The night was deep, and the starry sky stretched like an endless curtain, radiating a cold and profound brilliance.
Beneath this magnificent expanse, within the central courtyard of the temple, stood two silent figures.
Lynn was clad in full Gray Hawk Armor, the metallic sheen of his gear reflecting the dim light. His entire body was tightly encased in the armor, leaving no gaps in its formidable protection.
Beside him stood a tall and imposing figure Qi.
Qi was dressed in a maple-leaf-colored robe, its flowing fabric carrying an air of elegance and authority, a peculiar yet harmonious blend of both.
A soft, hazy glow illuminated the surroundings, while the temple's grand architecture loomed in the starry night, appearing even more mysterious and unfathomable.
The golden colonnades and towering spires, bathed in this dreamlike starlight, exuded a sacred majesty.
Encircling them was a group of temple priests and clergy members, their faces cold and filled with murderous intent.
At the forefront of this assembly stood a Seventh-Circle Mage, exuding an overwhelming aura of magical power.
Within this temple, however, his identity was not merely that of a mage he was the bishop overseeing this sacred place.
Flanking him were several other powerful mages, including many Fifth- and Sixth-Circle Mages, their sharp gazes locked onto the intruders, ready to strike at a moment's notice.
At that moment, the entire Temple of Mystra was enveloped in divine energy, its magical currents flowing like an invisible tide, covering the holy land in its embrace.
From all directions, the power of the Weave surged forth, forming an immense and intricate network of unseen threads, weaving across every inch of space.
And then, Qi suddenly spoke.
His voice was calm, completely disregarding the presence of the temple priests. Instead, he turned to Lynn and began explaining the hidden truths of the civilization of the gods:
"Among the divine realms, the gods are not equal. Those seated at the highest thrones of the Pantheon, the most powerful deities, are known as the Prime Deities."
Lynn's gaze sharpened slightly. Though he was not ignorant of the workings of divine civilizations, it was clear that Qi's knowledge far surpassed his own.
Qi continued without pause:
"Mystra, the goddess who governs the all-important Weave, is one such Prime Deity of the Celestial Realm."
A god's dominion was not just a measure of power it was a reflection of status.
Those who ruled over the most fundamental and universal forces justice, death, magic, war, and the earth often held the highest positions in the divine hierarchy.
And among these many gods, Mystra, as the Goddess of the Weave, held a particularly unique status.
For the Weave was not merely a magical structure it was a bridge.
An unseen web spanning the entire world, connecting the fabric of reality to the raw, primal forces of magic.
In the Celestial Realm, the Weave was not just a conceptual term.
It was a world of magic in its purest form.
Every stone, every stream, every breath of air, and even the void of space itself was steeped in magical energy.
These primal forces of magic were the very foundation of creation an ever-present, silent consciousness.
They permeated all things, existing in myriad forms across the divine cosmos.
Yet mortals could not directly access these primal magics, for they were buried deep beneath layers of material reality.
But in time, spellcasters discovered a method a delicate and intricate weave, a structure that allowed their minds to interface with primal magic.
This structure was called the Weave.
The Weave was the skeleton of magic itself, the foundation upon which all spells were cast.
Every spell, every incantation, relied upon the Weave's intricate threads.
No matter how different mages, warlocks, and sorcerers might name it, the underlying principle remained the same.
The Weave was the driving force behind the world's magical operations it was what made magic possible.
Without the Weave, primal magic would become completely inert, unreachable by mortals.
Even the most powerful Archmage would be unable to ignite a single candle in a place where the Weave was sealed or severed.
In such places, magic would vanish, as if it had never existed.
But under the Weave's guidance, spellcasters could achieve wonders beyond imagination.
They could summon lightning to strike their foes, teleport across vast distances in an instant, or even reverse the natural laws of death, bringing back those who had passed.
Every magical effect was woven from the intricate threads of the Weave the spellcaster was merely a conductor, a manipulator of its vast potential.
Wizards, sorcerers, warlocks even bards who wielded arcane magic all relied on an understanding of how the Weave functioned.
