by Zhuang Bifan
This was considered one of the more traditional routes. Although there weren't many advantages, it was sufficient not to misdirect anyone from heading towards the Sanctuary-realm. When Lin Li had just gotten into the Legendary-realm, he used the Frost Domain as his basis to create his Light and Darkness Domain. His possession of Holy Light and Gloomy Dark just helped him directly craft his Magical Domain of Frost, Light, and Darkness.
It was obvious that Elvis had used the Frost Domain as his foundation, and added his understanding of Storm to create the Magical Domain of Frost and Storm.
To Lin Li, Elvis had made a really small and cautious step towards the realm. Compared to Elvis, although Lin Li made use of the Frost Domain as his foundation to work towards the Sanctuary-realm, he had long ditched the laws of ice. Now, he would require neither the Holy Light nor the Gloomy Dark to create his Light and Darkness Domain instantly.
After all, the law of ice was just an extended law. Unless one were to advance and comprehend the laws of water, it would be a dream to use an extended rule to enter the Sanctuary-realm. Elvis, on the other hand, did not give up on the laws of ice. Instead, he made use of his comprehension of the laws of ice to extend his domain into the laws of storm. Although he was still advancing towards the Sanctuary-realm, it was a really small step towards the realm. If he were to continue with this, he might not reach the Sanctuary-realm even if he was given another 1,000 years. Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click #%E2%80%99s-versatile-crafting-master_11275087605321405/battle-formation_48009070178780428 for visiting.
Apart from Elvis, Joseph and the other patriarchs from the four forces and an elder from the Dida Family were also worthy of Lin Li's scrutiny, but Lin Li could clearly tell that they all held back in this battle. Despite it, the ability they displayed would be considered immense to any common man. It was obvious that they had the upper hand as compared to the Ghost Warriors whom they were battling with.
Chapter 871 - Behind the Door
The Thunder and Fire Magical Domain which Joseph cast instantaneously with the King of Flames Staff managed to entrap the four Ghost Warriors with mad streaks of lightning and balls of fire. These spells fell on the body of the Ghost Warriors, and it was obvious that the Ghost Warriors would not be able to sustain it for long despite having defense stronger than dragons.
As for the three other patriarchs, one of them was the Legendary-mage who cast the Thunderstorm Disaster Magical Domain, and the other two were Sword Sages of the Legendary-level who radiated golden combat energy.
The elder from the Dida Family was slightly different. Although he walked like Elvis and had cast the same Ice Storm as him, he summoned a Legendary-level Abyssal Demon.
Yet, that Abyssal Demon was not as powerful as the Demon Lord. It was the most common Ice Demon from the 21st level of the abyss. Although it was only a Legendary-level Ice Demon, it was only at the peak of level-20.
It was said that the Ashen Warlock had once owed the Dida Family a favor. Hence, he gave them the spell to summon one of the Abyssal Demons. However, this summoning spell had a problem: the summoner had to defeat the Abyssal Demon he summoned in order to be recognized as the master. That was probably what happened to the Ice Demon that was summoned by the elder from the Dida Family.
As compared to the Mithril Alliance, the performance of the Caesar Family was less impressive. Apart from Patriarch Claus who was at the peak of level-23, the other Legendary powerhouses there were only around level-21 and level-22. However, Lin Li did not believe that Caesar Family would dare to collaborate with the Mithril Alliance with such a low capability. He presumed that the Caesar Family had been holding back their trump cards as well.
"Master Felic, since our men are in the state of alert now, let's end this battle quickly, shall we?" suggested Hoffman smilingly after he saw Lin Li looking away from the battlefield.
When Lin Li was observing the ability of his competitors, Hoffman was not idle, either. Frankly speaking, although he was aware that they were hiding their potential, he could not help but be stunned by their ability. However, after noticing Lin Li's calm expression, Hoffman became composed immediately. Although he did not know how many trump cards Lin Li had, he was certain that Lin Li was not someone who would settle for less. As his ally, he was convinced that he wouldn't be at a disadvantage as long as he followed in the footsteps of the Tower of Dusk.
