Age of Adepts c1-1513

by Zhen De Lao Lang, 真的老狼

  The adepts did not avoid the animated armors with their attacks, but they did throw them where the mutated beasts were most concentrated.

  Where the violent spells erupted, even the animated armors and their magically reinforced bodies of steels were torn apart, let alone the mutated beasts and their bodies of flesh and blood.

  Hordes of mutated beasts fell on the frontlines. The violent magic ripped the corpses to shreds until they were reduced to unrecognizable slabs of meat and puddles of blood. The valley slope, having gorged on the blood and flesh of countless monsters, was then flattened by iron feet. It quickly became exceptionally slick and slippery.

  However, none of this stopped the two different worlds’ cannon fodder from running fearlessly to their deaths!

  The next wave of mutated beasts surged forward, trampling on countless corpses to tackle the animated armors. Waves of violent magic rained from the skies and turned the battlefield into a cruel slaughterhouse.

  The adepts pushed down the slope with their magic, bit by bit, supported by the ever sturdy and reliable animated-armor warriors.

  Chapter 1417 - Inch By Inch

  Naturally, the disaster creatures wouldn’t let the adepts push into the bottom of the valley so easily.

  If that happened, the mutated beasts would no longer be able to cover for them; they would have no choice but to engage the adepts in battle.

  The mutated beasts swarmed out of the valley’s various spots in an even more insane fashion, surging toward the adept forces like a tide.

  Hordes of mutated beasts were stopping the advance of the animated armors on the ground using their bodies of flesh and blood. Meanwhile, numerous mutated beasts were scaling both cliffs before lunging at the adepts on the backlines from every direction.

  The adepts standing in the front waved their hands immediately. A screen of light was cast into the air as several gigantic animated constructs and golems were summoned.

  Compared to the animated armors, these war golems were made out of solid steel and stood over a dozen meters tall. They took on humanoid forms, or those of various animals and magical creatures, each of them possessing fearsome techniques for slaughter and murder.

  They were like walls of steel, keeping out the mutated beasts that flooded in from every direction. They waved their swords and slashed their way into the mess of limbs and bodies.

  Mutated beasts leaped from the cliffs and snapped their jaws onto the war golems’ giant bodies. Their fangs and sharp claws scratched against the golems’ metal bodies, creating a jarring, squeaking sound. However, they could only leave behind thin, shallow white marks.

  These war golems were outfitted with half-meter-long sharp razors all over their bodies. They didn’t even need to engage the beasts. All they had to do was walk past the mutated beasts to be leaving behind a trail of chopped-up bodies.

  Bodies made of flesh and blood were no match for steel, after all!

  Still, even ants would be able to bite an elephant to death in sufficient numbers. As the mutated beasts continued to lunge forth without hesitation, war golems’ razors continued to slice up beast after beast, tearing through their bones and tendons. The blades gradually started to grow blunt.

  Finally, these razor blades began to bend and snap. Some of the edges even got stuck on the rigid bones and skulls of the mutated beasts.

  The war golems that lost their weapons were soon put down by the mutated beasts. The monsters quickly gathered into a swelling mass of bodies. The pile of flesh was the result of hundreds upon thousands of mutated beasts stacked upon each other. At the very bottom of the pile were the war golems slowly being torn apart.

  A short moment later, when the mutated beasts scattered and rushed at their next target, the badly mutilated remains of the war golems were finally revealed.

  The death of every war golem was accompanied by the deaths of thousands of mutated beasts. The smell of blood and death filled the entire battlefield. Moreover, the stench grew thicker until it was so dense that it would suffocate an ordinary man.

  Inkdeep Valley was not just a bloody battlefield between adepts and disaster creatures. It was also a battlefield for the two different laws of two planar worlds.

  The World of Adepts could not compare to the World of Disasters in size or grade. However, as this was the World of Adepts, the laws here possessed a sizeable advantage.

  The forces of order and chaos clashed and tore at each other in the intangible space between worlds. Like two gargantuan squids, the first to clash before their bodies were the numerous tentacles around them.

  The two worlds fought with their principles as the main body and the planar laws as their appendages, wildly tearing and devouring each other. They tried to extend their principle chains further into their opponent’s space.

  Planar space was their battlefield, the principle chains were their weapons, and the laws were their blades. These conflicts and battles occurred over every inch of air and interplanar space across Inkdeep Valley.

  Overall, the World of Adepts was slowly pushing back. Its planar laws had started to regain control over the space surrounding Inkdeep Valley, gradually pushing the disaster power back to the bottom of the valley.

  Once they were there, the disaster power became exceptionally tough and resilient. Supported by the souls of the minor Scourge Lords, the disaster power was able to defend its spot firmly. It left no vulnerabilities for the World of Adepts’ consciousness to seep through.

  As long as that consciousness was unable to gain control over the area, that place would remain as a scar on the World of Adept’s planar barrier. As long as Sixth Grade Scourge Lord Dilmas continuously sent disaster power into the rift, a massive hole would one day open up, allowing an individual as powerful as him to project his power into the world.

