Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
He was well aware of the purpose of his visit. He was not there to hunt and kill the rare magical beasts even though they were hard to find. He wanted to successfully obtain Thunderbolt and the other important items before the Malfa Family and Dark Blade did. There couldn’t be any mistakes, then.
Lin Li carefully moved deeper into the valley. The evil wing Chimaera finally turned around and flew away, perhaps because Lin Li had already stepped into the territory of another magical beast. However, Lin Li did not feel that relieved, for there had to be a formidable beast there since the Chimaera actually left without a fight.
Time passed minute by minute, together with Lin Li’s footsteps. The depth of the valley truly did not disappoint him. After shunning all the powerful magical beasts, he did not encounter any other terrifying entities along the rest of his journey. Hence, he could not help but speed up again. He could sense the faint and subtle signal that seemed to be becoming clearer. He was certain that the suspected target was right in front.
After making a turn, Lin Li suddenly stopped in his tracks and looked in front in astonishment, only to realize that it was a different scene from before.
The bright moon in the sky seemed to be larger, brighter, and rounder than before. Although it was nighttime, the silvery moonlight that was cast on the ground seemed to have lit up the world.
In the open, the trees were sparse and the sounds of insects could be heard. There were wild flowers complimenting the lush greenery, and he could no longer smell the stench of deciduous leaves, which had been replaced by the smell of grass and the faint aroma of wild flowers.
A small stream flowed from the side. The sounds of water flowing and the occasional croaking of toads was rather soul-cleansing. They even made Lin Li forget about the pressure that he faced along the way. Lin Li could not remember when was the last time he ever saw such a beautiful scenery. Or perhaps he had never noticed any before.
Everything in front of him seemed rather dreamy and surreal to Lin Li, though it was not his first time seeing such sceneries. Perhaps Lin Li was getting emotional because the tranquility was a stark contrast to the intense battle that he just had.
However, Lin Li did not indulge in it, and only got distracted for a brief moment before remembering his purpose. He was not there to play or relax and unwind. Who knew what kind of danger or crisis there might be beneath this calmness?
Lin Li snapped out of his trance, and stopped admiring the scenery. Instead, he scrutinized the objects in front of him. Like he expected, he discovered a peculiar entity in a certain spot.
Deep in the woods, there seemed to be a hazy halo, which made it impossible for him to see what was hidden behind it. Lin Li dared not be careless at all, and he felt that he ought to be even more careful at this moment. Otherwise, there would be no time for him to even lament and regret. Instead of walking forth immediately, he carefully siphoned out a portion of mental strength and looked into the hazy halo.
As his mental strength extended, Lin Li began to frown slightly; he unconsciously pressed his lips together, and the doubtful gaze in his eyes became more intense. The surrounding scenery, the pleasing insects, and the sounds of the water flowing could no longer entice him or catch his attention. A portion of his mental strength was already controlled by his mind.
That portion of mental strength did not touch the halo yet, but when it was approaching it, Lin Li could sense a faint aura that seemed a little familiar. Lin Li’s eyes widened suddenly before acting normally again, though he was not truly composed.
It was the Menace of the Dragon!
Lin Li was rather familiar with the Menace of the Dragon, which he personally encountered during the battle with the adult Crimson Dragon in the underground palace in the Dragon Mountains. However, at this moment, he could feel that this Menace of the Dragon was much purer than that of the Crimson Dragon.
It was the true Menace of the Dragon which was exhibited because of genetics—only pure-blooded wyrms would possess real Menace of the Dragon.
Lin Li thought to himself that he was really unfortunate. Although it was to be expected that it wouldn’t be easy to achieve his goal, he did not expect to encounter an actual wyrm here. It was no joke at all. Back then in the underground palace in the Dragon Mountains, he faced only a Crimson Dragon which had been imprisoned for over 1000 years and had its mobility restricted. Yet, he was faced with an actual wyrm now. It was a fact that was impossible to fake.
