"Most likely the second and third reasons..."
Because if one were to consume their own life energy as a spell, the wizards of the Life Court would essentially be fighting with "life," which seems rather improbable.
"The inheritance of the Life Court might be helpful to me. If I can increase the total amount of life energy through other means, the combat power of the [Immaculate Body] in its complete Giant Demon Transformation can also be enhanced."
Ronan wanted to enhance the combat power of the [Immaculate Body] in its complete Giant Demon Transformation form. Besides improving the efficiency of the existing life energy, the only remaining option was to increase the base amount of life energy.
If both aspects could be enhanced, that would be even better.
The Life Court and Ronan were actually on two different paths regarding the use of life energy. The former used life energy as the driving force for wizard spells, while Ronan directly applied life energy to himself.
However, it could not be ruled out that Serena also possessed secret methods to strengthen her physical body using life energy.
"Serena's close combat ability might be stronger than anyone imagines."
Ronan's eyes flickered as he continuously analyzed in his mind.
He still had ambitions for the position of Chief Talent, and the inheritance of Herams' enforcers was equally attractive to him.
If he wanted to sit in the chief position, then Serena was undoubtedly a hurdle he could not bypass.
Apart from Serena, Ronan was also paying attention to Adam from Psionic Dawn, as well as Livicky from the Chaos Secret Society and others.
Not just him; as a genius who had manifested soul characteristics in the first round of the ranking battle, each of them was a focal point of attention for everyone.
Having witnessed Adam's performance, Ronan discovered that the inheritance of Psionic Dawn was actually extremely rare Mind-based spells.
Like the life spells of the Life Court, Mind-based spells also belonged to a non-elemental spell inheritance. Due to the special nature of their energy, the power of the spells released far exceeded that of ordinary elemental spells.
"The power of the mind stems from will, and will stems from the soul."
The Light of the Mind power that Adam displayed in battle was exceptionally pure and powerful, and he possessed a quality reminiscent of true ancient ascetics.
Ronan had seen Adam's clear eyes and suddenly began to believe that the unicorn horse that was inseparable from him might truly be the legendary Unicorn.
It was said that only those whose minds were free of impurities and whose wills were exceptionally strong had the chance to tame a legendary Unicorn.
The Unicorn was an ancient exotic species similar to the Ice Crystal Demon Serpent, and in terms of rarity and rank, it was even higher than the Ice Crystal Demon Serpent.
Adam's Unicorn was quite majestic and seemed to provide a strong boost to Adam's spells. His combat style was almost an anomaly among wizards; he charged at his opponents like a knight, hardly needing to employ any other means. The pure Light of the Mind was like an indestructible holy lance, effortlessly overwhelming his opponents.
"Even if it's another late-stage third-level wizard, if their will is slightly weaker, they probably wouldn't be able to cast a complete spell in front of Adam..."
From behind the protective magic array surrounding the platform, Ronan could still feel the powerful will emanating from Adam, as if it could break through all obstacles.
This will would impose a tremendous psychological shock on his opponents, causing their souls to tremble and their combat power to be significantly reduced.
Having witnessed Adam's performance, Ronan began to covet the inheritance of Psionic Dawn.
Due to practicing [Ascetic Body Forging], his will was also incredibly resilient and strong, forged through countless pains and trials.
Adam's combat style suited him well, and because of the residual consciousness of "Hekalto," willpower was a crucial "life-saving charm" for Ronan, and it could not be overemphasized.
"Seeing others' inheritances makes me feel good; I wonder if others feel the same about mine."
Ronan couldn't help but self-deprecate. His ice and space spell inheritance probably made many wizards "envious."
There was also the "Golden Country" inheritance that he had yet to formally begin studying, which was a supreme opportunity that ordinary wizards dreamed of.
Compared to Adam, Livicky from the Chaos Secret Society seemed a bit more "ordinary," merely possessing normal dark spells mixed with some curse spells.
Livicky appeared extremely low-key; in two encounters, he had not revealed much of his trump cards, giving off an inscrutable vibe.
Unbeknownst to him.
