by Zhuang Bifan
Lin Li did not move on immediately after getting rid of the Red-backed Sickle-clawed Dragon. Along the way, he had already placed more than a dozen high-level magical beasts in the Ring of Endless Storm, and after the Red-backed Sickle-clawed Dragon appeared, Lin Li could not help but consider the potential obstacles that he might meet in the next half of his journey.
What exactly happened in the valley and the reason for the bizarre assembly of so many high-level magical beasts still remained a mystery that probably wouldn't be solved until Lin Li reached his destination. However, there was one thing that Lin Li could already be sure of, and that was that he would definitely encounter more magical beasts like the Red-backed Sickle-clawed Dragon during the rest of his journey. He might even meet an actual Legendary magical beast. If he were to bulldoze his way through, he might not reach his destination even after the Malfa Family and Dark Blade were done settling the battle outside.
Lin Li was there to take advantage in advance, not to clear the obstacles for the Malfa Family and Dark Blade. Instead of exerting himself, he might as well leave it to them to deal with these obstructions. That would give him more time to respond and strategize after reaching his destination.
Be it Thunderbolt which was one of the pieces of the debris of the stars, or the mysterious object that was used to seal it, both treasures were irresistible temptation for anyone. Lin Li would not be so naive to believe that the Malfa Family and Dark Blade would remain cooperative with him and stay honest in the face of such a powerful artifact.
Not to mention, Lin Li possessed three of Geresco's relics, which were no less valuable than the ruins of Titans. It could be said that he was a moving treasure in the eyes of others. God knew if they wouldn't find an excuse to kill Lin Li when it came to splitting the treasures if he were to consider morals and ethics now.
After he gave it some thought, the frown on Lin Li's forehead eased, and he whipped out a potion from the Ring of Endless Storm. If there were a sensible person beside him, he or she would definitely gasp in shock because the potion bottle was made of Crystal of Eternity, and was a highly coveted treasure for all pharmacists. Potions placed in bottles made of the Crystal of Eternity enjoyed perfect preservation for eternity. Moreover, the longer the storage time, the stronger the properties of the potion in the crystal potion bottle.
The potion definitely wasn't ordinary, since it was worthy of being placed in a potion bottle that was made of Crystal of Eternity. Placing low-level potions in bottles made of Crystal of Eternity would be a complete waste; as a Pharmaceutics Guru, Lin Li obviously wouldn't do that. The potion that he was holding onto was a Master-level potion known as the Stealth Potion.
Lin Li was not a Bandit or an assassin; hence, he did not have any stealth skills. In order not to alarm the high-level magical beasts in the valley during his journey to the destination, he would have no choice but to rely on the potion. Lin Li believed that he would definitely encounter a stronger magical beast during the remaining part of his journey. Not to mention, the senses of these magical beasts were far greater than those of humans, and he probably would not be able to escape their heightened detection and instincts even if he were to have the stealth skills of Legendary Bandits.
A potion like the Stealth Potion could command a price of more than 100,000 gold coins during an auction. However, he did not hesitate at all, because it was all for the sake of the debris of the stars. Instead, he twisted the cap of the potion bottle, and emptied the light green contents into his mouth.
The slightly bitter potion flowed down his throat and into his stomach, after which the gentle yet deep effects of the potion took effect instantly. Lin Li's body began to turn blurry at a speed that was visible to the n.a.k.e.d eye until it completely integrated into the surrounding environment.
The simple disappearance of the physical body would have no effect on those s.e.n.s.i.t.i.v.e magical beasts, because most of them were blind in the first place, and only relied on their sense of smell and fluctuations in temperature and energy to detect and discern objects.
However, the Stealth Potion that Lin Li had just ingested provided more than just the concealment of his physical body. Otherwise, it could not be considered a Master-level potion. Apart from fully integrating the user's body shape into the environment, the Stealth Potion had a more powerful effect—it would hide all of the fluctuations of magic and Combat Energy within the body, as well as the breathing and heartbeat.
