Crushing Defeat

Ian darted through the depths of the forest, trying to shake Nolan off his trail.

"You can't escape, little bug!" Nolan looked like a vicious ghost at that moment.

His left hand was gone, the muscles on half his face had been charred, and a massive gash at his waist faintly revealed his internal organs wriggling within.

Ian ran for a while, but seeing Nolan still in pursuit, he stopped and turned around.

He looked around and estimated that they were more than ten miles from the previous battlefield.

As he watched Nolan gradually approach, his gaze turned increasingly fierce.

"You're half-dead already, yet you still dare chase me directly. Who gave you the courage?"

"My brother was killed by your own hand, wasn't he? You're hiding a secret too!!!"

Nolan had already confirmed that his younger brother had been personally killed by Ian—not with some Wizard Tool, but by those two Frost Rays earlier.

Instant-Cast Sorcery!!!

He had cultivated bitterly for over twenty years, yet not a single one of his spells had reached that level.

That was the domain of true Monsters and Formal Wizards.

Nolan's eyes burned with fervor as he stared at Ian as though he were a priceless treasure.

"You're just as arrogant and stupid as your brother."

Killing intent surged within Ian. No matter the cost, he could not let Nolan live.

"You know, I've been holding myself back for a long time too. This is a perfect chance to see just how capable this so-called genius of yours really is."

Whoosh, whoosh... Ian instantly cast spells at his maximum limit.

More than a dozen Frost Rays shot toward Nolan at high speed, and the temperature around them visibly plummeted.

Nolan's expression changed sharply as two shields appeared around him again. These were the last protective Wizard Tools he possessed.

He had pursued Ian despite knowing the danger because he wanted to uncover Ian's secret.

He understood the terror of Instant-Cast Sorcery even better than Ian did.

There was no warning whatsoever before the spell was cast!

Against such an opponent, one could only remain on the defensive from the very beginning.

Bang, bang... The first shield quickly shattered, but more rays followed immediately after.

When the assault finally stopped, his second shield was also on the verge of breaking.

"This power... something's wrong!"

At that moment, Nolan's entire body was encased in ice, turning him into a massive ice pillar.

His vision was blocked, but his Mental Power could still extend slightly to observe what was happening outside.

"Darkness!" Nolan cast that powerful obscuring spell again, hoping to gain a moment to catch his breath.

"Corrosion!" Layer upon layer of ripples surged from his body, and the ice began to crack apart layer by layer.

Pfft! After using his remaining Mental Power to cast two spells, Nolan spat out a mouthful of blood.

His injuries were too severe. The two opponents from the earlier battlefield had both been powerful, not much weaker than him.

What he had not expected was that Ian's spells would be far more powerful than before, casting a shadow over his heart!

Watching the ice layer grow thinner and thinner, his gaze darkened as one countermeasure after another surfaced in his mind, only to be rejected.

Suddenly, the pounding vibrations came again, rocking his body back and forth.

The shield around him rapidly dimmed before breaking with a pop.

Extreme cold swept over him, dispersing the corrosive ripples as ice once again completely encased him.

Nolan shuddered. His body temperature began to plummet, and his blood gradually stopped flowing.

The vibrations outside continued, and he extended his senses outward.

The sight before him made his heart pound in terror!

Brilliant dark-blue streams of light continuously shot from before Ian toward him.

"Just how many spells has he cast?"

Nolan was horrified, unable to think of anything else.

Only one thought remained in his mind: survive!

"Stop now! My mentor's mark is on me. Even if you kill me, you won't escape death!"

Ian cast spells while swallowing potions, only stopping when waves of stabbing pain rose in his mind.

An ice mountain nearly six meters tall stood before him.

"He should be dead, right?" Ian waited for a while. Seeing no movement within, he walked closer.

Sizzle! A grayish-white band of light laboriously pierced through the ice, accurately connecting itself to Ian.

Feeling his physical strength draining away, Ian's lips slowly curled upward.

"Looks like you really are at the end of your rope."

He ignored the band of light on his body and began taking off his clothes one by one until only his underwear remained.

Ian parted his lips slightly and took a long, deep breath. Whoosh, whoosh...

As he continued inhaling, his body rapidly expanded, growing from less than 1.8 meters to a brawny Giant standing over 2.2 meters tall!

From afar, he even resembled a Rock-armored Demon Bear.

After taking the Rock Bear Potion, he had unleashed this form at home before. His strength and defense after transforming had become extraordinarily terrifying.

Gaga! Ian gently twisted his neck and looked toward the little ice mountain before him.

"This is the form I feel most comfortable in. Are you ready?"

Ian's figure blurred, and he was already in front of the ice mountain. He raised his hand and threw a punch.

"Bang!" The entire ice mountain shook. A bathtub-sized crater was smashed into the solid ice, sending shards flying in every direction.

Ian only felt a faint dull ache from his fist. His tough subcutaneous tissue had absorbed and buffered the impact.

Inside the ice, Nolan stared wide-eyed at Ian's completely transformed appearance.

"Y-you're a Bloodline Wizard! Stop! We can talk this out."

This ice mountain could not withstand more than a few of Ian's punches. Despair had already consumed him.

Ian could not be bothered with Nolan's pleas. His eyes saw only the ice mountain.

Nolan already knew his secret. He had to die!

Ian began throwing punch after punch, the booming impacts echoing continuously across the wilderness.

Ian did not bother counting how many times he struck. At last, with a crashing roar, the entire ice mountain collapsed.

Nolan was exposed within. Apart from his head retaining a faint trace of life, everything below his neck had completely frozen stiff.

"Wait, don't you want to know where your bloodline formula came from... Wait, stop... You didn't sign a Secrecy Pact. Prepare for their endless retaliation!!!"

As Nolan watched the advancing shadow, terror appeared on his face.

"I only want you dead!"

Ian threw a punch, directly blasting Nolan's head apart. A thin blood-red line suddenly shot out from Nolan's body.

The bloodline seemed to possess a locking ability. Ian could not dodge it at all. With a sizzle, it burrowed into the back of his hand, then slowly formed a complex pattern.

His expression darkened. He rubbed the mark hard, only to find that it did not seem to be on the surface of his skin or flesh at all. He could not touch it.

Taking a deep breath, he forcibly suppressed the unease in his heart and quickly searched Nolan's body.

Inside Nolan's cloth bag, he found some magic stones, potions, and an exquisite wooden box.

He had no time to examine them closely. After hastily disguising the scene, he put on his clothes and quickly vanished into the night.

Along the way, he carefully avoided the crowds that were continuously gathering and silently returned to the Magic Potion Shop.

It was already late at night. He quietly arrived outside Malena's door.

"Malena, open up. It's Ian."

Afraid of alerting others, Ian did not call out loudly. Fortunately, Malena had not gone to sleep yet and quickly opened the door.

"Ian, where did you go? How did you get back even later than us?"

Seeing Ian return safely to the shop, Malena secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

"Malena, I need to trouble you again!"