by Zhuang Bifan
However, the Shadowglen could survive in the Felan Kingdom for so many years not only because it was powerful, but also because all of its parasites had been completely eliminated. Finally, the elite mages of Alanna stopped because they met a true Undead Army that formed in front of them.
The Skeletal Warriors were still at the forefront, but they were significantly stronger than those which climbed out of the mud. Although they were still Undead creatures of the lowest level, every bone of theirs was bright and intricate like a jade carving. The long swords held by the Skeletal Warriors were also glistening coldly like they had just been forged. The countless Skeletal Warriors did seem rather terrifying.
Above the Skeletal Warriors were countless black shadows, revolving around them and making sharp and shrill sounds as if declaring their thirst for blood. The mages seemed to have already been laid out as a feast for them.
"Howl!"
The roar that seemed to have come from their souls rang in the ears of the mages, and even caused them to slip into a short trance. It was as if their souls had been shaken out of their bodies.
At the same time, the Undead Army also began moving as they raised their long swords in their hands, and began charging towards the mages. The Vampires in the sky turned into black rays of lightning and darted towards the mages with a whistling sound. The Deathfire Bombs behind the Skeletal Warriors were swarming towards the mages like a thunderstorm, together with Bone Spears, poison, and all sorts of Necromagic spells.
A fight broke out in an instant, and colorful rays of magic flickered endlessly while the roar of magic explosions echoed in the Shadowglen. This time, it was a genuine battle that was definitely not as easy as the previous ones. The mages felt pressured because of the strength and number of the creatures.
Looking at the fierce battle below, even Aldwin and Macklin began to tense up; this force was the pillar of the Alanna Guild of Magic, and they knew that the emergence of the Undead Army meant that the master of the Shadowglen had already been awakened.
Lin Li could understand why Aldwin was feeling nervous. If his team from the Tower of Dusk was present, he would have already joined in because he was well aware that the nurturing of every mage in the powerful forces was not easy at all. Individual strength was one aspect, but more importantly, it also required mutual trust and chemistry between the members. This trust and tacit understanding could only be developed after going through plenty of life-and-death situations where they shared weal and woe.
Under the impact of the Undead Army, the formation of the mage remained the same, and even became denser. Layers of defensive magic shrouded them and formed an unbreakable fortress. Although the advancement of the mages had been stopped, they were still like a reef in the tides, standing still and strong. The mages entrusted their lives and safety to their comrades, and devoted themselves to attacking the surrounding Undead Army using offensive spells.
Countless magic spells were darting out around the mages, bombarding the countless Undead creatures and destroying them. However, in the blink of an eye, more Undead creatures came in to refill the space. The whole process was repeated again, and the mages continuously crushed the Undead creatures like a grinder.
However, this situation did not last long. Suddenly, an extremely terrifying power of death surged from the depths of the Shadowglen. Even the battle-hardened mages felt somehow nervous as their hearts beat rapidly. The entire array seemed to have paused a little too. A large figure emerged from the mist, and flew over the heads of the Undead army before rushing toward the mages who were surrounded by the Undead creatures.
"Ignorant humans, you will pay for what you have done!" An angry roar filled the minds of all mages.
At this time, the mages clearly saw that the huge figure that was approaching them turned out to be an actual Humerus Wyrm. Before they could react, the dark green dragon's breath had spewed out of the mouth of the Humerus Wyrm like a hurricane, covering the sky above them.
However, the elite group of mages from the Alanna Guild of Magic was a well-known force in Anril, not only because they had excellent equipment, but also because of their excellent strength. They managed to obtain their current status because of the combat qualities that they had cultivated after numerous trials of life and death. Their momentary trance was due to the difference in strength, but after sobering up, they were not in the least bit terrified, and were instead full of the intent to fight despite knowing how strong the enemies were.
The dragon breath cast down, causing layers of defensive magic to burst instantaneously. If it were another team, they'd probably run away or wait for death to take them away. However, the mages did not show a trace of panic, and instead rapidly put up the layers of defense again. In the end, 40 mages cast a Legendary defensive spell by combining their magic, thus terminating the dragon breath attack.
"Joint spells. Seems like you guys have indeed spent a lot of energy and time training," the arbitrator Megard remarked in awe after watching their performance, which was rare of him.
Although there was a look of worry on Aldwin's face, he seemed rather smug and proud after hearing Megard's compliment. Joint casting was one of the strongest methods used by the High Elves' Magic Legion, which was comparable to the prehistoric magical beasts in power. Countless formidable Demon Lords were defeated by the powerful magic jointly cast by the Magic Legion.
It was not as simple as a few mages casting spells together. For 40 mages to cast magic spells in sync, it required a high level of tacit understanding. The fine control of the magic output was mandatory as well. It would be impossible to achieve such a result without tens of thousands of attempts during practice.
However, the joint casting of Legendary defensive magic did not make the mages truly invincible, because they were not facing an ordinary Humerus Wyrm, but the Undead Lord of the Shadowglen. Ever since they entered, the mages had been having a smooth-sailing journey despite being surrounded by the Undead Army. Now that they were facing the attack of the Humerus Wyrm, they truly felt a little powerless.
