.

  These war eagles possessed absurdly enhanced dynamic vision. Even while soaring at altitudes exceeding ten thousand meters where the air grew thin, they could still pierce thick cloud cover to clearly lock onto the minute movements of a human on the ground. Therefore, upon a planar battlefield shrouded in the fog of the unknown, they were frequently deployed in massive flocks to serve as high-altitude scouts and battlefield reconnaissance.

  However, the state of the Giant Eagles flying overhead was evidently appalling. Their black feathers, which should have been as sleek as polished iron, were now riddled with terrifying wounds that cut down to the bone. Large patches of plumage were dyed a dark red with blood, falling messily into the wind.

  Furthermore, upon the broad backs of these Giant Eagles, the knights gripping the reins tightly were, without exception, covered in wounds. Some even had their heavy armor torn apart by some frenzied force, exposing the mangled flesh beneath.

  "That is a Giant Eagle Knight patrol squad falling back from the frontline," Colin narrowed his eyes, his tone growing heavy. "According to the legion's military organization, a fully staffed Giant Eagle Knight squad consists of no fewer than thirty men. Looking at their miserable retreat with barely over a dozen left, it is glaringly obvious they were ambushed by the elite native forces of the Plane of Turin during their reconnaissance, enduring a tragic and bloody battle."

  Pierce's expression flickered slightly. Astutely capturing this intelligence regarding the tide of war, he asked in a low voice, "What exactly is the current state of the war across the entire front line?"

  Colin withdrew his gaze from the sky and shrugged somewhat helplessly. "What else could it be? It is simply a mutual bleeding, completely mired in a stalemate."

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  "The enemies that Red Maple City is responsible for purging are, after all, the hundreds of ancient noble lords of the northern Winterfrost Theocracy, all possessing profound foundations. When we initiated the sudden invasion at the very beginning, the legion indeed capitalized on the Turin natives' unpreparedness and fragmented chaos, achieving significant, glorious results with unstoppable momentum and plundering a vast number of resource nodes. However, once the Turin higher-ups reacted and those nobles discarded their prejudices to integrate their forces into a massive coalition, our advancing march was met with stubborn resistance. The war gradually sank into a seesaw stalemate."

  "Presently, the main forces of both our side and the enemy are keeping their heads down behind their respective defensive lines, licking their wounds and madly stockpiling strategic resources for the impending final battle. For the time being, neither side shows any sign of rashly launching a full-scale general offensive."

  "However, although no city-toppling battles have erupted, within the vast buffer zones, countless scout skirmishes like the one we just saw and small-scale encounters of several hundred men break out every single day. Both sides are strangling each other with everything they have in the mud, fighting to seize those mana-rich resource nodes and expand their vision within the fog of war."

  Mired in a stalemate?

  Pierce's profound gaze flickered slightly in the shadows.

  Although this meat-grinder tactic of filling the front lines with human lives sounded incomparably cold and cruel, for an independent Wizard like himself—one who was unaffiliated with any legion's organization and relied on continuous hunting and completing high-bounty commissions to earn resources—this chaotic stalemate lacking absolute order was perhaps the perfect battlefield to maximize his profits and fish in troubled waters.

  Amidst their low-voiced conversation and analysis, the group followed the steps to the mid-mountain region.

  This area had similarly been artificially excavated and constructed into a terraced plaza, though its surface area was slightly smaller than the giant plaza connecting the planar gate at the summit.

  Over a dozen black stone monoliths engraved with ancient runes stood like silent sentinels in the very center of the plaza. They were arranged with exceedingly precise five-meter intervals, connecting end to end to form a perfect circular boundary. On the ground central to these monoliths, a profound and highly complex spatial teleportation array was deeply etched using the sap of mana-infused metals.

  "The actual location of the Exchange is somewhat distant from the cliff defense sector we are currently in. Walking would waste too much time; we must utilize this internal teleportation array to jump there directly," Colin explained to Pierce with familiar ease, pointing at the array ahead.

  The authorization fee for internal teleportation was one Magic Stone per person. After paying the full toll to the golem puppets guarding the array, the group stepped directly into the faintly glowing teleportation array without hesitation.