"Buzz—"
The nearby light column suddenly turned blue, and Ronan was momentarily stunned, realizing it was his turn to take the stage.
Countless gazes converged on him. Ronan took a deep breath, his expression calm as he stepped into the center platform, walking on the void step by step.
His gaze swept over several stone pillars, and among them, a young man with ordinary looks and a sinister aura, with wine-red eyes, smiled and made a "cheer up" gesture at him.
Ronan's eyelids twitched slightly as he directly ignored the other and focused on his opponent in front of him.
In this round, Ronan's opponent was a young man dressed in a black robe with golden patterns, with brown hair and fingers adorned with various colorful, sparkling magical artifact rings.
Ronan recognized him as the wizard from the "Arcane Workshop" in the first round.
Organizations like the Arcane Workshop were different from ordinary wizard factions; their internal spell inheritances might be relatively mixed, but due to abundant resources and luxurious equipment, the combat power of wizards from such organizations was often stronger than those from normal factions of the same level.
The young wizard before him was a prime example; the three-tier magical artifact equipment he currently displayed exceeded that of normal wizards by several times.
No one knew how many treasures were hidden in his storage space; to many wizards, this guy was simply a moving treasure trove, comparable to the rumored "Treasure-Digging Goblin."
"Falin. Leon Laredo."
Upon seeing that his opponent was Ronan, the young wizard from the Arcane Workshop appeared somewhat nervous and uneasy.
He gracefully introduced himself first, as if trying to set a relatively "friendly" tone for this battle.
Ronan nodded and introduced himself in return.
Just as he was about to make a move, the Arcane Workshop wizard named Falin unexpectedly said, "You're very strong; I'm not your opponent.
However, I have a very powerful magical artifact, which is my trump card. If you can withstand my next attack, I will concede immediately, okay?"
"Uh..."
Ronan was taken aback.
Before he could react, he saw the other quickly pull out a strangely shaped, dark golden dagger from the sleeve of his wizard robe.
The dagger looked extremely ancient, exuding an aura that had weathered the test of time. Its handle was shaped like a twisted, coiling golden snake, with a dull red gemstone embedded in its eye.
Holding the dagger, the other began to chant an ancient and mysterious incantation rapidly.
Soon, a strange wave began to emanate from the golden snake dagger.
As the incantation reached its final syllable, his voice suddenly rose, and he looked at Ronan with a serious expression, shouting loudly:
"Fortunate is the witness, eager to possess it.
Fortunate is the possessor, destined for death.
Redirect your gaze upon it, vile... coveter!"
As the words fell, he slashed the dagger across his palm, but strangely, not a drop of blood flowed out.
Immediately, an indescribable aura of terror emanated from the dagger, the snake's eye instantly becoming brilliant, and wisps of black mist began to rise, causing the vast platform space to tremble violently like rippling water.
Ronan was momentarily stunned.
Then, his expression quickly turned grim.
"Damn."
"It's a Dawn-Tier Magical Artifact!"
Brilliant streams of energy filled the sky above the plain, resembling countless beautiful evening clouds, presenting a dreamlike, spectacular, beautiful, and shocking scene.
On a high hill, a figure was gazing up at all of this.
He was an ordinary-looking man with slightly wavy gray hair, emerald-like eyes, and fair skin, making it hard to discern his exact age.
He wore a pure black floor-length robe, completely immersed in the beauty of the scene, his face radiating deep longing and intoxication.
Someone appeared behind him, dressed in a similar black robe, their face obscured by the hood hanging down, making it impossible to see their features.
"I remember our generation."
The gray-haired man withdrew his gaze and looked at the black-robed figure, speaking softly in a tone of nostalgia: "Do you remember, Doru?
Back then, you were truly radiant, charging into the top four, almost just a step away from the chief of that generation. And I was just a mere second-level wizard, without even the qualification to participate.
I could only stay outside, gazing at you with infinite admiration."
The black-robed figure remained silent, and after a moment, a low, hoarse male voice emerged from beneath the hood.
"The protector following the Alba family should only be at level four, not a concern.