Lin Li looked at the Humerus Wyrm hovering over the heads of the mages, feeling a sense of familiarity. He remembered that the Humerus Wyrm in the Seven-Realm Spiral seemed to be the only one that became an Undead Lord. However, the Humerus Wyrm in front of him was obviously more than just a little bit stronger than the one in the Seven-Realm Spiral. Lin Li reckoned that its strength had reached level-23.
While Lin Li was observing the Humerus Wyrm, two powerful auras that were not weaker than the Humerus Wyrm's appeared, emerging from the depths of the Shadowglen. Lin Li couldn't help but be surprised.
Everyone watching the battle looked towards the back of the Undead Army, and saw a Lich wrapped in a robe and hidden under his hood. It was the Lich King, who was one of the three Undead Lords in the Shadowglen. On the ground, meanwhile, a tall skeleton-like king walked towards the mages with heavy footsteps.
The three legendary Undead Lords finally appeared together at this moment.
If one is just a coincidence, what about three? Lin Li stroked his chin subconsciously. The three Undead Lords of the Shadowglen turned out to be exactly the same as the three in the Seven-Realm Spiral. Although there was a great difference in strength, they were definitely related.
Facing three Legendary powerhouses who were at level-23 all at the same time was truly beyond the ability of the mages. Although they had the ability to cast spells of that level together, they were not Legendary powerhouses themselves. Their lack of understanding of nomological power made them much less powerful even whilst using Legendary magic.
The Lich King's Death Domain enveloped the battlefield, and the Undead creatures that were fragile under the offensive spells launched by the mages now seemed to display power that was far beyond ordinary. A dark gate opened in thin air, and more Undead creatures rushed out, including low-level Skeletal Warriors, high-level Vampires, Hell Ghouls, and even Humerus Wyrms.
On the other hand,
the mages who were in the Death Domain felt that their mana had become harder to channel, and even their bodies had become stiffer as if they were carrying a boulder each. The only thing that allowed the mages to hang on were their superb combat qualities and unparalleled teamwork.
The Skeleton King rushed to the front, and slashed the defensive spells of the mages with stunning power using his huge double-edged sword. Crisp crackling sounds rang out in the air immediately, and the Legendary defensive magic that was jointly cast by the mages shattered like glass.
Chapter 706 - You Can't Kill Us
At the moment that the defensive magic was broken, the Lich King held up his staff and launched numerous powerful Necromagic spells like Withering Death and Stars of Poison at the mages. Although none of the humans had entered the Legendary-realm, the Lich King whose power was at level-23 did not hold back at all while attacking.
The mages who were putting up the defense began spouting blood from their mouths after the defense was broken. Although their expressions were still firm and they still seemed dauntless, they were obviously injured by the magic. Fortunately, there was a tacit understanding between them. Although someone was injured, no one died during the subsequent attacks, because they were all protecting each other. However, the strong Necromagic offensive spells disrupted their formation.
The emergence of the three Undead Lords made the mages fully focus on defense, giving the low-level Skeletal Warriors the chance to use their long iron swords to bring down the mages' defense. Faced with these attacks, the only thing the mages could do was pathetically put up the defense again. After all, the difference in strength was too great, and the fact that the mages could still put up their defense despite the attacks was actually enough to prove their capability.
However, the dire situation that the mages were in where they were passively beaten and struggling to keep up their defense did not make the three Undead Lords feel like rejoicing at all. Instead, they were all losing their temper because they had yet to succeed in killing a single enemy even till now. The obstinate mages seemed to always be able to slip through their fingertips.
Lin Li frowned slightly. Although the mages were barely supporting the defensive layer, it was probably only a matter of time before they got defeated because the Undead Lords were launching continuous attacks. Lin Li took a look at the mages around him, and realized that he was the youngest one. He was the only one who should be staying at the frontlines and hitting them.
However, Lin Li was not being arrogant or conceited. He truly felt that he might not be a match for the three Undead Lords, and he felt that he could only barely protect himself. Indeed, he was now at the peak of level-23, and he had four pieces of the debris of the stars as well as various magical potions. However, the three Undead Lords were all at level-23, and had been living in the Shadowglen for a long time. Hence, they definitely had a tacit understanding among them.
Lin Li hesitated, and was stuck thinking whether he should take action. Meanwhile, Aldwin and Macklin were obviously anxious. Everyone could tell that the three Undead Lords were definitely unbeatable to the mages. However, Aldwin was only at the peak of level-21, while Macklin had just reached the Legendary-realm. The two of them would not be of help at all.
Forget it, anyway, these old fogies wouldn't want to see me being indifferent and refusing to help while they are working and fighting hard. Lin Li could not stand the dirty looks that Aldwin and Macklin were shooting him, and finally decided to launch an attack. Although it was impossible to defeat the three Undead Lords, he should at least be able to protect the mages and help them retreat safely.
However, just as Lin Li was about to take the initiative to attack, he saw that the arbitrator Megard's figure was turning a little blurry. Next, it vanished in plain sight without any magical waves. Lin Li panicked, and hurriedly turned to look at the crystal ball, only to see Megard's rickety figure stepping on the invisible stairs in the sky, slowly making his way above to the battlefield in the Shadowglen like an elderly man taking a stroll in the park.
