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To break the magical defense set up by the Twelve Sages, the current level of magic is insufficient. Unless a Forbidden Spell Mage beyond Level Ten sacrifices their life to use a forbidden spell, it might be possible to blast through it. However, such an outcome would only result in the Magic Tower being obliterated as well. Therefore, only the divine thunder capable of slaying even the Twelve Sages can penetrate this defense. The only sword imbued with divine thunder, the "Divine Punishment," is stored within the treasury of the Ruby Kingdom in the 16 Kingdoms Alliance. Ideally, such a supreme divine weapon should be wielded by a master, but the unique properties of this divine sword make it extremely difficult to find a wielder who can harness its power. In the tens of thousands of years since its creation, only three or four people have truly been able to use this divine sword. Anyone else attempting to wield its power would inevitably suffer backlash from the sword itself, which is why the "Divine Punishment" has remained in the hands of ordinary people. Fortunately, there is another method to trigger the sword's power: a lightning mage equipped with numerous lightning magic artifacts can suppress the sword's backlash while unleashing a small-scale burst of divine thunder. The high-ranking officials of the Sovereign Dragon Empire plan to use this method to enter the Magic Tower and obtain the method for creating Crystal Dragons.

However, things do not always go as planned. This critical operation was noticed by the Free Chamber of Commerce Alliance when the Sovereign Dragon Empire's personnel arrived at the "Diamond Port" via the Four Seas Route. With the relentless pursuit of money by merchants, they quickly uncovered this secret. To prevent the Sovereign Dragon Empire from gaining dominance, the relatively weaker Free Chamber of Commerce Alliance casually shared this information with the 16 Kingdoms Alliance, protected by the "Sky-Cleaving Blade Saint." This successfully thwarted the Sovereign Dragon Empire's attempt to steal the divine sword, transforming the treasure hunt into a situation where three parties would check each other, allowing the Free Chamber of Commerce Alliance to fish in troubled waters. Currently, all three parties have roughly determined the location of the Magic Tower and have set up camps in three directions, simultaneously clearing out scattered forces in the vicinity. Of course, if any opportunity arises to secretly strike the other two parties, no one would let it pass.

With three days remaining until the scheduled date, I naturally found a small oasis far away to wait quietly.

Three days later, at dusk, I stealthily approached the target area. From a distance, I could see countless magical lights and torches illuminating the night sky, making it incredibly bright. The three groups were clearly demarcated, each wary and vigilant of the others. The Sovereign Dragon Empire's troops wore uniform attire, with clear ranks. At the forefront stood a man in white, followed by eight guards, and then approximately a hundred people of various roles, all in perfect formation without any chaos. The Free Chamber of Commerce Alliance's formation was more chaotic. In the center, heavily guarded, were five elders, surrounded by warriors directly under the chamber's command, and outside them were hired mercenaries, totaling about two hundred people. As for the 16 Kingdoms Alliance, there was no formation at all; although they had over four hundred people, they were divided into several clusters, likely making them the weakest among the three.

As the moonlight began to shine upon the desert, the space in front of the three groups suddenly started to blur. Over time, the light and shadows in that area kept changing, as if countless runes and arrays were continuously flowing. Suddenly, a massive magic array appeared on the desert floor, followed by another overlapping it, and so on, until after an hour, the stacked arrays reached fifteen feet high, then suddenly solidified into a tangible form—a Magic Tower adorned with runes and sculptures, glowing with light, appearing out of nowhere in the desert.

"Oh~ This is the Magic Tower of the Twelve Sages, a miraculous existence."

The appearance of the Magic Tower temporarily distracted the hostile groups, causing them to marvel and exclaim in awe. Some people tried to approach the legendary relic, but were immediately stopped by those behind them. Then, several mages released spells to test the tower's defensive range. Everyone could see that a hundred meters from the tower, an invisible barrier appeared and absorbed the attacks. Just when everyone thought it would end there, several bright arcs of lightning accurately retaliated against all the mages who had cast spells, killing two instantly and forcing the others to be rescued by their companions.

"Alright, no need for further testing. Let's use the 'Divine Punishment' to cut through the defensive array of this tower," said the leader of the Sovereign Dragon Empire impatiently.

"Hmph, trying to reap without sowing? You thieves of the Sovereign Dragon," the 16 Kingdoms Alliance retorted, despite the earlier agreement, unable to tolerate the Sovereign Dragon Empire's superior tone.

"Alright, alright, everyone, no need to argue. The Magic Tower was brought back by the Sovereign Dragon, the 'Divine Punishment' was provided by the 16 Kingdoms, and the method to use it was discovered by our Free Chamber of Commerce. We all contributed, so let's work together. Don't forget, there are still many obstacles inside the tower, and we only have seven days," said an elder from the Chamber of Commerce Alliance.

"Let you have your moment, Great Mage. Please proceed," the 16 Kingdoms Alliance said, inviting the half-elf whom I had met in the restaurant. His left hand was wrapped in layers of silk ribbons inscribed with incantations, and he wore nearly twenty pieces of magic equipment, including gloves, rings, bracelets, armlets, shields, shoulder guards, and more—all at least of "rare" quality and all lightning-based. Only the Free Chamber of Commerce Alliance could gather so many magic items.

Holding the divine sword "Divine Punishment Light Thunder," the half-elf mage slowly summoned the lightning power from the air. The lightning magic artifacts on his hand gradually lit up, resonating with each other, releasing golden lightning arcs. As the lightning continued to grow, the divine sword finally responded, emitting a faint yet overwhelming platinum lightning arc that overshadowed the surrounding lightning. At that moment, the mottled sword suddenly shone brilliantly, and the faint platinum lightning arc expanded, transforming into a dragon-like bolt of lightning, breaking free from the half-elf's grasp. Prepared for this, the half-elf threw the sword towards the barrier of the Magic Tower.

When the platinum lightning arc made contact with the tower's shield, everyone could finally see the transparent and invisible barrier. It consisted of at least seventy or eighty layers of different shapes and lights, each operating independently around the entire Magic Tower. The earlier retaliation was merely from the first layer. One could imagine the immense force required to open the tower. Yet, the platinum lightning arc of the divine sword sliced through all the barriers effortlessly, flying a hundred meters before embedding itself in the steps leading to the tower's entrance. The terrifying platinum lightning arc suddenly vanished, and the once-bright sword returned to its ancient appearance. Looking at the half-elf mage, all the magic items on his left arm had exploded, leaving his arm charred and blackened.