  The next instant, as the spatial laws distorted, Pierce felt his vision abruptly blur violently. Accompanied by an extremely slight sensation of weightlessness, by the time his brain restored its perception of his surroundings, he found that he had bypassed the long mountain paths. He had been teleported directly from the desolate mid-mountain cliffs to an exceedingly prosperous and clamorous commercial sector deep within Red Maple City.

  Directly ahead, less than a hundred meters from the teleportation drop point, a magnificent building forcefully entered his vision. Constructed entirely from massive, indestructible granite blocks, its roof presented a colossal, arched dome, resembling an impregnable ancient castle.

  That was the economic heart of all Red Maple City—the Official Exchange. It also served as the core hub of this war fortress, boasting the densest crowds and the most complex web of intelligence.

  Colin expertly led the way, guiding Pierce and the other two as they strode toward the granite structure, dutifully introducing the rules as they walked.

  "Within the Red Maple City defense zone, as long as you complete missions assigned by your superiors or hunt down hostile targets, all the battle merits and merit points you acquire can be brought here to be exchanged directly for any resource you desire. This encompasses everything from the pure food and water needed for daily survival, to various rare magical casting materials, finished magical artifacts, spell-storing scrolls, alchemical potions, and even various models of combat golems to serve as cannon fodder. You can find absolutely everything."

  "By the way, if you wish to proactively accept bounty commissions to earn merit points, the Mission Hall is established in the adjacent district not far from here. When we exit the Exchange later, take a right at the intersection and you'll see it immediately."

  Following Colin's pace and passing through the heavy architectural doors forged from enchanted steel, Pierce was stunned to discover that the interior space of this Exchange was vastly more expansive than a visual estimation from the outside would suggest. Clearly, a brilliant spatial expansion spell had been permanently anchored within by high-tier Wizards.

  That massive, towering dome was almost boundless to the eye. Tipping one's head back to gaze upward, one could only see an endless dome as deep and black as the starry sky, instilling a sense of insignificance akin to facing the abyss.

  Within the enormously spacious hall, the crowds were so dense they rubbed shoulders. Human adventurers intermingled with all manner of strangely shaped alien vassals. The air was thick with the complex scent of sweat, spices, and grinding metal. Everywhere one looked, there were Formal Wizards clad in white robes symbolizing their status, as well as Legendary Knights with sharp, piercing gazes who made no effort to conceal their formidable vitality.

  Meanwhile, upon the mirror-smooth black walls encircling the hall, through some sort of projection magic, densely packed, iridescent texts flashed tirelessly. Detailed upon them were the precise names of the various resources provided by the legion's logistics department, alongside the staggering merit point exchange prices behind each item.

  Pierce maintained his composure, his brain acting like a precision calculator as his gaze swept rapidly over those cascading streams of data like a waterfall. Sure enough, in the corner belonging to the potion section, he accurately located the exchange entry for Resonance Potions. Its exorbitant price once again corroborated the massive profits of this monopolized resource.

  Just then, amidst the clamorous background noise, an extremely hearty and uninhibited burst of loud laughter suddenly erupted from behind and to the side.

  Shortly after, a man with sharp, greyish-white short hair and several shallow scars across his face strode over with a laugh. Unrestrained, he stepped forward and gave Colin a passionate hug that could snap ribs.

  "Colin! You bastard, using chores as an excuse to run back to Aurora City—you've dragged your feet for over half a month, haven't you! You've finally deigned to drag yourself back to the frontlines! Without that batch of thick-skinned stone golems under your command holding the front line and soaking up damage these past days, our squad has practically been unable to move an inch. We haven't even dared to lightly touch the most fragile outer fortifications of those Turin natives recently. The brothers' loot haul has shrunk by a massive margin!"

  Colin laughed and punched the grey-haired man. The two were clearly life-and-death friends who had passed the trials of surviving back-to-back on the battlefield; their relationship was exceptionally close. After a period of mutual jesting and pleasantries, Colin finally turned and introduced his rugged comrade to Pierce beside him.

  "Pierce, this is Gerard. A Destruction-school Wizard of exceptional strength, and the friend most worthy of entrusting my back to on the battlefield."

  Then, Colin turned again, introducing Pierce to Gerard with a touch of solemnity. "Gerard, this is Pierce. We met by chance on the road returning to the planar gate. Since our destination was the same, we traveled together."

