Ninth-Rank Grand Magus

Deep in the Magical Beast Mountain Range,

a secluded valley.

Magical beasts were everywhere in the Magical Beast Mountain Range, but there wasn't a trace of them outside this valley.

This valley was a forbidden place in the Magical Beast Mountain Range. The Saint-level magical beast who lived there was the Earth Tyrant Bear, one of the range's most powerful beings.

Sitting down, its body, a full forty or fifty meters tall, looked like a small mountain.

"Hmm?"

The Earth Tyrant Bear suddenly opened its eyes and looked toward the entrance to the valley. "Someone's come in?"

It sensed someone's presence.

"Agai?"

The Earth Tyrant Bear sensed the person outside the valley with its spiritual power and stood up. Agai was a Level Nine Magical Beast, a Gale Eagle.

As the ruler of the surrounding area, it was known to all the powerful magical beasts nearby.

Even the Level Nine Magical Beasts knew of it.

The Gale Eagle had some ties to it, too. If it had been another Level Nine Magical Beast, it wouldn't have dared come here.

"Keer!"

The Gale Eagle cried out from outside the valley, then landed nearby.

"Come in!"

The Earth Tyrant Bear answered, its voice rumbling like thunder.

The Gale Eagle soon flew inside and landed not far from the Earth Tyrant Bear.

"Agai, what is it?"

The Earth Tyrant Bear asked.

High-level magical beasts rarely left their territories. If the Gale Eagle had left its own, it must have had a reason.

At the Earth Tyrant Bear's question, the Gale Eagle let out a few mournful cries.

"What? A Saint-level magical beast has taken over your territory?"

The Earth Tyrant Bear stood up.

The Gale Eagle's territory was close to its own. Had another Saint-level magical beast really come here?

The Gale Eagle continued to cry mournfully.

"Enough. Take me there to have a look."

The Earth Tyrant Bear spoke with a hint of anger. "I'd like to see which fool is breaking the rules."

Saint-level magical beasts kept a certain distance between their territories. It was an unspoken rule among them. Since it lived in this valley, that meant there shouldn't be any other Saint-level magical beasts nearby.

Now another Saint-level magical beast had suddenly taken over territory near its own. That was an outright affront.

The Gale Eagle cried out a few times, then took off to lead the way.

By now, Edita and the others had reached the depths of the Magical Beast Mountain Range.

"Be careful. We're in the depths of the range now, so we could run into high-level magical beasts."

Edita cautioned them.

Uncle Pu had already turned back. He wouldn't lead them into the depths; one gold coin wasn't worth risking his life. Edita and the others hadn't expected him to go any farther, either, so from here on, they had to rely on themselves.

After cautiously making their way forward for a while, Edita's expression grew grave.

"Mentor Edita, this seems to be the territory of a high-level magical beast."

Sorel had noticed something was wrong, too. He spoke in a low voice.

They had been walking for a long time without finding any trace of magical beasts. That could only mean the others were afraid to come here.

When an area like this appeared in the depths of the Magical Beast Mountain Range, there was a good chance a powerful magical beast lived there. It had to be at least Level Seven or Eight, and it might even be a Level Nine Magical Beast.

If it was Level Seven or Eight, it wouldn't be a major problem for them. A Level Nine Magical Beast, though, would be troublesome.

"Thud!"

Just as Edita was about to speak, the ground suddenly trembled.

Edita's expression changed. She hurriedly called out, "Everyone, be careful!"

"Thud!"

"Thud!"

The ground trembled more and more violently.

The distinctive scent of a magical beast began to grow stronger.

"A magical beast is coming!"

Edita caught the scent at once. She took out her staff and began murmuring an incantation.

Sorel and the other students hurriedly cast spells on themselves as well.

"Be careful. Fall back!"

Edita spoke in a grave voice.

The violent trembling and the beastly scent could only mean the magical beast was enormous. An enormous magical beast was bound to be a high-level one.

As Sorel directed the other students to retreat, a huge figure appeared in the distance.

Through the gaps between the branches, they could make out a gigantic creature, fifty or sixty meters tall. Each careless step it took easily snapped the giant trees around it.

"The Saint-level magical beast, the Earth Tyrant Bear!"

Edita's expression changed.

Sorel and the other students went pale, too. Saint-level magical beasts were terrifying beings. They had actually wandered into one's territory!

The Earth Tyrant Bear had naturally noticed Edita and the others, but its target was the Saint-level magical beast in the area, so it didn't attack them.

"Agai, kill these human intruders."

The Saint-level Earth Tyrant Bear spoke directly.