The troublesome part is that the Phoenix bloodline is entangled with our target. If we act according to the original plan, we must consider the impact they might cause. The higher-ups want you to decide whether..."
The gray-haired man raised his hand, interrupting the black-robed figure.
"Don't you understand, Doru?
If it were just to capture that little girl from the Alba family, you could come back alone."
The black-robed figure paused, then continued, "Although the Phoenix is not well-known, they have always been one of the oldest and most noble bloodlines in the upper ring. Their immortal wings may not have completely turned to ashes yet; what if..."
"That's not something you need to worry about."
The gray-haired man spoke calmly.
The black-robed figure fell silent.
The gray-haired man continued slowly:
"Legend has it that Life Wizard Jolie Norins Alba forged a total of twelve immensely powerful Life Sets during his lifetime, of which eight were destroyed or lost in battle.
The descendants of Alba brought the remaining four sets and established a vast empire in the central part of the upper ring."
"Our target this time, although her bloodline belonging to the Alba Life Wizard is quite thin, unexpectedly aligns extremely well with one of the Life Sets."
"Do you think we only want to collect her bloodline?"
The black-robed figure trembled slightly, and the hooded head quickly lifted.
"You should know that I am responsible for the research of the 'Salvation Armed' project. If your performance this time is satisfactory to me..."
The gray-haired man turned to look at the black-robed figure, speaking gently: "I would be willing to make you my assistant, and even... you could have the opportunity to become one of the first armed controllers."
"Doru, just focus on doing what you need to do; I will handle the rest."
The gray-haired man gently patted the black-robed figure's shoulder and softly said, "Don't let me down."
The black-robed figure lowered his head and quietly replied, "Yes."
A satisfied smile appeared on the gray-haired man's face.
He then turned his gaze toward the center of the gathering light, looking at the densely packed small black dots that formed a tight circle, representing countless wizards, his face reflecting deep emotion.
"South... I haven't been back in hundreds of years? I can hardly remember..."
"How nostalgic."
As the man's voice of reminiscence faded, the two figures on the hill seemed to dissolve like ink, vanishing in an instant beneath the vast glow.
"Boom!"
"Boom!"
"Boom!"
Ronan's white hair billowed behind him like a cloak, his muscular arms bulging with veins, and the back of his hands displayed a dense pattern resembling snake scales. Pure white light flickered around him like lightning.
Ronan's expression twisted slightly as the incomprehensible energy of the law domain intertwined and condensed between his palms. Countless frost gathered into a sphere, with a silver metal shield made entirely of Ithium on top. He had nearly maximized all his defenses, yet still could not stop the blurred, distorted black light in front of him.
The latter broke through his layers of defenses like a hot knife through butter, melting the Ithium, shattering the ice sphere, and collapsing the law domain. Ronan clasped his hands together, attempting to grasp the black light with his bare hands, but his palms were instantly cut open. The black light swiftly swept past Ronan's body, its power finally exhausted, and ultimately vanished into the air.
Ronan's expression remained unchanged as he raised his head coldly, directing his gaze at his opponent, only to be met with a hurried, slightly panicked voice.
"I... I concede!"
"Whoosh—"
A massive mysterious light cluster erupted from the opponent, quickly merging into Ronan's body.
The vast gray clouds surged violently, expanding once again in all directions.
Ronan felt the rapidly increasing soul power and mental strength, and his previously pent-up frustration finally eased a bit.
When he clearly saw his opponent, the Arcane Workshop wizard named Falin, his pale face, sunken cheeks, and weak appearance that seemed on the verge of collapse made the breath he had been holding finally release.
"Sorry, Damien, the Arcane Workshop will compensate you later."
The wizard Falin hoarsely tossed a communication stone to Ronan, his vacant eyes betraying deep shock.
As a spellcaster, Falin naturally understood the terrifying power of this Dawn Magical Artifact better than anyone, and his current state made that clear.
To nearly drain a mid-level third-tier genius wizard to half-death, how could it possibly be an ordinary Dawn-Tier Magical Artifact?
The second update will try to be before midnight; if not finished, it will be sent in the early morning.
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