"Sure," replied Lin Li as he returned a smile. He took his Helios' Scepter, and flew to the edge of the battlefield. At the same time, he cast the Magical Domain of Frost, Light, and Darkness that was made up of the laws of ice as its foundation.
These Ghost Warriors did not warrant Lin Li to use his full power. Hence, he did not cast his Light and Darkness Domain that was already embedded with Sanctuary-level energy. Instead, he used the Magical Domain of Frost, Light, and Darkness—something that everyone in the Breezy Plains knew about.
Immediately, the region under the Magical Domain turned white. The snow that acc.u.mulated formed many powerful frost magical beasts. There were even Angels of Light and Dark that flapped their wings in the air, and they swooped towards those Ghost Warriors.
At the same time, the other Legendary powerhouses from the Tower of Dusk increased the intensity of their attacks. Ujfalusi, Norfeller, Basel, and Connoris displayed their formidable methods and forced their opponents to the edge.
There was only one man who did not participate in the battle. He was the timid goblin—Angelano. Of course, this was not out of his cowardice, but due to Lin Li's arrangement. After all, his Alchemy Colossus was a titan-level machine. It had the ability of powerhouses in the Sanctuary-realm. At the same time, that thing was really destructive equipment. Lin Li did not want to destroy the mausoleum right at the start of the exploration.
As for the Glittergold Trade Union, Hoffman really lived up to his status as the owner of the Book of Ten Thousand Incantations. The Vengeance Staff in his hands continued to flash, and the never-ending glow of curse spell that emerged started to engulf the Ghost Warriors. The Ghost Warriors who fell under the curse glowed with an array of colors. All sorts of spells with the effect to suppress their energy restrained their abilities immediately.
Lin Li glanced at the scene, and he could not help but feel sympathetic for those Ghost Warriors. How is this still a battle? This is just like the most straightforward torture.
This explained why people who had ability that surpassed many would not want to be an enemy of Hoffman. It was not just because of the Glittergold Trade Union, but also the fear of that particular curse. Even if they would not lose their lives due to the curse, the fact that it had zero boundaries would definitely torture them into madness.
However, Hoffman was not the most powerful man within the Glittergold Trade Union. He was just the most difficult to deal with. The most powerful person was Legendary-mage Thomas, the man who'd built the Glittergold Trade Union single-handedly.
After all, not long after Thomas entered the Legendary-realm, he participated in the war against the Retribution Knight Rodhart and the team of Death Knights. There were many Legendary powerhouses who perished in that catastrophe. His ability to survive it was not merely based on luck.
The Magical Domain created by Thomas was an Element Domain that was made up of the elemental laws of earth, fire, water, and wind. These four laws were considered the foundation of everything related to magic. This Element Domain had the potential to raise the impact of any spells used within the region to a terrifying level.
Thomas was standing in his Element Domain. Despite only casting the most common and low-level fireballs and icicles, they had great impact within the Element Domain. The domain allowed men who were in level-15 and level-16 to cast Legendary-level spells. Although the Ghost Warriors had great immunity to magic, it was not a flawless resistance. If the spell were to exceed their tolerance l
evel, all they needed to fall was time.
Lin Li had seen the same Element Domain from Rosen from the Supreme Council. He could tell that a common problem Thomas and Rosen had was their broad goals. Although the most common ticket to the Sanctuary-realm was the comprehension of the basic laws of the world, it seemed like it would be almost impossible for one to master the four great laws.
The Ghost Warriors were definitely powerful and in great strength. Had the two adventure teams not partnered up at the beginning, they would have had to end their exploration, and risk perishing here. However, although the two teams were not on friendly terms, they had the same goal: to continue their exploration of Prince Brahere's mausoleum. No one would do anything to steer away from this goal at such a timing.