"Keer!"

At its words, the Gale Eagle spotted Edita and the others. It cried out, then flew straight toward them.

Another Saint-level magical beast had taken over its territory. It didn't dare resist, but that didn't mean it wasn't resentful. Otherwise, it wouldn't have gone to the Earth Tyrant Bear for help.

So, prompted by the Earth Tyrant Bear, it saw Edita and the others and naturally decided to vent its anger on these accursed humans.

Seeing the Gale Eagle fly toward the humans in the distance, the Earth Tyrant Bear paid them no more attention and continued onward. Its spiritual power had already detected the invading Saint-level magical beast.

It was an unfamiliar Saint-level magical beast. Had it just advanced to Saint level?

The Crimson Feather Golden Phoenix sensed the Earth Tyrant Bear's probing at once and instantly went on guard.

Battles between magical beasts never needed a reason.

The Crimson Feather Golden Phoenix's body swelled against the wind, transforming in an instant into a massive creature dozens of meters long. It soared into the air, and with a flap of its wings, countless tornadoes sprang up.

The environment in the Magical Beast Mountain Range was better than that of Mount Everest, but it also had more powerful beings.

The Earth Tyrant Bear didn't waste words. It casually ripped a giant tree from the ground and hurled it at the enlarged Crimson Feather Golden Phoenix.

A vicious glint flashed in the Crimson Feather Golden Phoenix's eyes. With a cry, it spat out a stream of golden flames, instantly burning the tree to ash. The remaining flames even set a large number of nearby trees and boulders alight.

In almost an instant, the area was ablaze.

The Earth Tyrant Bear wasn't afraid of the flames at all. It let them burn around it, opened its jaws, and roared up at the Crimson Feather Golden Phoenix. Then, fixing its enormous eyes on the phoenix, it charged forward. Boulders and trees alike flew in every direction as it crashed into them. As it ran, a dense layer of Earth Element spread over its body, forming armor.

It looked like a gigantic monster clad in armor.

Flames sprang up around the Crimson Feather Golden Phoenix, too.

The earth shook, and the mountains trembled.

Even Edita and the others, fleeing in the distance, felt the shock. Then a wave of heat rolled over them.

"Cast a defense!"

Edita immediately cast a Water Element defensive spell to resist the heat.

Even so, the barrier was rapidly fading.

They could barely withstand even the aftershocks of the battle.

If Edita hadn't blocked part of it, the other students, including Sorel, would probably have been injured.

"Keer!"

By then, the Gale Eagle had quickly caught up with them.

Edita's expression darkened when she saw it. She shouted, "Sorel, take Elite and the others and get out of here! I'll hold it off!"

An Eighth-Rank Mage had almost no chance of defeating a Level Nine Magical Beast, but the others had even less ability to fight back.

"Sis!"

Elite couldn't help shouting.

"Go!"

Edita replied, then murmured an incantation and rose into the air.

She was an Eighth-Rank Grand Magus of both Water and Wind.

Transparent barriers appeared before her, one after another: the Eighth-Rank Water Element spell, Water Barrier! It was a spell that grew in power with its caster. It could be used at First or Second Rank, and just as well at Eighth or Ninth Rank. It was one of the most comprehensive defensive spells in the Water Element school of magic.

Almost as soon as she cast Water Barrier, Edita also cast the Wind spell Extreme Speed on herself, increasing her speed.

Seeing Edita cast two spells almost instantly, Sorel was astonished. Edita had to be close to reaching the Ninth-Rank Grand Magus level; otherwise, she couldn't have cast Eighth-Rank spells so nearly instantaneously.

That gave him a little peace of mind.

"Come on, follow me!"

Sorel hurriedly grabbed Elite and the other students. "If you stay here, you'll only get in the way!"

Sorel didn't have to explain further. Elite knew that staying would do no good and would only distract her sister.

Elite looked at Edita, then firmly nodded. Under Sorel's protection, she quickly left in the opposite direction.

The Gale Eagle closed in on Edita in the blink of an eye. Its outstretched wings spanned more than ten meters, making it an imposing sight. With a cry, it extended its talons and lunged for her.

The Gale Eagle's strongest weapons were its talons and beak, which could easily tear through the defenses of magical beasts of the same rank. Combined with its incredible speed, this made it one of the stronger Level Nine Magical Beasts.

With the Wind spells Extreme Speed and Flight Technique empowering her, Edita was exceptionally agile. She used the giant trees to impede the Gale Eagle and dodge its talons.

Even with Water Barrier, she wasn't confident she could withstand a direct strike from the Gale Eagle's talons.

