Chapter 337-338 Post-Promotion Situation

Here, Shaoke quickly restored the Death Mage and agreed to the terms, then he crushed the crystal ball and completely burned it into a strange crystal using Arcane Fire before discarding it. At this moment, Shaoke also realized that the path ahead would need to be walked alone.

Although Shaoke was very grateful for the help from the Blue-robed Mage, he didn't take it too seriously because he sensed that she was also using him. Both parties understood this, but neither voiced it.

In the following period, the situation in the Fallen Capital underwent tremendous changes. Numerous lone Eighth-order beings began to unite, launching fierce attacks on the organizations and alliances from the Blue Feather Empire that had come here. Under these circumstances, battles filled the skies over the Fallen Capital every day, with almost daily falls of Eighth-order beings. Even the powerful Mage Guild was no exception; under the assault of nearly a hundred various Eighth-order practitioners, the newly built castle of the Mage Guild was reduced to a large pit in just one magic hour, with seven or eight Eighth-tier mages falling there permanently.

After less than a month of slaughter, all organizations and families in the Fallen Capital vanished completely. Even the Orpheus Family, which Shaoke had considered powerful, disappeared entirely from the Fallen Capital. Then the Fallen Capital returned to its former calm, resembling its original state. The only difference was that no organizations or alliances collected tribute from merchants anymore, but the city lord, who nominally controlled the Fallen Capital, increased taxes to some extent. Fortunately, the increase was not large, and the merchants accepted it peacefully.

Shaoke paid no attention to these matters. He focused solely on cultivation, maximizing the reserves of magic power and mental energy within his meditation space. With his high-speed meditation, progress was very noticeable.

The light pillars within the altar had merged and were now slowly developing toward the [redacted] direction. Inside the entire meditation space, a large number of light bands formed by mental energy and magic power had gathered. These light bands, after being refined by the vortex formed by medicinal substances and the Seven-pointed Star Magic Array, quickly merged into the altar, eventually stored as [redacted] within it. Of course, the magic script embedded on the altar also began to frequently fly out of the altar, slowly integrating into the entire meditation space. Under these circumstances, Shaoke clearly sensed changes in this space, but the specific changes were indescribable in words.

Although the Fallen Capital had calmed down, Shaoke still did not leave the Blue-robed Mage's estate, because here he could safely strive for the Eighth Tier. Moreover, he could not be sure whether members of the Orpheus Family still lingered here to retaliate against him. Given these concerns, Shaoke stayed safely in the Eighth-tier female mage's estate.

It is worth mentioning that after the Fallen Capital calmed down again, the academy in the Fallen Capital was rebuilt. This time, the academy was more than ten times larger than the one Shaoke and others had built years ago. For some unknown reason, a large number of wandering Eighth-order practitioners gathered at this academy, taking up certain positions there. In their spare time, they guided young students on issues related to spells or other skills. Of course, this was done voluntarily.

After the situation in the Fallen Capital had been calm for a year, the new Fallen Academy was finished. At this time, the mage tower of the Death Mage Corps, with the help of hundreds of Eighth-order mages, was truly completed. The mage tower, hundreds of meters high, became the tallest building in the entire Fallen Capital and even the Blue Feather Empire. Of course, it was not only tall, but also doubled as the Mercenary Guild and the Mage Guild.

All mercenaries could turn in tasks here, and there were plenty of books for mages or other practitioners to read. Of course, it also recruited some practitioners. After being tested by the Death Mages, these practitioners received assistance and were eventually dispatched to perform certain tasks.

Although all this was good, Shaoke did not pay much attention. He was busy studying spells. The Blue-robed Mage hadn't returned for a long time. Shaoke didn't ask about it. You could say he had made the Blue-robed Mage's estate his home.