  When that happened, no force in the entire World of Adepts would be able to stop a Sixth Grade creature from going on a rampage!

  Greem stood silently at the valley entrance, quietly sensing the turns and fluctuations of the planar laws.

  These things were usually hidden behind the scenes, away from his meddlesome eyes and senses. However, it was a crucial moment of conflict between the two world powers. Greem was blessed by the planar consciousness for being one of its main combatants in this war. There was no retaliation to his soul consciousness for the act of peeking at the functions of the laws.

  It gave Greem a rare opportunity to witness the world powers at work!

  World power was something that was completely beyond Greem’s comprehension and understanding at the moment. He could probably only begin to research it once he had advanced to Sixth Grade.

  However, world powers were still a form of power even greater and more majestic than the principle powers. Greem obtained tremendous inspiration just by witnessing the world powers clash. At the very least, by comparing the principle power he currently possessed and with the world powers before him, Greem was vaguely able to see the correct path of development moving forward.

  The world powers were like lighthouses that had been erected infinitely beyond the horizon. Greem might not have the strength and ability to grasp this power yet, but it had revealed to him the most primal and raw state of the universe.

  This tiny bit of revelation would allow Greem to make fewer mistakes on his path down the development of principles. That was what Greem valued the most!

  Principle powers were powerful forces generated when a planar world moved according to certain fixed and uniform systems. World power was a sort of primordial energy gathered through the countless lifeforms and substances within a plane.

  An adept that had obtained control of law powers was like a tumor growing on the principle system. They could gain power by drawing on the laws and could even leverage them to attack their enemies.

  Fourth Grade adepts were like macrophage cells in the body of the World of Adepts. They were typically cared for by the planar consciousness and grew stronger by absorbing l
aw powers. Should a planar invasion occur, they would be the main forces used by the World of Adepts to repel the invaders. They were the first line of defense.

  An individual like Greem had transcended the limits of laws and completed the evolution to principles at the level of his soul, yet he remained at Fourth Grade. He was a complete oddity in the World of Adepts.

  That was why he was able to gain more inspiration and experience by watching the battle between these two world powers than any other adept.

  As the ace of the World of Adepts, Greem was also continually influenced by the planar consciousness on the principle level. For some reason, a genuine hatred and disgust for the disaster creatures would rise in the depths of Greem’s consciousness. It was almost as if there was some unresolvable grudge between them.

  Fortunately, after all these years of contact with the world consciousness, Greem had gained a better understanding of its abilities and means.

  Greem consciously filtered out these consciousness fragments being stuffed into his mind. They were slowly submerged to the depths of his consciousness and could no longer affect his real senses and feelings.

  However, thanks to these means of influencing the consciousness, Greem was able to uncover more applications of the principle powers.

  If he could use his fire principle in as subtle a fashion as the planar consciousness influenced individuals, his fire’s power would certainly increase even further. It would be incredibly dangerous and terrifying then.

  Greem left all the fighting to the Adept’s Association after pushing the disaster creatures back into Inkdeep Valley. Top-class adepts like Greem only needed to stay on the backlines, resting as they waited for the final decisive battle.

  Meanwhile, the other Fourth Grade adepts took turns to go into battle. They regularly assaulted the valley and wore down the forces of the disaster creatures.

  Unfortunately, the four minor Scourge Lords seemed to have vanished entirely. They hid at the bottom of the valley and refused to show themselves. It increasingly frustrated the Association, but there was nothing they could do but pile on the offense against the disaster creatures.

  On the slope, the battle raged on. Tons of blood and corpses soaked and filled every inch of ground and square of earth. Inkdeep Valley was a living hell at this point. There were so many bodies that you could not find stable footing nor see straight without obstruction.

  The victory last time had clearly encouraged the Fourth Grade adepts. They were no longer as fearful as before. Now they fought with high spirits on the frontlines every day, hunting down one powerful disaster creature after another.

  The Central adepts were also encouraged by their success and couldn’t help but join in on more and more battles to obtain more and more results. They saw this as a result of their sudden spout of courage and their own independent decision-making for the benefit of the World of Adepts.

  However, as a third party, Greem could clearly see that their souls had all been influenced by the world consciousness to varying degrees.

  Their actions were only beneficial to Greem’s plans, so he did not intervene at all. He only protected the Central adepts slightly with his powers when they became too rash in their attacks.

  At the very least, the minor Scourge Lords hiding at the bottom of the valley didn’t dare emerge to ambush the Central adepts while Greem was carefully observing the battles. As for the adepts from the other organizations? Greem couldn’t be bothered about them.

  He wasn’t nice enough to help clean up the other organizations’ mess!

  Chapter 1418 - The Elderly Adept’s Suggestion

  Suddenly, Greem understood why the Great Adepts were so out of tune with the planar consciousness.

  At the Great Adept level, the former mystery and majesty of the planar worlds vanished without a trace. Even something as massive as the planar consciousness was no more than a subject of a Great Adept’s curiosity and research.