  "Pierce?"

  Gerard's smile, which had originally carried a bit of casualness, froze slightly. He quickly filtered the name through his mind, his pupils contracting violently. "Could it be... that apex genius hailing from The Spire Academy, the one rumored to have single-handedly slaughtered his way through Crimson Lotus City?"

  "That's exactly right, it is him," Colin gave an affirmative answer with a chuckle, watching his old friend's shocked expression.

  Gerard's eyes instantly erupted with an unnaturally bright luster. The trace of ruggedness on his face vanished in an instant, immediately replaced by a smile of incomparable enthusiasm and even a sliver of obvious deference. He took half a step back and, adhering to the extremely formal etiquette among Wizards, placed his right hand over his left chest and bowed slightly toward Pierce.

  "To be able to meet you here is truly my greatest honor, Lord Pierce."

  In the cruel world of Wizards, which only valued power and truth, respecting the accomplished was the sole law. Facing a peerless genius capable of slaughtering those of the same tier as easily as butchering dogs, Gerard naturally did not dare to be arrogant in the slightest.

  Pierce gave a slight nod, calmly returning a bow of equals. A gentle smile, yet one that maintained a sense of distance, hung at the corners of his mouth. "There is no need for such formalities; just calling me Pierce will do."

  Gerard smoothly straightened up, taking the opportunity to close the social distance between them, and said with a loud laugh, "To be honest, when I heard the news earlier in the camp that you, Pierce, successfully crossed the heavenly chasm and advanced to a Formal Wizard, the brothers and I privately guessed that with your talent and ambition, you definitely wouldn't linger in the comfortable rear. You would inevitably descend upon this Plane of Turin seeking breakthroughs very soon. I never expected happiness to arrive so quickly, that I could actually see you here with my own eyes today. It seems my luck today has indeed been favored by the Goddess of Fortune."

  He paused, his eyes making no effort to conceal his intense desire to recruit. Striking while the iron was hot, he proposed, "It is like this: Colin, myself, and two other extremely reliable Wizards have established a fixed four-man tactical squad here in Red Maple City. We normally coordinate with each other to penetrate deep behind enemy lines and execute high-risk, high-reward purge missions. Since you are newly arrived and do not yet have fixed partners, I wonder if you might be interested in considering joining our squad?"

  Hearing Gerard's direct invitation, Colin beside them immediately turned his gaze toward Pierce as well, his eyes flashing with unconcealed anticipation and desire.

  In truth, the reason he had been so warm on the road—even willing to lower his status to proactively act as Pierce's temporary guide—was not entirely devoid of a deeper motive within his heart. He had hoped to utilize the goodwill of showing the way to get closer to the rising star with limitless potential and draw him into his own squad.

  Although Pierce had only recently completed the condensation of his mental crystal and advanced to a Tier 1 Wizard not long ago, conclusive insider information had already circulated within the upper echelons of Aurora City: he was a monster who had perfectly achieved his life ascension using that extremely demanding, most terrifyingly potent peak twenty-four-sided advanced meditation technique!

  A genius Wizard with foundations so profound as to induce horror, even if he were just a novice who had newly stepped into the Tier 1 Gaseous Stage, the true combat power he could erupt with would absolutely not be a fraction weaker than those veteran Tier 1 Wizards who had slaughtered on the battlefield for years. Furthermore, his incomparable future potential and growth ceiling left everyone completely out of reach.

  Setting aside these terrifying combat statistics, what made Gerard and Colin feel even more envious and tempted was Pierce's other identity: a genuine Tier 2 Apothecary possessing an extremely high success rate! He could even personally concoct Resonance Potions—treasures sought by countless Wizards that could vastly accelerate the cultivation process!

  If they could successfully persuade and bind a strategic talent like Pierce—one who possessed both terrifying combat prowess and heaven-defying logistical supply capabilities—to their chariot, the survival guarantees and profit elevations it would bring to their hunting squad, which constantly wandered on the edge of life and death, would absolutely present exponentially explosive benefits!

  Facing their burning gazes, Pierce did not immediately give an answer. He lowered his eyes slightly, feigning the appearance of deep thought as if earnestly weighing the pros and cons in his mind.

