Chapter 151: Come On, All at Once. Loser Out, Winner Takes All!
The mass of light, twisting and transforming into various shapes, solidified, resembling a collection of dazzling mercury.
Even through the spell projection, the four third-level wizards outside the realm could seemingly feel the immense, terrifying presence emanating from the scene.
Elemental energy spiritual aggregates, known as "elementals," are a hallmark of fourth-level and above, dawn wizards, a realm these third-level pinnacle wizards aspire to reach.
The four watched the projection intently, their expressions shifting, eyes blazing with increasing intensity.
"It's indeed a spatial elemental, but its form is highly unstable. It appeared suddenly after the explorers entered... It's likely another dawn-level artifact, developing sentience, trying to escape the Mirror Court's ancient restrictions," one murmured.
The others agreed.
A fourth-level wizard's "elemental" is still in its gestation phase, requiring at least fifth-level strength to manifest fully.
The likelihood of a living fifth-level dawn wizard hidden in the Mirror Court's core is less plausible than a high-level artifact left by ancient Mirror Court wizards.
Over time, nourished by rich elemental energy particles, it developed a semblance of sentience, resulting in the current scene akin to a dawn wizard's "elemental" manifestation.
This theory was supported by previous discoveries during explorations of the Mirror Court ruins, where two similar dawn-level artifacts were found.
One disappeared immediately after escaping restriction.
The other was claimed by the Thunder Council after compensating the other five major wizard forces heavily.
The driving force behind the forces' eagerness to open the Mirror Court's core, even expending three precious Nepha Keys, was simple—their encounters with treasures surpassing the Nepha Keys. Everyone wanted more!
The leading wizards from Molten Lake, Black Swamp, Silver Ring, and Thorn Palace immediately relayed the anomaly to their respective headquarters.
With arrangements in place, their focus returned to the vast water screen before them, their emotions subtly changed.
"Hey!"
The bald wizard from Molten Lake, holding a burning stone staff, put down his communication stone, grinned, and called out to the feather-masked wizard from Black Swamp, "How about a side bet? Who do you think the artifact will choose in the end?"
The Black Swamp wizard squinted, remaining silent but clearly interested.
The Molten Lake wizard then turned to Caroni and the green-robed witch from Thorn Palace.
"What about you two, want to join in?"
The green-robed witch seemed tempted, her eyes encouraging as she glanced at Caroni.
"...We could try. It's not just about strength; luck plays a big role too..."
Caroni's eyes flickered, but he ultimately shook his head calmly.
The green-robed witch looked disappointed, while the Molten Lake wizard withdrew his gaze expressionlessly, saying no more.
"Corridor of Reflection... Through Legacy Eight..."
In the mirrored corridor, Ronan contemplated the fragmented information in his mind.
The radiant, mysterious silver figure stood patiently at the corridor's end, seemingly awaiting Ronan's approach.
"Passing through this corridor grants access to the Mirror Court's ancient legacy? And only eight can pass this round?"
Ronan quickly deduced some possibilities from the fragmented information.
Before he could act, "Boom!"
A powerful spell explosion echoed nearby.
The mirrors beside him shifted.
The reflections of himself faded rapidly, replaced by figures in various robes.
Wizards from the four exploring forces now appeared in the corridor named "Reflection."
Each occupied a parallel corridor, visible to one another.
To Ronan's left and right stood wizards from Black Swamp and Thorn Palace.
The Thorn Palace wizard, upon seeing Ronan, paled, his face a mix of shock, resentment, and fear. It was the young wizard whose skull Ronan had shattered earlier.
He had recovered and been transported into the corridor.
At this moment, all participating wizards were like athletes on a starting line, awaiting the signal to begin.
"Buzz—"
As figures appeared beside him, Ronan quietly began murmuring spell syllables, summoning a barrage of frosty spears, aiming at the Thorn Palace wizard to his right.
The wizard was startled, retreating instinctively.
They stood so close, separated by a mere invisible wall, less than ten meters apart.
As Ronan flung a [Frost Spear] at the Thorn Palace wizard, an icy curtain of crystalline armor formed around him, guarding against the Black Swamp wizard on his left.
The latter wizard was indeed casting a spell at Ronan, but slightly slower.
Simultaneously, spells erupted from wizards across the corridor network.
Yet, all spells vanished without impact.
Ronan saw his frost spears disappear into the transparent wall, severing their mental connection.
The Thorn Palace wizard remained unharmed, and the Black Swamp wizard's spell also failed to manifest before Ronan.
"Seems we can't attack each other?"
Ronan's eyes flickered, "So, the eight spots are about speed?!"
"Boom!"
A visible shockwave burst within the corridor. Ronan vanished, a blur racing toward the corridor's end.
If viewed from above, the scene resembled a circular racetrack with a hundred lanes aimed at a common center. Ronan's lane, a black streak, rapidly outpaced others, nearing the finish.