  The Great Adepts had their own self-consciousness. Naturally, they refused to be influenced and controlled by a planar consciousness like puppets on a string. Their powerful and resilient Spirits had been developed to the limits of a world, allowing them to resist the influence of the planar consciousness.

  More importantly, the power they had gathered within them had grown too large. The principle powers they wielded were also enough to affect the world deeply. When such powerful existences remained in a plane, it was not a blessing for that planar world. In fact, on most occasions, these individuals became the most significant burden on a plane world.

  Consequently, Great Adepts and the world consciousness of the World of Adepts were like a quarreling couple. The Great Adepts were incredibly powerful but were limited by the principles of the plane; they did not dare exert too much force in their actions. Meanwhile, the world consciousness was like a nagging wife, always hovering at their ears and telling them what they couldn’t and shouldn’t do. Over time, it was only natural that neither could stand the presence of the other.

  The Great Adepts were forced to leave for the realms beyond and cut off most of the connection with their homeworld. A planar consciousness could only continue sustaining the principle system’s various functions across a giant planar world after these problematic elements had been weeded out.

  Following this line of thought, Greem figured that the planar consciousness’ blessing over him would not last for long.

  The World of Adepts currently faced the threat of the magic surge. It desperately needed a powerful aide that could help it repel the invasion of these foreign civilizations. That was why its relationship with Greem was in the honeymoon phase- so intimate that others were jealous to see it.

  However, once the foreign threat had been resolved, overly powerful individuals like Greem would become a thorn in the planar consciousness’ side. It would most certainly employ every means possible to force him out of the plane. If Greem held back and kept a low profile, this banishment process would be long and gentle.

  If Greem didn’t show restraint and did as he liked by leveraging the favor of the planar consciousness, then this banishment process would be violent and intense. It might even affect and involve the people that Greem trusted and cared for.

  Such a process would happen in the World of Adepts once every few hundred years.

  The last time it happened, Great Adept Sarubo of the Central Lands had been banished. He had also been the first Great Adept that Greem had come into contact with.

  Greem had been somewhat surprised and curious as to the Sarubo Clan’s situation. After all, an incredible prodigy such as Sarubo was the one who founded the clan. The clan should be incredibly influential and powerful! However, his experiences over the years had taught him that the Sarubo Clan’s position in the Central Lands was very shaky. They only barely lived up to their name as a mid-sized clan.

  Greem did not know much about the past situation and could not really understand why this was the case.

  He finally figured it out now. The reason for the Sarubo Clan’s situation was probably because of fierce suppression by the planar consciousness.

  Moreover, Greem’s appearance as a foreign soul that had traveled through the universe to land in the Sarubo Clan wasn’t exactly a coincidence either! It was another means the world consciousness used to further divide and weaken the Sarubo Clan’s forces!

  Given that to be the case, Greem’s subtle rise to power and ultimate division with the Sarubo Clan might have been influenced and aided by the planar consciousness behind the scenes.

  However, Greem was now growing at a pace so fast that it unnerved the planar consciousness. Perhaps it would begin dividing and suppressing Greem’s forces soon.

  It was precisely due to the heights at which he was standing that Greem could see further than any ordinary adept could dream of. In doing so, the planar consciousness lost its mystery in his eyes. Instead, it had become a potential hostile in the future.

  That was why Gr
eem appeared so incompatible with the zealous atmosphere around him. While the other adepts were excitedly repelling the disaster creatures’ invasion, Greem was cautiously calculating all the potential risks and gains of his situation.

  The disaster aura was slowly being pushed back.

  It coiled around the bottom of the valley, gathering in greater strength and struggling with all its might to break through the World of Adepts consciousness’ suppression. Even the four minor Scourge Lords were starting to get restless. They slowly moved toward the frontlines.

  A decisive final battle was on the horizon!

  At this very moment, Greem frowned. He faintly sensed a hint of danger.

  Right as he patted his chest and prepared to transform into a flame giant, a familiar and elderly figure suddenly appeared above the valley.

  “No need to be concerned, kid. I’m not here to pick a fight with you this time!”

  A familiar elderly face, familiar robes, familiar wizard’s hat, and that familiar principle aura- it was that mysterious adept that had picked a fight with Greem once before!

  He was still wearing the same outfit, except his aura did not appear to be as stable as before. From this alone, Greem was sure that this elderly adept was no more than the projected clone of a Great Adept.

  The Great Adept hovered in the air and reached his head over to look down the valley. When he sensed the dense disaster aura on the four minor Scourge Lords, a cold and cruel smile couldn’t help but spread over his face.

  “Hey, kid, why don’t we do business. If I help you deal with these monsters, could you give me the heart of that many-armed giant?”

  “The heart of the many-armed giant?” Greem repeated the question curiously.

  The elderly adept was as tiny to him as a bug. It almost seemed like Greem could crush him with just a swat of his palm. However, Greem could sense overwhelming magic energy in that man’s body of an intensity he had never seen before.