Three years passed, and after finishing his meditation one day, Shaoke finally saw the Blue-robed Mage again, whom he had not seen for three years. The current Blue-robed Mage looked somewhat reminiscent of how Shaoke had seen things in the Death Mage Corps. She was wrapped entirely in a light blue cloak, and her whole body was enveloped in a blue mist, looking very mysterious. Moreover, this time, Shaoke noticed the Blue-robed Mage had an extra staff in her hand. This staff looked really strange, with thirteen stars on it. From time to time, some blue light burst from the staff and merged into her cloak and body.

"You are about to advance to an Eighth Tier Mage?" The Blue-robed Mage let the mist around her dissipate and spoke to Shaoke with a surprised tone. "I didn't think you'd get the chance to become an Eighth Tier Mage so soon." With that, she sat down in a nearby chair and went quiet.

"Are you interested in going to that ruin?" The Blue-robed Mage placed the blue staff on the table and then, as before, tried to persuade Shaoke. "I obtained this staff there. With this staff, I can contend with Ninth-order beings for a certain period." Saying this, the Blue-robed Mage pointed at the staff, indicating for Shaoke to come forward and examine it.

"There are many such items in that ruin. Unfortunately, after more than three years of effort, we have only obtained one or two items." After speaking, the Blue-robed Mage added, "If you possess these ancient magic items, I believe you can hunt Ninth Rank beings. At that time, you won't need to rely on me for protection from the Orpheus Family's revenge."

"Let's discuss these matters after I advance to Eighth Tier Mage." Having devoted himself entirely to studying ancient spell books over the past few years, Shaoke had gained too much insight from those books. He believed that he could now kill an ordinary Eighth Tier Mage. This killing was not like the previous ambush-style killing but a complete frontal combat kill. Of course, the time could not be prolonged too much, as his magic power and mental energy were still inferior to those of Eighth-order beings.

"You have changed a lot." The Blue-robed Mage, for some reason, suddenly brought up this topic with Shaoke. "I believe you are more suited to the ancient magic era or even more distant times." The Blue-robed Mage said this, then suddenly sighed, "Perhaps after you advance to Eighth Tier Mage, you should travel to other places instead of staying forever in the Blue Feather Empire. Here, you won't make much progress." Saying this, the Blue-robed Mage seemed to recall something and, for the first time in front of Shaoke, raised her incomplete arm to look at it. "The Blue Feather Empire is too small, so small that people from some empires on the continent have never heard of this country."

The Blue-robed Mage's words left Shaoke momentarily unsure how to respond. After thinking for a while, he finally asked, "Is the spell level of the Blue Feather Empire very different from that of other empires?" After speaking, Shaoke stared intently at the Blue-robed Mage's eyes. At this moment, he noticed that some stars appeared in the female mage's eyes. These stars made him feel very uncomfortable; if he looked too long, they would cause turbulence in his meditation space. So he quickly turned his head away and stopped looking at her.

"Necromancers, Confinement Mage, Law Mage, Ancient Command Mage, Summoners, Ancient spellcasters." After listing so many types of mages in one breath, the Blue-robed Mage paused slightly to catch her breath and continued, "These mages are rare types in the Blue Feather Empire, but in some powerful countries, they are just slightly special practitioners." Saying this, the Blue-robed Mage suddenly sighed.

"This place is too poor. The Blue Feather Empire lacks many magic materials, so..." Saying this, the Blue-robed Mage suddenly changed the topic, "When you advance to Eighth Tier Mage, I will watch over you. I hope you succeed on your first attempt." After saying this, the Blue-robed Mage discussed what to watch out for during the advancement with Shaoke, then returned to her room. Shaoke stayed alone in the room, quietly thinking about what she had said. He didn't fall asleep until dawn, slumped in his recliner.

Perhaps sensing that Shaoke was about to advance to Eighth Tier Mage, the Blue-robed Mage stayed at the estate almost every day. She explained in detail what to watch out for during the advancement to Eighth Tier Mage and finally prepared a large amount of medicine and items needed after the advancement. If Shaoke had to collect these items alone, although it would not be difficult, it would be very time-consuming. If delayed too long, it would impact his strength after advancing.

