Forbidden Stone

The Boni robot replied respectfully, "Yes, Master!"

Soon, a Mechanical Swordsman brought in a colorless, transparent crystal ball with a white crystal sealed at its center.

Boni said, "Please place your hand on this crystal ball. It will test your Soul Aptitude."

Yang Feng reached out and pressed his hand gently against the crystal ball.

The crystal ball flickered with a faint white light.

The Boni robot stated, "Master, your Soul Aptitude for cultivation is Level-1 Inferior Grade. According to the memories of Boni stored in my chip, with your current aptitude, unless you transplant the bloodline of a powerful creature or consume vast quantities of the most precious potions capable of enhancing a cultivator's soul, it will be extremely difficult for you to ever become an official Level-1 Warlock in this lifetime."

"That pathetic?"

The corners of Yang Feng's mouth twitched. He had anticipated that his cultivation aptitude wouldn't be great, but he hadn't expected it to be this abysmal. A Level-1 Inferior Grade aptitude was at the very bottom of the food chain in the Durando Subcontinent; even a random peasant pulled off the street might have better aptitude than Yang Feng.

Yang Feng asked, "Can you concoct potions to strengthen Soul Aptitude?"

"Boni was not an alchemist! Although he had a rudimentary understanding of alchemy, he could only brew basic potions. He lacked the ability to concoct potions that enhance Soul Aptitude. Having inherited his memories, I can only brew basic potions as well; I cannot concoct Level-1 potions. Furthermore, the formulas for soul-strengthening potions are held by major powers, and Boni's memories do not contain them."

Yang Feng asked with a hint of anticipation, "What is the best path for me to choose if I want to become a Warlock?"

Boni had been an official Level-1 Warlock who had survived in the Durando Subcontinent for over a hundred years. His knowledge far surpassed Yang Feng's. Having such an official Level-1 Warlock by his side was like having a miniature encyclopedia of cultivation, which could save him from taking many wrong turns.

The amount of knowledge possessed by an official Warlock far exceeded that of a Wizard Apprentice. It could be said that the gap between an official Warlock and a Wizard Apprentice was as vast as a chasm.

"Antalya Warlock Academy, White Elephant's Fang, Eye of Justice, Rose Garden, Wild Claw, and Black Dragon Tower are the six most powerful Warlock groups in the Durando Subcontinent, and they possess the most complete Warlock legacies. Among them, Antalya Warlock Academy has the most comprehensive foundation and the most open academic atmosphere. Only by joining Antalya Warlock Academy will you, Master, have the opportunity to obtain a powerful Warlock legacy."

Yang Feng frowned slightly and asked, "Can't you teach me?"

"The Warlock legacy possessed by the Black Hut can only cultivate one up to a Level-3 Warlock. However, that requires a Level-6 Superior Grade Soul Aptitude and an immense amount of cultivation resources just to have a slim chance of reaching Level-3. With your Level-1 Inferior Grade Soul Aptitude, if you cultivate the Black Hut's legacy, barring any miracles, there is almost no hope of advancing to a Level-1 Warlock."

Yang Feng's brow furrowed. He tapped his index finger on the table, lost in thought. "Antalya Warlock Academy, huh?"

The Fein Deluo Family, the backers of the Fein Deluo Principality, were on good terms with Antalya Warlock Academy. Now that Yang Feng had deeply offended the Fein Deluo Family, joining Antalya Warlock Academy might prove to be quite troublesome.

The Boni robot said, "Master, I possess a treasure that Boni extracted from a Forbidden Stone. That treasure will be of great help to your path as a Warlock."

Yang Feng asked curiously, "A Forbidden Stone?"

The Boni robot explained, "Forbidden Stones are sealing stones created by the alchemists of the Second Warlock Dynasty; it is said they can seal anything in existence. The Second Warlock Dynasty conducted various forbidden experiments using countless humans, demons, devils, gods, giants, dragons, and other powerful creatures from various planes, creating countless terrifying monsters and powerful secret treasures. On the eve of the Second Warlock Dynasty's collapse, many of these monsters and treasures were sealed away using Forbidden Stones."

"The Second Warlock Dynasty?" Although Yang Feng had acquired some memories from a Wizard Apprentice, he had not mastered that knowledge, so he was very unfamiliar with the history of the Durando Subcontinent.

"Since the rise of Warlocks, there have been eight great Warlock Dynasties. Whenever a Warlock Dynasty flourished, the human forces of this world would conquer countless planes. Powerful Warlocks could even command demons, enslave gods, and capture demons and gods from other planes to use as top-tier alchemical materials."

"The Durando Subcontinent is merely a subsidiary continent outside the Main Continent. The most powerful individuals within the Durando Subcontinent only reach the level of a Great Warlock. It is only in the Main Continent that one finds top-tier powerhouses above the level of a Great Warlock."

"In Boni's memories, the six most powerful Warlock groups in the Durando Subcontinent—Antalya Warlock Academy, White Elephant's Fang, Eye of Justice, Rose Garden, Wild Claw, and Black Dragon Tower—all have the shadows of powerful forces from the Main Continent behind them."

A look of gravity flashed in Yang Feng's eyes, and the excitement of capturing the Black City faded significantly. "So that's how it is. This world is far more powerful than I imagined."

Yang Feng said, "Take me to the location of the treasure extracted from the Forbidden Stone."

"Yes, Master!"

Led by the Boni robot, Yang Feng arrived at the first underground level of the Wizard Tower.

The first underground level of the Wizard Tower was a vast plaza. In the center of the plaza, a massive blood pool had been constructed. The edges of the pool were inscribed with countless runes filled with mysterious power. Around the blood pool, blood-colored crystals and magic stones filled with mysterious energy were embedded at various nodes.

In the center of the blood pool sat a transparent crystal basin. Resting inside the basin was a giant egg inscribed with various profound runes.

The blood pool churned and bubbled, with wisps of blood-colored aura rising and sinking into the giant egg. The egg pulsed like a massive heart, emitting a heartbeat from time to time. Every time a heartbeat sounded, a small wave of energy would ripple through the plaza.

"This is the treasure Boni obtained from the Forbidden Stone! He intended to turn the creature inside the egg into his own Contract Beast. To hatch the creature and ensure it was full of vitality, he set up this altar and slaughtered 1,376 virgins to perform a Blood Sacrifice ritual. The ritual is essentially complete; all that remains is to form a contract with the creature inside. In five days, the creature will officially break its shell and emerge."

"However, this is a Contract Beast that only an official Level-1 Warlock can tame. Master, you lack any Warlock foundation and cannot use conventional means to sign a soul contract with the creature inside the egg."