After the higher-ups entered, they brought the battle to an end very quickly. The Ghost Warriors who had been standing guard in this mausoleum for God knew how many years could only dissipate after letting out some indignant cries.
When everything calmed down, Lin Li raised his Helios' Scepter and sent a gigantic Solar Sphere to the ceiling of the hall. Then, the sphere divided into fragments that flew off to every part of the hall. They lit the place as bright as in daytime.
While this was only an illumination spell, it was the first time that Hoffman and Joseph witnessed such a utilization of the spell.
After lighting up the entire hall, the men noticed doors lined up on both sides of the hall, some of which were wide open and had to be where the Ghost Warriors had come from. They did not know what was behind the tightly closed doors. While everyone was still questioning Lin Li's unusual actions, they could not help but be excited due to the possibility that there would be research treasures behind the closed doors.
However, it was as if their enthusiasm were flushed with cold water with the opening of each door. Their passion decreased to the freezing point after they saw spacious rooms behind those doors. They were without treasures, housing just the bones of magical beasts. There were many kinds of bones that belonged to the magical beasts of Anril, including some that none of the men could recognize.
"Does this mausoleum belong to Brahere or magical beasts? Why did he have to plant these here?" Hoffman muttered with furrowed brows.
"Could it be that he wanted to use them to guard the mausoleum, but did not expect them to die a long time ago?" Joseph asked curiously. Although he had acquired Brahere's diary, they could not give a convincing reason when faced with such a situation.
"Can't you see that these bones are different?" Lin Li said as he knocked on the gigantic skull in front of him. He continued, "This seems to belong to a Chimaera, but I've never heard that they can have such a huge head."
Lin Li's reminder encouraged Hoffman to scrutinize the skeletons around him again. He pointed to a set of skeletons, and hesitantly said, "This seems to belong to a Leviathan Gorilla, but why does it have wing bones?"
After looking through the rooms on both sides of the hall, all the men noticed something in common. They realized that each of these skeletons seemed to have gone through mutation. This included skeletons with wings and horns nobody would expect them to have. Even pythons were seen to have grown four limbs. The scene was like an erratic animal exhibit.
"There were many noble High Elves who loved to collect mutated magical beasts. As he's a prince of the High Elves, it is not unusual for Brahere to possess them, either. I think we can continue with our exploration now," urged Joseph impatiently.
Joseph's explanation was not without basis, either. There were many historical records that noted that the High Elves enjoyed keeping mutated magical beasts. There was no helping it. If not for their incredibly long lifespan, the High Elves would have found better things to do.
Lin Li was only filled with doubts. He did not have an answer to this. Not seeing the value of those skeletons, he turned to Hoffman. Find authorized novels in , faster updates, better experience, Please click #%E2%80%99s-versatile-crafting-master_11275087605321405/behind-the-door_48009110712534621 for visiting.
"Let's continue with the exploration. However, we have to be very vigilant. I don't think this mausoleum is as simple as it seems," warned Lin Li.
"Isn't it obvious that Prince Brahere's mausoleum is not to be trifled with?" sneered Charles sarcastically, but he became silent the moment he felt Claus' fiery glare.
Unlike the indifference shown by the others, Lin Li's words had extreme gravity for Hoffman. Not to mention that the skeletons were in eccentric forms, even if Lin Li were to present his guesses that had zero basis, Hoffman would choose to believe Lin Li without a reason. After all, Lin Li was a man who had ventured into a Sky Castle and Osric's mausoleum. His experience was not what anyone could match up with.
Due to the earlier confrontation with the Ghost Warriors, the rest of the magic gears and traps had all been automatically shut down. This helped to speed up the mission greatly. Very soon, the team reached the passageway that would lead them to the next level. However, after they entered the passageway, they needed Angelano again. The passageway was so spacious that it would even fit a wyrm, yet it was still packed with gears and traps.
However, as Lin Li watched Angelano help to deactivate the traps and gears, a frown gradually appeared on his face.