Shaoke did not ask why she did this, but he remembered the help from the Blue-robed Mage and agreed to explore the ancient ruins with her after advancing to Eighth Tier Mage. Of course, after obtaining Shaoke's promise, the Blue-robed Mage just nodded and said nothing else. However, she often brought back strange medicines to the estate. These medicines were ground into powder by the Blue-robed Mage and given to the maids to take. Then she would find strong men to sleep with the maids until they gave birth to offspring, after which they were killed.

This went on for nearly ten years. During this period, Shaoke finally began to attempt the breakthrough to Eighth Tier Mage. Originally, he could have attempted the breakthrough two years after the Blue-robed Mage returned, but on her advice, he further purified his mental energy and magic power until his meditation space could no longer be delayed before starting the breakthrough.

One day, Shaoke informed the Blue-robed Mage of his intention to advance. After receiving her affirmative reply, he waited until the effects of the medicine had completely dissipated, then calmed himself and prepared for the advancement. Shaoke had spent a long time preparing for this day. He did not want any accidents during this advancement. Of course, this was just his own thought.

After seven or eight years of thorough purification, the mental energy and magic power in Shaoke's meditation space could no longer be further purified, nor could they accommodate more.

After everything was ready, Shaoke immersed himself in the meditation space, observed the situation inside, and then began the actual advancement.

After chanting a few short advancement incantations, subtle changes occurred in the entire meditation space. The light bands floating in the air suddenly burst completely, forming large patches of light mist. These light mists were absorbed by the Seven-pointed Star Magic Array but still remained in a misty state within the meditation space.

After all the light bands had transformed into mist, Shaoke proceeded to the next step. The incantations chanted in ancient magic script condensed into form within the meditation space. The appearance of many magic incantations caused turbulence in the meditation space. Then, under the mage's control, these magic incantations arranged themselves in a strange shape around the altar. The Arcane Fire on the altar continuously burned those magic incantations. Then Shaoke immersed his mind in the altar and, following a special method, completely gathered the Arcane Fire, allowing it to burn inside the altar.

Perhaps because he had too much Arcane Fire, this simple step took him three full days. After completing this task, Shaoke quickly paused the advancement, replenished some food, and meditated to recover from the recent consumption. After sufficient rest, the mage resumed the advancement. This time was the critical moment.

At this point, the altars in both meditation spaces had begun to burn from within. The entire space was filled with either silver-white mist or light purple mist. Then Shaoke tried to calm his emotions and began chanting the incantation.

This incantation chanting took a full magic hour. As soon as the incantation ended, the two meditation spaces suddenly experienced turbulence. Shaoke suddenly felt the two meditation spaces merging, a process he could not stop. The merging of the two spaces caused turbulence, which had led to the failure of many mages' advancements. However, Shaoke, relying on the silver light integrated into the Arcane Fire, managed to overcome this difficulty once again.

At this moment, Shaoke quickly chanted the advancement incantation obtained from the Death Mage Corps, regardless of his consumption. He rapidly formed complex gestures, which, under the support of the incantation, all merged into the merging meditation space.

The two meditation spaces merged slowly. According to Shaoke's perception, this merging took a full year to complete. During this period, he spent a large amount of time each day chanting special magic incantations and forming gestures to reduce the difficulty and increase the success rate of the merging. Of course, most of the time was spent meditating to recover energy and maintain the silver light to calm the turbulence.

When the two meditation spaces finally merged completely, the new meditation space underwent tremendous changes. Two altars, light purple mixed with silver light, floated quietly in the air. A layer of purple mist floated beneath the altars, while the silver-white mist formed by mental energy floated above the altars. The two Seven-pointed Star Magic Arrays were still tightly connected to the altars by tens of thousands of fine threads.

After restoring his state to the best, Shaoke began the next step. This time, he needed to separate the altars from the Seven-pointed Star Magic Arrays, and then merge the two altars and the two Seven-pointed Star Magic Arrays together. If he could successfully complete this step, it would mean that half of his advancement was done. Of course, failure would mean he would permanently lose the opportunity to advance, and more seriously, he might permanently lose his spellcasting ability.