But the Magical Beast Mountain Range was full of giant trees, and they were a considerable obstacle for the Gale Eagle's enormous body.

The Gale Eagle couldn't catch Edita in an instant, and the advantage swung back and forth between them.

The Gale Eagle's talons sliced through the giant trees like tofu, felling a whole patch in an instant.

After dodging one attack, Edita swung her staff again. The crystal core set in it emitted a blue light, and countless Water Element particles filled the air.

"Shadow of the Water Dragon!"

With the incantation, a translucent giant dragon made of Water Element roared forth, charging straight at the Gale Eagle as if it were real.

Shadow of the Water Dragon was one of the most powerful Eighth-Rank Water Element attack spells. When mastered to its fullest, it could even wield the strength of a giant dragon. It was terrifyingly powerful.

The Gale Eagle was startled when it saw the Water Element dragon. It immediately tried to dodge.

Level Nine Magical Beasts were highly intelligent. It naturally wouldn't take the attack head-on. Its huge body rose skyward, preparing to fly higher.

But the Gale Eagle suddenly felt a powerful force binding it. The force couldn't hold it completely, but it slowed it down.

"Wind Imprisonment!"

Edita hadn't just cast the Eighth-Rank Water spell Shadow of the Water Dragon. As the dragon surged toward the Gale Eagle, she had also cast the Eighth-Rank Wind spell Wind Imprisonment!

But casting Eighth-Rank spells almost instantaneously like this took a heavy toll on her mental strength. It would be difficult for her to cast another one.

After casting Wind Imprisonment, Edita didn't wait to see the result. She pushed Extreme Speed to its limit and hurriedly flew off in the other direction.

She hadn't planned to defeat the Gale Eagle. She only wanted to restrain it and escape its pursuit as quickly as possible.

Behind her, the Gale Eagle, slowed for an instant, could no longer dodge Shadow of the Water Dragon.

"Boom!"

The attack struck, followed by the Gale Eagle's furious cry.

The Eighth-Rank spell Shadow of the Water Dragon had clearly injured it.

An ordinary Eighth-Rank Mage could cast Shadow of the Water Dragon and still struggle to injure it. But Edita was different: she was close to reaching the Ninth-Rank Grand Magus level. Cast with all her might, Shadow of the Water Dragon was only slightly weaker than a powerful Ninth-Rank spell.

A Ninth-Rank spell posed a serious threat to the Gale Eagle, too.

Edita was now flying away at full speed. Her face was a little pale, and a stabbing pain throbbed in her head. It was the aftereffect of forcing herself to cast so many Eighth-Rank spells instantaneously. Other Eighth-Rank Mages couldn't have done the same.

The Gale Eagle was visibly injured. Many feathers had fallen away, and its body was smeared with blood. Its eyes had reddened.

In its fury, it immediately chased after Edita, ignoring Sorel and the others.

Sorel and the others could naturally feel the aftershocks of the battle behind them, and every one of them looked grim.

When they heard the Gale Eagle's furious cry, Elite's face turned deathly pale. "Sis!"

As she spoke, she tried to run back, but Sorel grabbed her in time. "What are you doing?"

"Mentor Sorel, I..."

Elite was worried.

"Don't worry. Your sister is strong. Even if she can't beat the Gale Eagle, she can easily escape. If you go back, you'll only put her in danger!"

Sorel said bluntly.

Hearing his words, Elite could only grit her teeth.

"All right, let's hurry. As long as we get out of here quickly—"

Sorel urged the students to leave at once, casting an auxiliary spell on each of them as they went.

With the Gale Eagle pursuing her relentlessly, Edita could only force herself to keep casting spells on herself.

Normally, a magical beast would give up once it lost its target. But this Gale Eagle pursued her without regard for anything else. When it lost sight of her, it would forcibly destroy swathes of vegetation just to find her.

It was truly strange.

The Gale Eagle wasn't chasing her only because she'd injured it. The Crimson Feather Golden Phoenix had taken over its territory, leaving it with nowhere to vent its anger. Then Edita had injured it, and it had flown into a rage.

Of course, Edita had no time to think about any of that.

Edita was starting to grow anxious. The dizziness in her head was getting worse.

If she'd taken her time and cast all those spells with incantations, it would have barely cost her anything. But pushing herself past her limits without pause had brought her close to her breaking point.

"Hold on!"

Edita gritted her teeth and forced her flying speed to increase again.

After crossing a hill, she saw a small waterfall ahead. She didn't hesitate any longer. She couldn't keep flying!

