With a wry smile, Andrew used his Battle-qi to shatter the rocks formed from the cooled and solidified magma around him. If he hadn't instinctively activated his Battle-qi shield, he might have been buried by the magma by now.
" Golden Peng, come to me!"
Andrew shook off the dust and transmitted his thoughts to Golden Peng through his soul.
After signing the Soul Contract, he could contact Golden Peng within a certain range. The size of this range was related to his soul strength. And Andrew's soul strength had already reached the Saint-level, so as long as Golden Peng was within a thousand miles of him, he could directly transmit his voice.
Golden Peng arrived very soon.
Jumping onto Golden Peng's back, Andrew inquired about Ling'er and Han Yue in his soul.
"Master, they are waiting for you in Mithril City," Golden Peng said in his soul. According to him, Ling'er and the others' training ended two days ago. Originally, they could have returned directly to the capital. However, knowing that Andrew had come to the Mountain Range of Magical Beasts, the two of them stayed and waited in the nearest city Mithril City.
"Alright, let's go to Mithril City!"
At Golden Peng's speed, it would only take him ten minutes to reach Mithril City.
"Huh, the atmosphere here has changed. Compared to four years ago, the magic circle in Mithril City is much more powerful."
As soon as Andrew entered the city, he sensed a different atmosphere.
Mithril City is a famous magic city on the continent. The number of magic towers and the density of magic arrays in the city even surpass those of the imperial capital! Of course, the magic arrays in the imperial capital are incomparable to those here, as the High Priest himself has set up a powerful magic array to protect it.
Four years ago, when Andrew came here, his magical cultivation was not high, and he did not have a deep understanding of these magic towers. Only today did he truly feel how terrifying these magic towers were.
The numerous magic towers are subtly interconnected, with various elements arranged in different orders. Once activated, they can unleash powerful magic. If a hundred magic towers are activated simultaneously, the energy could even rival that of forbidden spells!
With a sigh, Andrew found Ling'er and Han Yue. The two were strolling along the street, and they seemed to be in good spirits.
" Ling'er, Yue'er, we've finally found you!" Andrew said enthusiastically.
Ling'er rolled her eyes at him. "It's not you looking for us, it's Han Yue and I who are waiting for you."
Han Yue also glared at him, clearly unhappy as well.
Andrew quickly explained, "As soon as I heard you were out training, I immediately followed you. However, some things happened along the way, and we encountered a powerful enemy..."
Han Yue asked with concern, "What enemy? Are you alright?"
Ling'er said, "Of course he's alright, look at him."
Andrew successfully changed the subject, then added ingratiatingly, "Luckily, I managed to escape. By the way, you two are both magicians; this is a magician's paradise. Buy whatever you want, I'll pay!"
After spending millions of gold coins, Andrew finally calmed down the two men's resentment.
The three of them stayed in Mithril City for more than ten days. During this time, Andrew bought them a lot of magical equipment, including top-quality magic wands, magic robes, and magic protective gear. After having a great time, they returned to the capital.
On the way, Ling'er said rather indignantly, "Brother, what are you planning to do? Sister Han Yue has been waiting for you for four years, and you still don't have a clear answer. You should know that in our Divine Grace Academy, Sister Han Yue has countless suitors!"
Andrew looked at Han Yue apologetically, and Han Yue looked back at him. Their eyes met, and there was affection between them.
" Yue'er, can you give me another year? After a year, I'll marry you in style and grandeur!"
Andrew's heart warmed, and he grabbed Han Yue's hand, confessing his love with deep affection.
Before Han Yue could speak, Ling'er exclaimed, "Brother, why do we have to wait another year!"
Han Yue looked at him, her eyes full of questions.
After thinking about it, Andrew finally decided to reveal his agreement with Baird.
"You're going to duel a Saint-level expert!" Han Yue and Ling'er exclaimed in shock. In their eyes, Saint-level experts were beings capable of destroying the heavens and the earth; their power was simply indescribable. Although Andrew had always been very powerful, compared to a Saint-level expert...
Andrew knew they would react this way, and he was a little annoyed, but that feeling quickly disappeared.
"The duel won't be now, but a year from now. Besides, I escaped unscathed from Baird just over ten days ago. A year from now, I'm confident I can defeat him! Then, I'll propose marriage to you!"
Han Yue fell silent. She understood why Andrew had been hesitant to date her for the past four years. It wasn't that his feelings for her had changed, but that he was afraid of implicating her.
Holding Andrew's hand firmly, Han Yue said resolutely, "No, I don't want to wait a year. I want to face anything with you!"