These magic users, whether through study or instinct, mastered the patterns and currents of the Weave, allowing them to bend its threads to their will and manifest the effects they desired.
For Arcane Knights and Tricksters, their abilities were no different they too drew upon the Weave's power to fuel their magic.
Despite their powers being different from those of wizards, they still rely on their connection to the Weave to manifest their spells.
In contrast, the spells cast by clerics, druids, paladins, and rangers are known as divine magic.
These spellcasters do not merely manipulate the Weave; rather, they draw upon a vast and sacred power.
Whether it is the will of the gods, the forces of nature, or the sacred meaning within a paladin's oath every divine spell is the final form of the Weave's threads being intertwined, distorted, and folded.
However, in places where the Weave is damaged or severed, all magical effects become highly unstable and may even cease to exist entirely.
Without the power of the Weave, any attempt to cast a spell is destined to fail.
Magic, like a kite with a broken string, drifts aimlessly into the void.
The Weave is the source of magic, the link between gods and mortals, and the ultimate foundation for all spellcasters.
"Therefore, the simplest way to deal with these followers of the Weave goddess is to cut off their connection to the Weave."
As Qi finished speaking, he lightly snapped his fingers.
In an instant, a faint golden light radiated from his body, spreading like warm sunlight over the land.
This light did not linger but rapidly expanded, covering the entire temple.
Silently, it swept through every inch of air, illuminating every stone pillar, reaching even the very edges of the temple.
While Lynn and Qi were conversing, the high-ranking bishop a spellcaster of the Seventh Circle stood at a distance, observing with a heavy gaze.
Though the two intruding sorcerers put him on alert, he did not act rashly.
He couldn't understand the conversation between Lynn and Qi, though he knew they were discussing something important.
Yet, he was in no hurry to strike, for he was waiting.
This was the temple of Mystra, where the goddess's power had long permeated every brick and tile.
The energy of the temple's protective ward was drawn from the vast existence of the goddess's true form in the celestial realm.
Every pillar, every stone slab, even every speck of dust in the air, was under divine protection.
As one of the goddess's sanctuaries, this temple could channel immense power from Mystra's will, reinforcing the magical ward and making it stronger.
At the same time, the temple was connected to other sanctuaries. Given enough time, reinforcements from other temples would arrive.
Thus, the bishop patiently waited, allowing the ward to gather energy and grow in strength.
These two intruders had somehow bypassed the various external wards and appeared directly in the heart of the temple.
They were formidable. Rather than attacking recklessly, it was wiser to delay until the ward's power reached its peak.
Moreover, reinforcements from other temples would only further tip the balance in their favor.
After all, this was the stronghold of the goddess's followers, while the intruders were alone and outnumbered. The longer they stalled, the greater their chances of victory.
However, things did not unfold as he had anticipated.
In the brief moment he was waiting, the figure in the autumn-leaf-colored robe suddenly fell silent.
Then, with an abrupt snap of his fingers
A brilliant golden light surged through the temple, illuminating it like the morning sun, even extending beyond its walls.
The golden radiance burst forth from Qi, unfurling like a divine veil, enveloping the entire temple.
The once-present magical energies of the Weave began to collapse and dissipate in an instant.
That familiar aura of magic vanished, replaced by a golden glow imbued with the essence of "equity" and "balance."
"Bishop! Our connection to the outside world has been severed!"
"I can't feel the goddess's power anymore!"
"The Weave's magic has been replaced by a strange force of equality. I see… a scale appearing before my eyes!"
Panic spread among the temple priests. Their faces turned pale.
Though this was merely one of Mystra's lesser temples, it had always carried the goddess's divine protection and power.
Any devotee who entered its halls could feel that profound and sacred presence.
Yet now, that power had utterly vanished, and the very magical essence of the temple had been drained away.
Even the seasoned bishop an experienced spellcaster of the Seventh Circle could not help but reveal a trace of panic.
If even he was shaken, there was no need to mention the lesser spellcasters.
