Translator: Kris_Liu Editor: Vermillion
There was a complex magic circle drawn with a silver-colored liquid on the floor. The big array consisted of thirteen circles, and at the center of each, different creepy patterns were drawn. The twelve smaller circles surrounded the biggest one, which was decorated with the many symbols representing the earth and the six hexagrams.
Between the circles, there were many silver-gray lines connecting them together, forming the mysterious stellar map. In the smaller circles, there were also many constellation signs and symbols of elements.
There was more than one magic rite for one to improve to senior-rank, as sorcerers majored in different schools and their cognition words also varied. If a rite was more on the necromantic, force field, or illusion side, it would not be appropriate to be applied to a sorcerer who studied elements and electromagnetism. Therefore, there were more than dozens of magic rites.
After checking carefully and making sure that the magic circle was set up correctly, Lucien took a short break to be fully prepared for the rite.
Fernando, the Lord of Storm, stood beside, and he had no plan to help Lucien with the magic circle. In his eyes, that was something that Lucien should be able to do on his own, and if he made any mistakes, Fernando was definitely going to yell at him furiously.
Thompson was in a great shock when he heard that Lucien was about to become a senior-rank mage, and now he was also here observing the rite. He was well aware of the fact that Lucien had just become a fifth-circle sorcerer six months ago, and although he could use the potions and the rites to help him meet the requirement of the spiritual power level and soul power, there was no shortcut for him to achieve the substantialization of his cognition world. Lucien either had to greatly improve his knowledge of the true world and thus get close to the real nature of the world, or he had to boost his spiritual and soul power to the level that was almost crazy, like the ancient sorcerers did, and then use the rites to help him with the substantialization of his cognition world.
However, even if that were the case, Lucien’s advancement was still inconceivably fast. It did not make sense to Thompson.
When seeking for advancement, most arcanists nowadays often combined the two methods together: they first explored the world and studied arcana to improve their cognition and to push their cognition world toward the edge of being substantialized, and then they would turn to the magic rites. Therefore, hopefully, they could reach senior-rank in about twenty years.
For those who managed to become a senior-rank before thirty years old, they all had substantialized their cognition world simply from their exploration of the world.
Thompson shook his head to get rid of his slight feeling of envy toward Lucien. He wondered if one’s understanding of the micro-world really mattered that much and if the micro-world was the truth of the world. It took Thompson sharp twenty-six years to reach the sixth-circle, and by that time he was already close to his fifties.
However, his attitude toward Lucien’s rushed advancement was different than Fernando’s. Thompson agreed with what Lucien was doing. After all, Lucien was always surrounded by danger, and thus, when it was possible, he should make his advancement as soon as possible, or when he encountered a real danger, it would be too late for him to do anything.
In Thompson’s eyes, reaching a higher circle was still very necessary as long as the cost was not too great even if Lucien had not been a troublemaker. When one’s arcana knowledge had not been transferred into his or her magic power, the sorcerer was always in a certain kind of danger. It happened before that a few great arcana geniuses died before they managed to improve their magic power.
Alferris held no opinion toward what Lucien was doing. It only had a vague understanding of time. When Alferris reached senior-rank, it did not use any rites. It only relied on its arcana and magic knowledge to improve its soul’s power and used the power to stimulate its body, just like how the mature and fully-grown dragons did. Therefore, right now, Alferris was having a sweet time playing with Lucien’s many magic items, wearing the Holm Crown rings on its claws to show off.
Although the Immortal Throne magic robe did not have any precious stones on it, Alferris knew that it was still worth a lot and could be traded for crystals and precious stones.
When Lucien was ready, he took out the twelve crystal balls out of his magic pouch.
They were made of the different crystals with Sun Stones, Wave Stones, Scarlet Tree sap, and some other materials respectively, each shining in different colors. Some were like stars, some were shining like a sun, and some were mysterious like the ocean. The twelve crystal balls symbolized twelve constellations and twelve elements.
Lucien placed the twelve crystal balls at the center of the twelve smaller circles, one at each respectively. The crystal balls were instantly connected to the power of the magic circle and burst out with dazzling lights. The invisible power of the magic circle raised them up.
Then, Lucien stepped in the biggest circle in the middle and stood on the symbol representing the earth. Lucien took out another six dim crystal balls and put them at the center of each of the hexagram symbols.
Throwing the pouch out of the magic circle, Lucien started to activate the core part of the magic circle.
The six hexagrams burst out silver light and rose into the air, like six altars. The six crystal balls representing the other six kinds of the element were also on the altars.
Bright red, dark blue, black, light cyan, jade green, and pure white, the six colors of light burst out of the crystal balls like six small suns.
Lucien cast the spell in a low voice, and then his volume gradually increased, like a song of praise for the starry sky and the universe. Along with the enchanting, the silver lines of the magic circle lit up one by one, and there were also the same lines connecting the crystal balls together.
Slowly, the crystal balls started to move around Lucien. There were twelve crystal balls on the outer ring and six inside. Although they followed different traces, they did not hinder each other’s movement at all.
The light covering the magic circle made the rite look like a dream. The moving crystal balls were just like the mysterious stars in the sky.