Although his actions seemed to be extremely slow, Megard had only taken three steps. When he took the first step, there was no terrifying magical wave. However, time seemed to have stopped at that instant, and silence returned. The swords about to stab the mages and the magic spells launched from the top of their scepters seemed to have also paused together with the humans and mages.
Megard slowly took the second step, and the air began to condense, while a massive pressure made the Skeletal Warriors and the other Undead creatures which were besieging the mages feel as if an entire mountain was being pressed on their bodies. The skeletons began to crumble and break into pieces, while the Vampires and Humerus Wyrms in the air suddenly fell onto the ground as if they had lost their ability to fly.
After taking the third step, Megard arrived at the top of the battlefield, and as his feet slowly landed, the powerful Death Domain of the Lich King that was shrouding the battlefield collapsed, while the Tide of Death that was continuously summoning Undead creatures seemed to have lost its connection with the Lich King as the tide gradually dispersed.
In the eyes of everyone, Megard, who was standing in the sky without a trace of magical wave seemed to be an extremely ordinary old man. However, the Undead creatures in the Shadowglen and the human mages—including Lin Li and the rest who were watching the battle—seemed to have seen a descending god.
Although the arbitrator Megard seemed to be closer to Rosen and had been nitpicking Lin Li's faults, Lin Li had no choice but to admit that Megard was undoubtedly a godly presence from the Dark Age. Even through the crystal ball, he could clearly feel that the Megard was extremely majestic and domineering.
The appearance of Megard caused the two opposing parties of the intense battle to slow down, but unlike the Undead creatures, the mages did not seem to have been affected by the power of this arbitrator. However, the mages did not continue attacking the Undead creatures, because the appearance of the arbitrator meant that the remaining battle no longer belonged to them. They decided to take the chance to retreat from the battlefield and move out of the Shadowglen.
Megard gently raised the staff in his hand, and a huge wave of unparalleled mana burst out of his skinny body, instantly forming a huge magic vortex over the Shadowglen. Lin Li and others were observing it through the crystal ball, but the three Undead Lords in the Shadowglen, as well as the countless Undead creatures, seemed to have no choice but to face the horror caused by the mana.
The three Undead Lords yelled menacingly at the same time, causing the frail human mages to feel threatened again.
As the Lich King swiftly chanted the strongest spell that he had mastered, the huge black gem on top of the staff in his hand was covered in cracks under the induction of mana. The Humerus Wyrm spread its wings open and opened its mouth at the sky while continuously acc.u.mulating destructive power. The body of the Skeletal King was also emitting a strong death aura at this moment. It then flew up into the sky as if it were going against Megard.
The three Undead Lords with powerful strength of level-23 seemed to also be exuding their own power now because the great sense of threat told them that they would only be facing complete destruction in the end if they did not stop the old mage.
However, Megard did not give the three Undead Lords a chance at all. Instead, he raised the staff gently before putting it down again, causing a dazzling ray of light to flash in the sky above the Shadowglen.
Lin Li was immediately shocked, for he was not unfamiliar with that spell. When he was in Tutankhamun's hut, he had seen the God of Mages, Geresco, releasing that magic spell through the Spacetime Beacon Spell. It was a level-25 magic which had extremely harsh requirements for mental strength, in addition to requiring a massive amount of mana.
When he saw Geresco's Starfall, Lin Li got a great shock. After casting an equally powerful Legendary magic, the God of Mages immediately released the level-25 Starfall without rest. It
was simply something that was unachievable by humans.
The arbitrator Megard might not be able to emulate Geresco, but when he released the level-25 Starfall at this moment, it seemed extremely effortless.
Is this the power of a Sanctuary Master? Lin Li was filled with d.e.s.i.r.e to advance to the Sanctuary-realm while also feeling horrified. Staring at Megard's skinny figure, Lin Li could even imagine the scene of Megard overthrowing the mighty High Elves during the Dark Age. No matter how biased Megard was towards Rosen in the past few days, Lin Li still found him extremely tall and majestic.
Even Andoine and Rosen who were in frequent contact with Megard were filled with infinite awe and admiration towards his abilities and his contributions to the human race.
Above the Shadowglen, the three Undead Lords exerted all their strength and rushed towards Megard. However, before the three Undead Lords could even reach him, the shining stars descended with a whistling sound.
"BOOM!"
A meteor hit the back of the Humerus Wyrm, causing its body to sink all of a sudden. However, the countless beautiful and dazzling, shining meteors created a nightmare for the three Undead Lords.
The meteor shower was beautiful, but when it fell on their heads, there was nothing beautiful about it. The entire battlefield and half of Starfall were in the attacking range of the falling stars. The dazzling meteors were constantly falling like a storm, stirring up glimmering magic and relentlessly destroying the Undead creatures.
Is this really a magic spell? It's just like a punishment! Although Lin Li was not being attacked, he was still incredibly astonished. It was his second time seeing the Starfall, but the shock that Lin Li felt was no less than when he saw Geresco cast the magic spell.