Following the high-level method for advancement provided by the Death Mage Corps, Shaoke began to slowly cut those fine threads using patterns formed by mental energy. Each time he cut a thread, he felt new changes in the entire new meditation space, but he set aside examining them for now.

This cutting of connections also took Shaoke about a year. When the last few fine threads were carefully cut according to the special method, the two altars and the Seven-pointed Star Magic Arrays were completely separated.

The separated altars and Seven-pointed Star Magic Arrays did not change positions; they still floated quietly in their original places. After resting, Shaoke began the next task: merging the two altars and the two Seven-pointed Star Magic Arrays. This merging was also quite smooth, perhaps due to the effect of the silver light. At each critical moment of merging, the silver light within the altars would burst, accelerating the merging of the altars and arrays. Under these circumstances, he completely merged the two altars in just half a year. Then he spent some time merging the two Seven-pointed Star Magic Arrays.

The merged altar was three or four times larger than before, looking like it was made of purple jade. The two Seven-pointed Star Magic Arrays, after merging, turned into a pale silver color, and countless fine threads floated down from the Seven-pointed Star Magic Array, drifting aimlessly in the air.

When the Blue-robed Mage learned that Shaoke had progressed to this stage in just three years, she looked very pleased. She explained in detail the possible situations in the later stages and then handed over items she had prepared many years ago. The sooner these items were used after the mage advanced to Eighth Tier Mage, the better for his future development.

After a short rest, Shaoke dared not delay any longer, as prolonged delay would affect his subsequent advancement. Now, he would perform the last important step. According to the Blue-robed Mage's explanation, if he failed this step, he'd never be able to cast spells again, permanently losing his identity as a spellcaster.

This was also an important reason why many Seventh Tier Mages dared not attempt advancement.

After repeatedly recalling the incantation from the Death Mage Corps dozens of times, Shaoke began to chant. This time, he still used the ancient magic language. As the incantation was chanted, the new meditation space began to pulse rhythmically. Light purple magic power points and silver-white mental energy points slowly merged together. As time passed, until all points merged, Shaoke ended the incantation according to the special method.

With the end of his incantation, the altar and the Seven-pointed Star Magic Array in the meditation space suddenly changed dramatically. A large amount of Arcane Fire flew out from the altar, landing in the mist and creating large blank spaces. Then, tens of thousands of fine threads embedded with magic script on the Seven-pointed Star Magic Array quickly detached from the array, tearing through the mist and flying toward the walls of the meditation space.

After this change, the altar and the Seven-pointed Star Magic Array began to operate simultaneously. Then, large amounts of mist formed by mental energy and magic power merged into them. New Arcane Fire flew out from the altar, blasting apart the interconnected mist in the distance, while new fine threads flew out from the Seven-pointed Star Magic Array, either merging into the mist below the altar or above it, preventing them from recombining.

This process continued for an unknown period before the intense changes in the meditation space gradually stopped. At this point, the appearance of the entire meditation space was completely different from before. Now Shaoke could feel the existence of earth and sky within it. Then, sentences made of ancient magic script flew out of the altar, slowly falling onto the seemingly barren earth and sky. This work continued for nearly a month.

During this time, apart from meditating to recover some consumption, Shaoke completely immersed his mind in these changes. He felt this was a lot like the legendary creation scene from his past life, with the only difference being that this meditation space still had no green plants or moisture. Of course, the mage didn't care, since he had ways to solve these problems.

After more than a month, the changes in the meditation space completely stopped. A huge space appeared in Shaoke's consciousness: a barren land and a silver-white sky. At this time, the altar was somehow floating in the air, and with Arcane Fire blazing on it, it looked like a sun. The Seven-pointed Star Magic Array was hidden behind the altar. According to the Blue-robed Mage's explanation, this Seven-pointed Star Magic Array would appear after a certain time, and then the altar would recede. It all looked like a real world.