"Felic, have you noticed something fishy?" asked Connoris. Although he was not as competent in the deactivation of magic gears and traps as compared to Angelano, he was an ancient deity in charge of conspiracy and deception, after all. He would have an eye for such situations.
"Did you notice anything amiss?" Lin Li asked Connoris as he seemed to be engaged in deep thoughts.
"Most of those magic gears and traps seem to only have been added to the mausoleum after it had been built," spoke Connoris in a low voice.
In the blueprints for mausoleums, there would usually be segments dedicated to all sorts of magic gears and traps, which would only be added to their planned spaces after the completion of the main structure. That helped the gears and traps integrate seamlessly with the mausoleum and prevent intruders from discovering and deactivating them.
However, Lin Li could tell that the magic gears and traps which Angelano helped deactivate were all constructed rather unnaturally. It was as if there were never part of the plan of the construction at all. It would not be that much of a great deal if this was built in the present era, but this was Prince Brahere's mausoleum. Would the High Elves commit such a mistake in the building of their prince's mausoleum?
Finally, the pathfinder team got to the end of the passageway. They slowly opened the tight door, and trod past it. The third level of the mausoleum was as large as the previous level, but not as spacious as before. Instead, there were all sorts of unusual installations around the hall.
"C-could this… Could this be the incubation room?" Hoffman and the others gasped in awe, after getting closer.
"Seems like it," Lin Li replied, and nodded his head.
Chapter 872 - Incubation room
It was no wonder Hoffman and the rest were so surprised. Although all of them were the leaders of the top forces in the Breezy Plains, especially the Glittergold Trade Union that was recognized to be extravagant, the existence of incubation rooms was only hearsay.
One would first require great financial ability and resources to build a real incubation room. This was not what any organization could afford, not to mention that it would still require talents among many other things necessary to build and maintain that. Actually, to the common men, the incubation room did not have much use; the incubation room would not be directly of help in raising their power. Hence, none of the forces were willing to put in so much effort into building a real incubation room.
However, not everyone felt the same way. For the Tower of Dusk, Lin Li had an incubation room. Although the scale was not as large as this, it was fully furnished and functional. Hence, Lin Li had to be the
most well-versed in the knowledge on incubation rooms.
The incubation room was not a place that could help to generate much wealth. Since the costs would usually outweigh the benefits, it was actually a money-losing business. The real advantage of the incubation room was that it was a place for mages to breed different types of living beings for research purposes. Of course, if it was for normal research, it wouldn't be that hard to construct a common incubation room. However, how would mages settle for normal research? How would a dissection of a rabbit or a rat be a subject of research? If a real top mage were to be serious about conducting any research, they would all sound terrifying.
One would be able to grow any creature in an incubation room. This would include plants, magical beasts, demons, and dragons. Nobody would be able to imagine the craze mages had. Their thirst for knowledge and pursuit of every essence of the world as well as their d.e.s.i.r.e to dissect divines made their second name "atheists". As for whether their research would reap any rewards… It would be unknown to the mages too.
It had been said that the God of Mages Geresco was once disheartened by the vanishing of the titans and dragons as he wasn't able to catch any one of them for his research. According to the Supreme Council's public denial, Geresco only wanted to find out if the titans and dragons were able to populate.
Regardless of whether it was for pure sadism or for the d.e.s.i.r.e to explore into the essence of life, the research of mages would usually take not only one or two days, but decades and centuries. Hence, a real incubation room had to relate to the laws of time. A man-made Time Domain was a key factor in the building of the foundation of an incubation room. Through the Time Domain, mages would be able to control the time within the incubation room, and hasten the time needed for living beings that originally required decades and hundreds of years to mature.
Of course, man-made Time Domain was only one challenging part of an incubation room. Apart from that, there were still many problems from every aspect. This included having a source of mana that was enough to support the rapid growth of the creatures and potions that could provide them with enough nutrients. Hence, a real incubation room would be really important in the assessment of powerful High Elves mages even if it was in the Dark Ages.