  After a moment, he finally raised his head. His tone was gentle but unquestionable as he delivered a watertight response. "I appreciate the goodwill of you both. However, allow me a short period of time to consider it. After all, I have just stepped foot into this war fortress and remain completely ignorant of many frontline rules, faction distributions, and even the pricing systems. Regarding team formation, which involves entrusting one's life, I am in no hurry to make a hasty final decision just yet."

  Hearing this tactful rejection, the expressions on Gerard and Colin's faces visibly dimmed, revealing a sliver of unhideable disappointment. But both were intelligent men who had rolled through piles of corpses; they knew such matters could not be forced. Provoking his disgust would outweigh any gains. Therefore, the two adjusted their emotions with extreme swiftness. Ardent smiles re-hung upon their faces as they voiced their agreement in rapid succession.

  "That makes sense. Such matters truly require careful consideration."

  "However, Pierce, if one day in the future, after figuring out the situation, you plan to find trustworthy teammates to execute missions together with, you absolutely must give our squad priority consideration! We can absolutely entrust our backs to you with peace of mind!" Gerard patted his chest, making one final effort.

  "Certainly." Pierce, holding a flawless smile at the corners of his mouth, nodded slightly, offering a nebulous verbal promise.

  As for what kind of cold and highly efficient lone-wolf plan he was calculating in the ocean-deep recesses of his mind, no one else in this world besides himself would ever know.

  After skipping past the sensitive topic of teaming up, the atmosphere between the three Formal Wizards relaxed once more. They stood in a corner of the hall, exchanging low-voiced words about recent frontline intelligence and other inconsequential subjects.

  Sophia and Payne resembled two lifeless sculptures, standing silently and perfectly straight behind Pierce. From beginning to end, they did not utter a single word, even suppressing the rhythm of their breathing to the absolute minimum.

  In the strictly hierarchical and power-supreme social circles of Wizards, as mortal knights who had not yet grasped the power of laws, they were well aware of their standing. They possessed absolutely no right to intervene, or even interject, in the conversation between three rulers.

  And whether it was the familiar Colin or the newly enthusiastic Gerard, throughout the entire conversation, their gazes never lingered on the two knights for even a second. In the eyes of these high-tier spellcasters, two mere retainer knights who had just entered the legendary realm had less presence than a magical ornamental plant in the corner of the hall; they were treated entirely as air.

  When the direction of the conversation naturally shifted to the various earth-shattering major events that had occurred on the frontlines during the vacuum period of Colin's half-month absence from Red Maple City, the expression on Gerard's face suddenly turned extremely serious. He even bore a look of irrepressible marvel and fanaticism born of extreme shock.

  "Ah, there's a major event worthy of being recorded in the annals of history that you two are probably still in the dark about, aren't you? Just half a month ago, one of Aurora City's supreme combatants, Councilor Gideon, personally struck deep within Sunset Canyon and forcefully slaughtered a true demigod affiliated with the Winterfrost Sect!"

  Demigod!

  These two words seemed to possess some indescribable magic. The moment the sentence ended, it was like a heavy, invisible warhammer viciously smashing into the air. The relaxed expressions on Pierce and Colin's faces evaporated instantly. They simultaneously drew in sharp breaths of cold air, their expressions turning extremely grim and solemn in an instant.

  In the power structures of those divine planar systems possessing complete faith systems and truly existent deities, the title of Demigod was absolutely not just a simple moniker. They were the earthly representatives of those high and mighty gods. They were terrifying entities who had ignited their divine fire, needing only the final step of condensing a divine persona to ascend to the throne of godhood. It could be said that they were the absolute symbols of power closest to the essence of a god in the entire material plane.

  According to the rigorous power conversion system of the Wizard World, even a newly ascended demigod with the weakest divinity could absolutely unleash destructive power comparable to a Rank 6 Grand Wizard with every gesture.

  And those peak demigods who had precipitated in the demigod realm for countless epochs and mastered powerful fragments of divine portfolios could even breach the barriers of their echelon. They could stand on equal footing and clash invincibly on the frontal battlefield with Rank 7 Truth Wizards—entities capable of easily annihilating a low-level plane!