Driven by the power of the magic circle, Lucien fell into the half-virtual cognition world. The starry sky was still up there, hanging the invisible gravity strings. Lucien’s Host Star of Destiny was above there in the sky at the center of the world, connected with its reflection in Lucien’s soul, suggesting the unpredictability of one’s fate.
The furious fire, the free wind, and the gentle water consisted of the foundation of the world. The form of energy came no more in flows but in portions.
The many light spots representing the many elements further laid the foundation of Lucien’s cognition world. The electrons were moving around, and from time to time, radiant light shot out.
Drops of liquid then brought the world ice and snow, glittering.
The crystal balls went through the boundary between the reality and the visionary world, stirring this cognition world, and then they went back to the real material world where the magic circle lay, like dazzling meteors.
Between the real and the illusionary, Lucien was not sure where he was right now.
Forcing himself to focus, Lucien started to manipulate the reflection of his Host Star of Destiny in his soul. Instantly, the shining star line lit up and connected to the host star in the sky.
The line trembled suddenly, dragging both ends!
The reflection of the star caused the vibration of Lucien’s spiritual power, following which Lucien’s soul also started changing. The Host Star of Destiny moved along with the cognition world, and the power from both ends interacted with each other!
This could only be achieved after the substantialization of one’s cognition world. In the past, when Lucien was doing meditation, he could only control his soul but not his cognition world.
One crystal ball spun into the cognition world as expected and it directly hit the star line. The violent vibration was caused and the star was broken into shining pieces, which then went into Lucien’s soul, his Host Star of Destiny and the elemental light spots.
A dazzling spiritual power ray shot out of Lucien’s soul and became the first line forming the structure of the spell, Spell Trigger.
There were more and more lines gathering, and the vibration of Lucien’s cognition world became more and more violent. The hiding power was going to burst out as if something was trying to jump out of the illusionary world into the real world and to become part of Lucien’s soul.
More crystal balls hit the illusionary world and a very complex magic structure was gradually built. Like facing a catastrophe, Lucien’s cognition world started to boil. The Host Star of Destiny started to swell. Bigger and bigger, the star occupied most of the starry sky.
Because of the power of the crystal balls, the elemental light spots also enlarged. Lucien was like an electron looking up at the huge nuclei.
However, the nuclei were hiding in the wind, fire, and water. They were prevented from approaching the stars seemingly because of an invisible force wall.
The elemental world and the astrology world were very different just like the micro-world and the macro-world.
When the last crystal ball hit the star string, the final stage of the rite was triggered.
In silence, the Host Star of Destiny shone like a burst, illuminating the entire cognition world. The starry sky expanded rapidly, swallowing up the environment of wind, fire, and water, as well as the elements, atoms, and electrons.
Using the power, Lucien’s consciousness remained very stable, and he managed to finish the final touch of the magic structure.
There followed a low bang. All the light went into Lucien’s soul and joined the magic model.
However, at this time, Lucien found his own soul was unable to control the explosive power of his Host Star of Destiny and the expansion of the starry sky. His cognition world was probably going to explode in any second!
Fernando took a step forward and raised both his hands. Between his palms, there were bolts of bright lightning, and there was a powerful storm in his red eyes!
If this was out of Lucien’s control, he would break off the rite even if Lucien would be severely hurt by it, which was always better than being exploded!
Thompson’s right hand, using which he was planning to adjust his glasses, was right now suspending in the air. He knew something was wrong with the final step.
Even Alferris forgot the shining rings and amulets. Although it did not really understand what was going on in the magic circle, Alferris was also worried.
Lucien’s consciousness, as a bystander, quickly came up with all the knowledge he had learned. His soul was only able to control part of his Host Star of Destiny. With the expansion and swell of the star, it already looked like clusters of light.
Lucien had got only one way to go!
He controlled part of the star and let it burn furiously and grow bigger at an even higher speed!
Was he out of his mind?!
The part of the Host Star of Destiny became brighter and brighter, however, after reaching the limit, it suddenly went dim. Lucien did not stop it but kept pushing it to explode, which shaped a sharp contrast to the other part.
The expanding of the star had reached the final stage, and the part of the star under Lucien’s control suddenly collapsed. Lucien felt the sharp pain in his soul.
Bang!
The collapsed part of the star formed a black swirl, devouring everything around it, even the light!
Using this power, Lucien managed to stop the further expansion of the remaining part of the star. The established magic model’s reflection was now in his cognition world in the form of a dazzling star.
The rest of the magic models were also cast to the sky, forming the smaller stars. Surrounding the model of Magic Trigger, a galaxy was formed, and it was close to Lucien’s entire cognition world.
At the center of the starry sky, the Host Star of Destiny was much brighter now. However, when it spun, no one could see what was behind it. There was endless darkness behind it, like a swirl that could devour everything around it, and even the tracks of the light close to it were distorted.
The dark swirl and the bright star were like twins.
Their reflection in Lucien’s soul was also like this. Lucien had no idea whether it was good or bad.
Anyway, he had finally become a senior-rank mage!
When Lucien opened his eyes, the eighteen crystal balls fell onto the ground at the same time and collapsed into clusters of dim power.
…
When the back swirl appeared, a bolt of lightning flashed through his red eyes.
“The Untraceable Destiny?”
