Chapter 262 Thicker Thighs

For the League of Blades, a mere Damos was nothing to worry about; the real sensation was the fusion of runes.

The Light of the Holy Sanctuary swiftly reported this news, which immediately garnered attention across all fronts, not just in Rose and Aurora, but beyond the confines of the Holy Sanctuary, affecting the entire Blade, including the Nine Gods and the Sea Race.

The Rose Holy Sanctuary and Old Wang had now become truly famous. The initial glory brought by runes had returned, making it a beautiful story. Lei Long’s last disciple, everything seemed to fall into place naturally.

Old Wang’s move was called acting first and reporting later, borrowing someone else's power to intimidate.

At the center of the Holy Sanctuary, verification was still ongoing. Such a significant breakthrough could not be hastily concluded; it required thorough scrutiny.

Meanwhile, the highest-level discussions were taking place within the Rose Holy Sanctuary.

The Rune Academy was now under full lockdown, strictly prohibiting anyone from entering or leaving, even stopping classes for Yin Fu and Mo Tong.

In the room, besides Karida, Li Sitan, Vice-Dean Bai Linfeng, and Dean Hawkland, there were many unfamiliar old faces that Old Wang had never seen before. Among them, Li Sitan, who was over fifty, was almost the youngest.

However, the most attention-grabbing was a lean old man with wrinkles on his face but a spirited appearance, his hair only slightly gray, making it hard to believe he was over a hundred years old. In this place, spirited old men were considered extraordinary, like Oscar, and this Lei Long might be even more so.

This was Karida’s grandfather, the former principal of Rose, the once-renowned Thunder God Lei Long.

The Lei family was an ancient lineage, rising to prominence during the Holy War, said to be descendants of the eight great sages of old. The Rose Holy Sanctuary had once been glorious, but as rune research deepened, it gradually declined.

Everyone was clear about the sequence of events. Whether Karida was a last disciple or not was unimportant. Even when Damos was causing trouble, these elders at the Rune Academy didn’t feel particularly worried. They saw it all as a test for Karida; otherwise, the old principal could have crushed Damos with a single finger.

Old Wang could clearly sense the vigorous and powerful life force within this small old man, despite his efforts to suppress it. Wang Feng looked at Brother Da, feeling quite pleased. He had always thought that Lei Long was Rose’s strongest support, but it turned out to be even stronger than expected. This meant that even if he and Brother Da took some risks, it shouldn’t be a big problem.

Lei Long, dressed in a white robe, spoke with a resonant voice, smiling at Wang Feng, "Wang Feng, let’s begin."

Facing this room full of influential figures from Rose, Old Wang showed no signs of nervousness. Luluto was in his hands, as docile as a motionless model.

Old Wang started with an ordinary third-order 'Quadrant Speech,' which was of high quality. However, everyone present were experts among experts, and the key to the fusion of the three major runes lay in the integration itself, not just the engraving of this mere third-order rune.

Old Wang didn’t try to show off his skills before these experts; it would be too childish. But one could see a slight surprise in the old man’s eyes because it was rare to see someone at his age master the third-order runes so proficiently.

The runes themselves were not the issue; what mattered was their arrangement and combination. This process was filled with countless uncertainties, and only one path was true. Rune masters had tried various methods before, and the Nine Heavens Continent was not short of geniuses, but no one had thought that Wang Feng would apply casting techniques to runes.

"It’s a Soul Pool." Leilong and Hawkland almost simultaneously recognized the rune Wang Feng had embedded.

Two completely different runes complemented and merged in a bizarre way, maintaining parallel positions without intersecting. On one hand, this involved a certain degree of meticulous soul layering, and on the other, the ingenious combination of runes. Instead of arranging them, Wang Feng used internal embedding. It sounded simple, but it would give the old masters present a headache to achieve, let alone finding a successful path.

"Incredible! Truly incredible, this is simply a miracle!"

Everyone held their breath. The unassuming young man before them had solved a century-old human dilemma, which could enhance humanity's overall combat power!

Hawkland’s face was slightly flushed, and there was a hint of shame. He remembered how Karida had forcefully pushed Wang Feng into his Rune Academy, and he, as the dean, had initially refused, unwilling to take him on. He never imagined... he nearly missed out on the most spiritually gifted rune master since the Supreme Saint mentor.

This wasn’t an exaggeration. Perhaps he wasn’t the strongest, and might not even be considered the strongest, but this spiritual insight was absolutely unique!

The old men present all had a burning light in their eyes. Karida, standing to the side, could no longer understand this technique. Some of the details seemed unreasonable to her, impossible to succeed, and even violated some rules of runes, yet the experts present took it for granted.

What was this?

This was the difference in realm.

Being a rune master was a very proud profession. If you understood, you understood; if you didn’t, no one would bother to explain.

When the final sealing line of the Soul Pool connected to the Emperor’s Blessing, it activated the foundational Quadrant Speech. The originally lifeless runes visibly began to interact and merge, attracting and entwining each other, gradually fusing into a distinct pale gold.

The hall remained silent, and everyone savored the process, reflecting on its intricacies. While you could say that merging runes was difficult, from a technical standpoint, it wasn’t a problem for the experts present; it would just take some time to practice. But completing one among so many possible combinations was something no one could have imagined.

The crowd marveled for a while before their attention returned to Wang Feng. It was clear that he had truly found a way to fuse runes.

"Wang Feng, how did you come up with this step? Changing the linear structure of the soul pool to an interlocking structure is fundamentally different. A normal runemaster wouldn't think like this. Didn't you worry it would cause a complete collapse when you designed it?"