Then, with some of his remaining magical power, he launched an attack in a distant direction, leaving a sign that he had fled in panic. After that, he dove straight down and plunged into the waterfall, vanishing without a trace.

Midnight.

Edita's consciousness gradually returned. She abruptly opened her eyes and sat up, instantly on guard.

Her memories only went as far as diving into the water. After that, she had seemed to swim in one direction without thinking, and finally, after apparently finding a shore, she had passed out.

Falling unconscious in the Magical Beast Mountain Range was extremely dangerous. Stumbling across even an ordinary magical beast would likely mean death.

Edita was still shaken by the thought.

She looked around. It seemed to be a small cave, only about the size of two rooms. A small pool lay ahead, and the rest of the space was sealed off, leaving it extremely dim.

"Where am I?"

Edita cautiously raised her guard.

Then her expression suddenly froze, and she couldn't help but feel overjoyed. She had broken through!

She had just realized that her spiritual force had reached the Ninth Rank!

In other words, she had become a Ninth-Rank Grand Magus!

Even becoming a Ninth-Rank warrior at twenty-one was extremely difficult. Advancing as a mage was even harder than advancing as a warrior!

A twenty-one-year-old Ninth-Rank Grand Magus—there was probably no one else so young anywhere on the Yulan Continent!

Once she had confirmed her condition, Edita forcibly suppressed her excitement and carefully surveyed her surroundings.

Only then did Edita realize that the space really was sealed off. The entrance seemed to be beneath that small waterfall; it would have been impossible to find this place without going behind the falls.

That was probably why the Gale Eagle hadn't found her.

She couldn't help thinking that she really had been lucky.

After confirming that there was no danger nearby, Edita slowly sat down to meditate and restore herself to peak condition.

Half a day later, it was already light outside.

Edita slowly opened her eyes, greatly surprised. "The worldly elements here are so dense."

After becoming a Ninth-Rank Grand Magus, Edita's senses had grown far sharper than before. She could clearly sense how the worldly elements here differed from those outside. Their concentration might even be ten times greater.

This was definitely a cultivation paradise.

Curious, Edita carefully surveyed the area. Though it was dim, the darkness did little to hinder the vision of a Ninth-Rank powerhouse.

Before long, Edita's gaze was drawn to the wall behind her.

It wasn't an ordinary cave wall, but a gigantic, pitch-black Magic Array. Its very patterns were enough to give her an idea of its power.

The Magic Array was also the source of the dense worldly elements.

"Why is there a Magic Array here? And such a complicated one, too!"

Edita was astonished. "Could this place belong to someone?"

Soon, her eyes narrowed slightly. Right in the center of the Magic Array, a remarkably unusual staff was embedded in the wall.

In the Dark Forest, Beirut raised an eyebrow and looked toward the Magical Beast Mountain Range. "Someone broke another Magic Array?"

After discovering Edita, Beirut laughed. "So it was her. She really is lucky."

Then he paid her no further attention.

At the border of the Tumu-ke Kingdom, in the Dark Alliance.

On a small hill, Fang Yun ate roasted meat and casually admired the scenery. Prequet was bragging to the Doham brothers, who listened with rapt attention. After all, they had never heard of the adventures of a Saint-level magical beast.

Suddenly, Fang Yun looked toward the horizon. Two waves of spiritual force had just swept over them.

Prequet had naturally noticed as well. He hurried over to Fang Yun. "Master."

The Doham brothers didn't know what was happening, but they followed him over.

"Keep an eye on them."

Fang Yun had already sensed the newcomers and spoke to Prequet.

"Yes, Master."

Prequet had also sensed them by now. He couldn't help sneering to himself. The Dark Church had actually dared to send people here. They were courting death.

If it had been Prequet alone, he naturally wouldn't have been able to deal with the Dark Church. But his master was different. To his master, the Dark Church was no more than an infant.

"My lord, what happened?" Doham asked.

"Nothing. The people who'll help you find the Tiger-striped Secret Manual are here," Fang Yun replied casually.

He had taken in the Doham brothers because he didn't want the Tiger-striped Warriors to disappear. But he had no intention of searching for the Tiger-striped Secret Manual himself, so he had been waiting for the Dark Church to show up.

With the Dark Church's influence, they'd have a much easier time finding it than he would.

He hadn't expected them to be so quick. He'd thought it would take them a few more days to find him.

"Huh?"

The Doham brothers looked confused. People searching for the Tiger-striped Secret Manual? Had the lord already asked someone else to help?

The two soon understood.

A short distance ahead, a group of people was charging toward the hill where they were.

From their attire, they were clearly members of the Dark Church.