After the potion took effect completely, Lin Li immediately rushed towards the deeper parts of the valley. No one knew how deep the valley truly was, and the effects of the Stealth Potion could only last for 10 minutes under the enhancement of the crystal potion bottle. Lin Li did not wish for the effects to fade completely when he ran into a large bunch of magical beasts, for that would be a huge blunder.
The deeper he delved into the valley, the more frightened Lin Li got. At the same time, he also admired his foresight which prompted him to prepare a Master-level potion like the Stealth Potion. He even wondered if all of the high-end magical beasts in the Haiga Mountain Range had been concentrated in this small valley.
The adventurer team probably would not be experiencing anything too different from what they were now, with or without the adventuring notes provided by Cheyenne. Since the magical beasts had all been assembled in the valley, it did not matter whether they had avoided their territory. The territories which had been marked as dangerous beforehand were probably already empty.
At the beginning, Lin Li encountered some magical beasts that were almost level-20, such as the Shining Wing Moth, the Silver Maned Bear King, and many others. Those would never detect Lin Li because of the Stealth Potion that he had ingested, and also because they were not Legendary yet. Hence, he was just like thin air to them.
However, when a real Legendary magical beast appeared, Lin Li still had to slow down despite having the help of the Stealth Potion. Level-20 was also a huge threshold for magical beasts to develop qualitative changes. The Legendary magical beasts not only enjoyed a great increase in power, but also had different detection abilities that were worlds apart from those of the other magical beasts below the Legendary-realm.
Although Lin Li was confident in his own potion, most people failed because they were overly confident. Lin Li did not wish to make such a mistake.
The truth proved that Lin Li's concerns were not uncalled for—the Chimaera with evil wings clearly detected something, gliding in circles slightly above his head, even though it did not discover his presence.
It was Lin Li's second encounter with the magical beast Chimaera. His first was in Tutankhamun's wooden hut in the Blackstone Mountains. Through the Spacetime Beacon, he saw Geresco's battle with the Evil Eye Tyrant, during which a four-headed Chimaera was the first to appear.
However, that four-headed Chimaera was different from the two-headed one now above Lin Li which had two goat-like heads, a lion's body, a snake's tail, and huge black wings. However, the Chimaera was not a pushover just because it had only two heads. It was actually another species of Chimaera which was not the same as a four-headed Chimaera. Although it did not have the magical prowess of a four-headed Chimaera, it had immense physical strength, and was much more proficient in Wind and Fire Magic.
The Chimaera with evil wings growled in a low voice, and hovered above Lin Li, seemingly having sensed something and wondering why it couldn't find anything.
Lin Li dared not speed up even though he did not have to fear the Evil-wing Chimaera given his abilities—he would definitely have a hard time if his presence was detected.
Chapter 590 - Menace Of The Dragon
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 a.d.u.l.t 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 circ.u.mstances, 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 nomological 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 L
ight, 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.
Chapter 591 - The Descendant Of Emerald
Lin Li was well aware of that, which was also the reason for his doubts. Everything that he was facing at this moment was too counterintuitive, and he was also unsure if the magical aura that he had been detecting through the three pieces of the debris of the stars really belonged to Thunderbolt, for that magical aura turned out to be coexistent with the magical aura of the Wyrm.
In the world of Anril, no one knew the debris of the stars better than Lin Li. Thunderbolt was the debris piece that represented the Laws of the Wind, and its greatest characteristic was its freedom, which allowed it to be free from restrictions. At the same time, it was also the greatest power that could not be hindered or obstructed. Thunderbolt's magical aura was just a combination of these qualities, and any attempt at suppression would inevitably lead to the relentless counterattack by Thunderbolt.
However, what Lin Li detected and discovered was that the two magical auras belonging to the ancient dragon and Thunderbolt seemed to coexist without suppression, resistance, or fusion.