"Boom! Boom! Boom—"
Ronan abandoned his tier-two flight artifact, relying solely on physical strength, moving faster than with the flying ring.
The corridor's material was unknown, showing no trace of his powerful strides.
Ronan was like black lightning, echoing explosively as he sped forward.
"My mastery of [Basic Swordsmanship] needs honing. [Immaculate Body] and the Ancient Frost Hydra bloodline have enhanced my physical power, making control difficult."
As he raced, Ronan mused.
He valued the mastery of [Basic Swordsmanship] for its absolute control over his body.
Previously, this control sufficed, but now it seemed insufficient.
"Whoosh—"
Ronan burst from the corridor, his velocity shifting from extreme motion to stillness, his billowing robe and hair the only testament to his speed.
The silver figure at the corridor's end transformed into a massive light orb, rising high above like a silver sun, gazing indifferently below.
Runes, intricate and mysterious, flickered between Ronan and the orb, shrouding light and distance.
Ronan's gaze swept the surroundings, realizing he stood on a vast circular platform.
The platform was mirror-smooth, reflecting his image clearly.
Seven other platforms surrounded him, mirror-like and suspended in mid-air, with a bright void below.
"Whoosh—"
A figure pierced the air's ripples, appearing before Ronan—a Molten Lake wizard in a red robe, skin dark, square-faced. Surprised by Ronan's presence, he quickly distanced himself warily.
More figures began appearing on the platforms.
In the other platforms, figures materialized.
After the "race" through the Reflection Corridor, wizards were transported to different mirror platforms.
Ronan retreated to a platform's edge, frowning.
He realized his earlier deduction was inaccurate. The Reflection Corridor wasn't the true arena; speed through it meant little. This platform would soon be their battleground.
"Exactly eight."
Ronan mused silently as more people appeared on his platform, stopping at nineteen.
Among them, Molten Lake had the most, with eight wizards.
Next, six green-robed Thorn Palace wizards.
Four from the Silver Ring, including Ronan.
Black Swamp had the fewest, with two wizards, who immediately cloaked themselves in invisibility upon arrival, their presence detectable only by faint energy ripples.
The three other Silver Ring wizards naturally gravitated toward Ronan.
Others did the same, keeping distances, warily observing.
No one knew what would happen next, yet many seemed to anticipate it.
Tension and anticipation filled the platform.
"Glen, from the First Ring."
Among the Silver Ring group, a handsome young man with blue hair and gray eyes introduced himself.
He glanced at the next person, who hesitated before quickly introducing themselves.
The four made introductions, Ronan included.
He didn't mind teaming up, especially in such uncertain circumstances. Standing with his force drew less attention.
The four Silver Ring wizards—Glen and a round-faced female wizard from the Third Ring were late second-level. The other young man was mid-second-level. Ronan's early second-level strength stood out, drawing curious glances but no comments.
"Did you participate in the Seven Rings' internal exchange?"
Glen from the First Ring asked after introductions.
Before anyone could answer, the massive silver orb above them flared, and a mysterious rune, mirror-like, appeared above each platform.
Simultaneously, a powerful consciousness wave spread like sunlight, accompanied by the familiar, indistinct voice.
"Qualification. One. Next round. Legacy!"
"Buzz!"
Transparent rune arrays rose from each platform's edge, enclosing them in a large bowl shape.
Atop each "bowl" was a similar mirror-rune.
Everyone understood the silver orb's message—
Eight platforms, each hosting a battle to select one for the next legacy trial.
The mysterious runes above were the tickets to the next trial!
As the consciousness wave ended, spells erupted on Ronan's platform, figures flickering in the air, racing for the rune above.
Explosions and spell light filled each platform, energy clashes echoing.
The first to reach the rune engaged in rapid skirmishes, none securing it, inadvertently pushing it away.
The others quickly reacted, different voices, incantations, a chorus of spellcasting.
"...In the Seven Rings exchange, I ranked eighteenth, just shy of entering the first tier for the first battlefield!"
Glen from the First Ring, eyes bright, sternly urged his peers, "If none of you are stronger, support me fully! This legacy..."
"Boom!"
Before Glen finished, a massive white shockwave erupted beside them.
They saw a blur, too fast for even mental power to track, cross the distance instantly, appearing by the drifting rune, seizing it.
"Uh..."
Glen, having claimed leadership, froze.
The other two Silver Ring wizards froze too.
Wizards from other forces also paused.
Everyone saw a handsome youth with white hair and blue eyes, clad in a gray-silver robe, standing above, studying the rune in his hand.
Quickly, the youth shifted his gaze from the rune to the people below.
His eyes scanned each wizard's task ring, his own task-ringed hand slowly clenched around the mirrored rune, speaking calmly, "Come on, all at once.
In this round, the loser is out, and the winner... takes all!"