When faced with such circumstances, anyone would choose to go back to where they came from because that seemed to be the best and only option at hand. An actual wyrm was definitely one of the most powerful creatures in the world. Fighting against a real wyrm was simply an act of seeking death, and only those who courted death would stay.
Indeed, the wyrm was something to be worshiped even for a Legendary figure. However, Lin Li obviously wouldn’t be willing to give up just like that. It was not like him to retreat when things got difficult. Besides, he was bent on getting his hands on Thunderbolt.
Lin Li temporarily suppressed the suspicion in his heart, and used a portion of mental strength to continue exploring the halo. However, he was surprised even before he got near it. A mysterious force that came out of nowhere actually disrupted his mental strength.
In the world of Anril, Lin Li did enjoy all kinds of advantages and privileges, but that did not make him the least bit arrogant. He wouldn’t be conceited, either. Lin Li had a clear understanding of his mental strength and abilities. Apart from his natural talent, the magical crystal of the Evil Eye Tyrant that had been left behind by Geresco had been helping him increase his mental strength every day. It was more of a mental training than an increase in strength.
Therefore, Lin Li was still rather confident in his own mental strength. Even though he had only activated a portion of it, the degree of condensation of the mental strength would not change. Moreover, it was not only for exploration or casting mental spells. Few people could reach such a high level of penetrating power.
However, his mental strength was disrupted by an unknown force before he could even find anything. Lin Li couldn’t help but feel shocked. At the same time, he had also become much more conscientious and determined. Hence, he refused to give up, and decided to take another look at the halo.
This time, Lin Li did not act recklessly, but instead used some skills that had been taught in the Book of Eternity to better control his mental strength. The Book of Eternity was a journal of Geresco’s magical experience throughout his life, and the importance of mental strength to a mage was second only to the perception of the Rule Power. Or perhaps they were of equal importance. Hence, there were naturally skills and techniques regarding exercising mental strength included in the Book of Eternity. How could Lin Li not pick them up?
Lin Li’s not-so-handsome face began to grow exceptionally sullen, and he closed his eyes together slightly while everything else around him seemed to have been shielded out. He was entirely focused on controlling that portion of his mental strength. Controlling one’s mental strength was actually harder to execute than it seemed because it was not composed of magic elements like magic, but rather was an abstract and intangible entity. Hence, there had yet to be one established technique for the training of mental strength in Anril. Only Geresco, the God of Mages, had researched on it and recorded his input in the Book of Eternity.
Although Lin Li had only siphoned a portion of his mental strength, he had to use all of it to control the mental strength, and the technique taught by Geresco was not that easy to employ, especially with Lin Li’s current level. He was still too far away from Geresco’s standards; hence, he was just doing his best to use the techniques as well as possible.
Geresco was undeniably worthy of his title as the God of Mages. Lin Li once again tried to explore and study the halo, using the mental strength manipulation techniques taught in the Book of Eternity. Although he encountered certain obstacles, he finally penetrated through the halo using his mental strength.
However, Lin Li’s doubts had not been resolved because of that, but became a little bit more intense instead. He felt that the magical aura in the halo was the exact one that he had been chasing and looking for. Hence, he began to get even more muddled up.
Lin Li used the three pieces of the debris of the stars that he had—Holy Light, Rebirth, and Darkness—to detect the aura of Thunderbolt in the Haiga Mountain Range. He cooperated with the Malfa Family and the Dark Blade to explore the Haiga Mountain Range, all for the sake of Thunderbolt. He then left the battlefield alone, and followed the signal all the way to the valley, likewise for the sake of Thunderbolt. However, he now began to doubt his detection.
Lin Li was no stranger to the magical aura of the Wyrm. The powerful existence of the ancient dragons that dominated the prehistoric era was still extremely domineering, even if it was only in terms of its magical aura. That was precisely the reason that the magical aura of a wyrm was unique and couldn’t be imitated.
It was a solitary trait of domination and repression, just like a ruler who was majestic and self-righteous, with no tolerance for disrespect. The magical aura of Wyrms would never allow itself to co-exist with the magical aura of other beings. That was the indelible nature of Wyrms which gave them their pride.