"Now, even a first-circle sorcerer like you could easily wipe out everyone here," Qi said, his tone calm and devoid of emotion, yet carrying an unmistakable undercurrent of icy killing intent.
"However, since we are deep within enemy territory, I won't give you the chance to practice."
The moment his words fell, his jade-like hand gently opened and then clenched into a fist.
As he moved, a soft autumn breeze stirred through the air. The delicate threads of wind, like the plucking of a harp's strings, swept across the figures of every temple priest.
Then, in an instant, the bodies of the temple clergy transformed into vibrant, multicolored maple leaves.
The leaves danced in the wind, fluttering gracefully before being carried away by the autumn breeze.
As the wind swept past, the colorful maple leaves crumbled into dust and vanished without a trace.
It all happened in the blink of an eye.
Every single clergy member in the temple disappeared almost instantly.
Their lives were as fragile as withered leaves, leaving them with no chance to resist.
The once-sacred and battle-charged atmosphere of the temple had now been replaced by silence and the remnants of scattered light and shadow.
It was as if a storm had swept through, utterly crushing the temple beneath an overwhelming force, leaving it powerless to fight back.
Lynn shuddered slightly. Though he had long known of Qi's immense strength, this moment still shocked him to his core.
Qi's power far exceeded his expectations far beyond anything within his reach.
In truth, when they first stepped into the temple, Qi could have effortlessly wiped out these clergy members.
Yet, he had chosen not to do so immediately. Instead, he had taken the time to teach Lynn a lesson to demonstrate how to deal with magic followers who depended on the Weave.
Of course, Qi's lengthy explanation wasn't just about defeating the enemies before them.
What he taught was also a lesson on how to confront beings from divine civilizations.
His core teaching was simple:
"Sever their connection to the Weave, and these spellcasters will crumble like uprooted trees."
To these clergy members, the Weave was the source of their power.
Wherever the Weave flowed, casting spells was as natural as breathing.
But once the power of the Weave was stripped away, these once-powerful spellcasters would lose their foundation and become utterly defenseless.
Wizards and mages both could cast spells, appearing similar on the surface.
But in reality, they were fundamentally different.
As a wizard, Lynn was inherently distinct from these Weave-dependent spellcasters.
A wizard's power did not rely on the external Weave but was instead sustained by the arcane markings within their body.
Even in foreign worlds, as long as they had a source of energy, wizards could unleash astonishing power.
Lynn took a deep breath, his mindset subtly shifting.
He was gradually adapting to Qi's way of teaching.
Qi's words were always layered with meaning, often leaving things unsaid, requiring one to interpret and grasp the deeper message on their own.
Rather than directly handing out answers, Qi used this demonstration to provide Lynn with a space for deeper contemplation.
Lynn now understood that Qi's method of "severing the Weave" was not something just anyone could easily master.
Qi had used a powerful artifact the Golden Scale.
Through it, he could directly disrupt the Weave and sever the clergy members' connection to it.
On the surface, Lynn did not possess such an artifact.
However, he did have the Azure Sky Spirit a mysterious relic that, while not as overtly powerful as the Golden Scale, also contained immense potential.
It might even be a divine essence of some kind, carrying the ability to disrupt the Weave and dismantle enemy powers.
The only problem was that Lynn had yet to fully grasp how to wield it.
As this realization took root, shimmering strands of azure light began to surface across Lynn's chest.
Before long, a diamond-shaped azure object materialized at the center of his chest.
Seeing this, Qi did not speak but gave a slight nod, as if silently approving of Lynn's expanding thought process.
"The Azure Sky Spirit does indeed have the ability to sever the Weave," Qi remarked with a hint of admiration. "According to the classifications of your wizard civilization, this artifact belongs to the 'Radiant Moon' tier. Even at my peak, I would have struggled to fully control it."
With a touch of sentiment in his voice, Qi's jade-like fingers suddenly pointed toward the central well beneath them.
"Next, we shall claim the faith energy stored here."
"Whether to use it to replenish the Azure Sky Spirit or to strengthen your mental power that will be your choice."
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