Wang Feng scratched his head sheepishly, "Teachers, I was just thinking wildly. It was all luck, and usually, my senior brother Li Sitan's help. His encouragement means a lot to me. I just thought I'd give it a try, and unexpectedly, it worked."

Old Wang, being the astute person he was, smiled knowingly at Karida's corner but didn't reveal her thoughts.

Lei Long nodded, understanding his disciple, "Li Sitan, well done. As runemasters, we must have creativity and not be confined by existing frameworks. You've done very well."

Li Sitan, despite his age, felt his eyes well up at his master's praise, "Master, you flatter me. It's all due to my junior brother's intelligence. I didn't contribute much."

Everyone laughed. At their level, they were already in the realm where hearing the truth in the morning meant they could die contentedly in the evening. Although the fused rune was relatively low-level, its implications were significant, especially for the seventh-order runes Lei Long was eager to explore. Wang Feng had opened a window for him.

"The stability of the fusion seems to have no issues, and we have a general understanding of its effects. The main remaining concerns are practical applications and limitations, which require substantial experimental data. However, before that, there are a few points that need further confirmation..."

Questions came one after another. Some were genuine confusions from the old masters, others were to confirm their own thoughts and extend them further.

Karida, standing nearby, could only listen, unable to interject.

To be honest, Death Rose was once a runemaster herself, even a rune genius favored by Lei Long. In just a few years, she had mastered third-order runes. Unfortunately, Karida yearned to travel the world and awe the lands like her ancestor Lei Chan, rather than stay as a scholar like her grandfather. Thus, her rune skills remained at the third-order level. To the general public, this was already an impressive achievement for a runemaster, but compared to those in the room?

Whether it was Li Sitan, Hawkland, or Karida's grandfather Lei Long, these were all towering figures in the League of Blades' runemaster community. There were only a handful of runemasters in the entire alliance who could match them, each a national treasure.

Yet, here they were, these national treasures, earnestly discussing with Wang Feng, leaving Karida both amused and exasperated. If only she had been more disciplined back then, what might have been different?

There are always some geniuses beyond the understanding of ordinary people, and Karida wasn't particularly troubled by this.

Eventually, the questions came to an end. Karida expected the old masters to dive into application research immediately, but to her surprise, they were all relaxed, even chatting amiably with Wang Feng.

Wang Feng is a smooth-talking fellow, and his skill at flattery might even surpass his rune proficiency. It's not surprising that he can chat with these old fellows, but... why are they so concerned about Wang Feng's marriage?

Karida couldn't help but feel a mix of amusement and exasperation.

Have they taken a liking to him already? Grandpa and the others are really... overstepping their bounds.

It took great effort for Old Wang to finally break free from the Rune Academy, and he was in a good mood. With just a few words, he had secured another powerful supporter, and the title of the Thunder God’s last disciple was now his. Life in the League of Blades was getting smoother, and the future looked bright indeed.

"Brother Karida, although Grandpa is getting on in years, he still looks quite spirited." Old Wang deliberately emphasized the word 'Grandpa': "He is truly kind, treating me so well, and showing such concern for my marriage..."

"Who is your grandpa?" Karida knew exactly what he meant, giving him a cool glance: "Don’t make false connections; he is my grandfather, your principal!"

"Yes, yes, yes," Old Wang chuckled, knowing there were other ways to address him: "Our old man’s achievements in runes truly surprise me. He is a true genius, so how did he end up being outdone by the Judgment? After all, our Lei family used to be the top clan in Aurora City..."

No matter how he tried, he was still trying to link himself to the Lei family as if he were already one of them. If it weren't for the significant contribution he made today, he would have deserved a good scolding for his persistent sycophancy.

Karida found herself both amused and annoyed. She had originally intended to give him some instructions, but now she forgot all about it, turning around and walking away, too lazy to deal with him any longer.

The matter of the fusion rune was significant, and with this commotion, it couldn't be hidden anyway. They decided to conduct the tests openly, though the content would remain strictly confidential.

The former principal of the League of Blades, Principal Hawkland, and the current head of the Rune Academy, Principal Leilong, both gave high praise to the 'Queen of Snow,' acknowledging that her innovative thinking had indeed solved the long-standing third-order fusion problem that had plagued the rune community for over a century. Not only did it provide an effective reference for third-order rune fusion, but it also summarized several verified principles, marking a significant breakthrough in rune rules.

Of course, they had discussed this with Karida and Wang Feng. It wouldn't be appropriate to credit Wang Feng alone. As a star student of the Rune Academy, Wang Feng played a crucial role in discovering the rule, which makes sense. Sometimes, runes rely on a flash of inspiration, and young people tend to have better luck. This arrangement also serves as a form of protection.

Someone else might not understand, but Old Wang was more than happy. Sharing the glory was better than keeping it to himself, especially since his goal was to attach himself to a powerful ally.

Of course, this was just about theoretical achievements. In practice, the 'Queen of Snow' performed even more impressively and brought joy.

Rune theories that are too advanced and impractical have little value. There have been highly advanced rune theories in history, but due to their lack of practical application, they were eventually discarded.

However, Wang Feng's 'Queen of Snow' was different. It skipped the development phase entirely and was already a mature, practical rune.

Low-level runes don't significantly enhance experts, but they greatly benefit ordinary armies, almost immediately boosting overall combat effectiveness.

Human strength doesn't come from a few experts but from the enhancement of runes for the majority of warriors who possess only insect-level soul power. The fusion rune performs exceptionally well in this regard.