Andrew was deeply moved, but he simply smiled easily.
" Yue'er, don't worry. I'm confident I'll win this duel! A year from now, I'll become the strongest genius on the continent, and then I'll announce to the world that you are my bride!"
Ignoring Ling'er's sweet words, the two leaned close together, making Ling'er feel a little disgusted. However, she was very pleased with the outcome. In her heart, her brother and Sister Han Yue were a match made in heaven.
Back in the capital, after sending Ling'er and Han Yue back to the Divine Grace Academy, Andrew went to the Imperial Palace.
The emperor was in a bad mood today. Not long ago, he discovered an evil cult in the southern part of the empire, and in order to wipe it out, the royal family lost a level nine powerhouse.
Since the great war more than a decade ago, sects have sprung up on the continent from time to time. Many of the founders of these sects have obtained relics of powerful beings from other dimensions. The city lord of Lefen City, whom Andrew killed earlier, is an example of this.
Regardless of the emperor's mood, Andrew went straight to the point about Baird's ambush of him and his agreement with him.
"What? How dare Baird do this! I have already sent people to give him a clear warning. By doing this, he is clearly not taking the Empire seriously! A Saint Warrior, how dare he do this!" The emperor was even more furious upon hearing this.
Andrew said, "Your Majesty need not do this. I have already made an agreement with him to have a fair duel a year from now. However, I am worried that he will avoid the fight, so I hope that the Empire can make a great show of force so that he will have no choice but to fight."
The emperor looked at Andrew with surprise and suspicion. "Are you serious?"
He found it all very strange. A Ninth-level Warrior challenging Saint-level- Saint Warrior to a duel, and then being afraid to fight? Didn't that seem like the opposite of what he was thinking?
Andrew said seriously, "Of course I'm serious. And I'm confident!"
The emperor was unsure whether to believe him, and could only remind him, " Andrew, I know you are exceptionally talented, but breaking through to the Saint-level is not easy. You are only seventeen years old this year, and in tens of thousands of years, no one under the age of twenty has ever reached the Saint-level on the continent..."
Andrew shook his head. "I know what Your Majesty said. However, I've already touched the edge of the Saint-level. A year is enough time for me to break through. I fought with Baird before and have a clear understanding of his strengths and weaknesses, so Your Majesty can rest assured, I will surely win in a year!"
Under his persistent insistence, the emperor finally agreed.
After leaving the palace, Andrew returned home. His mind was still unsettled. The duel with Baird was now irreversible. Moreover, this duel was no ordinary one; it would be a matter of life and death!
"With that previous epiphany, the Saint-level is now within my grasp! A year is more than enough!"
Andrew was confident because of that serendipitous encounter.
In addition, Andrew had other plans.
"After becoming Saint-level, the most urgent thing is to obtain the essence blood of the Four Divine Beasts. However, apart from a drop of Azure Dragon essence blood in the Coiling Dragon Ring, the rest of the Four Divine Beasts ' Azure Dragon Essence Blood is with Beirut."
Andrew had been considering this matter for a long time. His goal from the beginning was to reach the pinnacle of the Higher Plane. And to become a peak powerhouse, there is only one path: to reach the Paragon. However, this path is extremely difficult. In countless planes and countless years, Paragon powerhouses have been few and far between.
Besides this, another path is to become Special Lifeform comparable to the Paragon, including Divine Beast. Of course, these life forms may be no less powerful than the Paragon in terms of attack and defense, but they ultimately lack the Willpower of the Paragon, and their overall strength is slightly inferior. Take Beirut's Divine Clone, for example; if it weren't for the Willpower of the Sovereign Divine Clone, it wouldn't be so powerful.
"However, being able to rival the Paragon is already considered the pinnacle of godhood. How many Paragon beings are there in the entire world?"
Andrew considered himself exceptionally talented, but he wouldn't dare say he was 100% certain he had reached the Paragon. There were many people in the world with higher talent than him, but very few could achieve the Paragon. Therefore, he set his sights on the second path: becoming a powerful Divine Beast.
He has a natural advantage on this path, since a big boss is hidden in the Yulan Plane.
"To obtain the Azure Dragon Essence Blood, I must first gain Beirut's attention and approval; otherwise, I won't even be able to see him. This is a perfect opportunity to widely publicize my challenge to Baird, hoping Beirut will notice. Then, during the final battle, I'll directly use Fusion Battle-qi to demonstrate my Soul Mutation talent; I believe Beirut will be interested."