  "Councilor Gideon actually engaged in a death match with a demigod, and even succeeded in slaughtering him... Heavens, this was an apex duel involving the very origins of the plane! What an absolute pity! If only I could have personally observed that divine battle from the edges of Sunset Canyon when it broke out! Even just a single glance, just feeling the collision of laws, would have brought monumental benefits to my meditation!" Colin's eyes widened, his face full of the chagrin and heartache of missing out on a peerless opportunity. His tone was filled with endless regret.

  Hearing Colin's naive complaints, Gerard seemed to have heard an amusing joke and burst into merciless, uproarious laughter. His laughter carried the relief and reverence of surviving a disaster. "Even if you were present at the time, what could you have done? Did you really think you'd have the life left to observe a clash between gods?"

  "A demigod-tier battle of destruction involving the tearing of laws and the annihilation of divinity—let alone standing safely to the side to observe—for bottom-feeders struggling in the dirt like us Tier 1 Gaseous Wizards, even staying within dozens of kilometers of the battlefield's edge... we wouldn't even have the courage to inch slightly closer!"

  "You two didn't go to the site to see the tragic aftermath! After that apocalyptic battle had completely settled, the entire bottomless Sunset Canyon, stretching for over a hundred kilometers, was forcibly erased from the planar map! Countless surrounding mountains were completely sheared flat by the shockwaves, and even the spatial structure was beaten full of holes, transforming into a dead, silent absolute zone continuously spewing spatial turbulence."

  "And this was the result after those two grand figures possessing heaven-shaking abilities deliberately tore the spatial barriers of the main plane to forcefully transfer the core battlefield deep into alternate space, just to avoid causing the entire plane to collapse from their energy overflow! If they had truly fought with zero reservations in the material world... Hmph, let alone a mere Sunset Canyon, I'm afraid the entire vast territory of the Winterfrost Theocracy, as well as this supposedly impregnable Red Maple City beneath our feet, would have been thoroughly erased without a single speck of dust remaining in the very first round of law collision by those overflowing ripples of destruction!"

  Hearing this bone-chillingly tragic description, the chagrin on Colin's face froze instantly. He swallowed hard, imagining the scene, and couldn't help but laugh bitterly in self-deprecation. "...Your reprimand is correct. With my meager level of cultivation, if I had truly gone, I likely wouldn't even know how I was vaporized into gas."

  Pierce listened from the side, a chill running through his heart. Agreeing deeply, he slowly nodded his head.

  The life-and-death struggle at the demigod tier, that terrifying kinetic energy involving the underlying logic of the universe... Even a single, extremely weak ripple of energy spilling over from the main battlefield would be enough to instantly obliterate hundreds, if not thousands, of Tier 1 Wizards like himself, just like crushing ants.

  Wanting to visit the scene to observe a divine battle of this echelon?

  Such a maddening thought would have to wait until the day he successfully condensed a Tier 4 mental crystal or higher and truly touched the borders of a high-tier Wizard! Contemplating it now was no different from a moth flying into a flame, seeking its own doom.

  Just as Pierce's mind was still savoring the shocking aftertaste of the demigod battle, secretly lamenting the persistent insignificance of his own power...

  Suddenly, his nerve endings—tempered countless times by the Omniscient Eye and sharp to an almost abnormal degree—jumped violently. He perceived with extreme abruptness that amidst the noisy crowds in the hall, several streams of icy, piercing gazes, practically tangible in their intensity, were passing through the layers of people. From different directions, they silently locked onto the corner where he stood. Or more accurately, those gazes carrying probing hostility were primarily dead-focused entirely on him.

  At the moment he was locked onto, Pierce clearly perceived that the vast majority of these gazes were laced with an undisguised, cold, and direct malice and killing intent, much like venomous snakes flicking their tongues.

  Noticing Pierce's suddenly tensed posture and his instantly sharpening eyes, Colin beside him astutely picked up on the anomaly. Following the direction of Pierce's vigilant gaze, he calmly and rapidly swept his eyes over the surging crowds around them.

  Upon clearly seeing the special insignias worn on the chests of those white-robed figures who were releasing their killing intent without any evasion, a look of sudden realization mixed with a bitter smile appeared on Colin's face. He lowered his body slightly, leaning close to Pierce's ear, and warned him in an extremely low voice that only the two of them could hear, his tone grave.

  "Trouble has arrived... The ones targeting you are those bastards belonging to Crimson Lotus City."