"Master, is that you who has returned?" Tortai asked in a trembling voice.
"You damned snake, you insist on acting so loyal, you deserve to suffer." Yaoyao's voice appeared, and although she still had the appearance of a calico cat, her voice was Yaoyao's original voice.
Upon hearing Yaoyao's familiar voice, Tortai's tears, which he had just stopped, were about to well up again.
Even as Yao Yaoyao scolded him, Tortai still managed a smile.
"Lord Yaoyao, it was you and my master who changed my fate. Loyalty is the only thing I can do." Tortai cried and laughed at the same time.
"You're lucky, we're back. No one will dare to bully you anymore."
One can imagine what kind of treatment Tortai, one of Leo's henchmen, would receive after Leo's death and the Shadow Plane fell into the hands of the Wizard World.
Putting aside the Wizard World, even the World Lord he constantly bosses around wouldn't treat him well.
When Leo was alive, they obeyed Tortai was only a third-rank official, because of Leo's orders.
When news of Leo's death spread, the witchcraft controlling him was lifted, and the fact that these World Lord didn't kill Tortai immediately showed enough restraint.
Tortai has no world of his own to rely on; his former world was shattered by Leo long ago. Remaining in the Shadow Plane will inevitably come at a price.
This is why he was seriously injured; he had been selling off pieces of himself to earn energy crystals to leave in the Shadow Plane, waiting for Leo to return.
Energy surged into Tortai's body, his cloudy eyes began to clear, his skin began to peel, and his years of severe injuries were rapidly healing. He bowed his head to Leo, just as he had in the past.
"It's a pity that my strength is too weak to help my master. My lifespan is almost over. To be able to see my master again before I die, I have no regrets in this life."
"Your strength hasn't increased over the years, but your cunning has grown considerably. I broke my promise to help you advance to World Lord back then. Now, I'll grant you that advancement."
Leo's sadness was instantly dispelled by Tortai's cunning. The little guy was actually playing the victim to gain his sympathy. It seems that his thousand years of hard work haven't been wasted; he wants something as soon as they meet.
The trading towns established in the Shadow Plane are all monitored and controlled by wizards. Their duties are to collect taxes and patrol, and they will appear immediately if there is any unusual activity.
Upon sensing a sudden surge of intense energy, more than ten Level Three Great Wizard instantly appeared.
"The wizards decree that no civilization within the Shadow Plane may use energy, witchcraft, or force. Master, cease what you are doing."
Upon discovering that the wizard who violated the rules was a Level Three Great Wizard, the patrolling wizards' hostility decreased considerably.
After all, they're one of our own. If they were from other civilizations, they would have taken action immediately without saying a word.
"Oh? What if we use it?"
Disguised as a calico cat, Yao Yao Yaoyao at these Level Three Wizard with a cold, piercing gaze.
The area was already crowded with onlookers. When the Shadow Plane first connected with other civilizations, some civilizations were unaware of the power of the Wizard World and, relying on their own reputation, looked down on other civilizations.
After witnessing the prosperity of the Shadow Plane, he wanted to go Shadow Plane and pull off a big heist.
Every item traded in the Shadow Plane can be described as a rare and precious treasure; a single successful trade could sustain one for a lifetime.
Many people are willing to take the risk.
Did any of these people succeed?
No,
They were captured by the Wizard World the instant they made their move, and their fate was extremely tragic.
From then on, no one dared to have any wicked thoughts in the Shadow Plane; everyone obediently followed the rules set by the Wizard World.
I never expected to run into one today, and they actually want to make a move in the trading town.
Among the onlookers, Luokeni spotted the black-robed wizard surrounded by ten Level Three Great Wizard and immediately recognized him as the man who had just eaten a lot of golden mushrooms at his stall.
I sensed something was off about this guy right away. Why would he get angry when I praised the wizard? Now that I see it, he must be someone from another civilization disguised as a wizard, and someone who has a grudge against wizards. He came to the Shadow Plane specifically to cause trouble.
Luokeni carefully retreated, afraid of being caught in the crossfire. He was only at level two, and the aftershocks of a fight between multiple level three opponents could seriously injure him.
The ten Level Three Great Wizard responsible for upholding the wizarding rules sensed something was wrong and had just warned him because the other party was also a wizard.
He was initially thought to be a seasoned Level Three Great Wizard had been in seclusion for many years and was unaware of the changes in the outside world, but sensing the killing intent emanating from his battle companion, he seemed to be no wizard at all!!
"Those who violate the wizarding rules shall die!"
Ten Level Three Great Wizard immediately took action, five Body Refinement Wizard stepped forward, and five Elemental Wizard retreated. Hundreds of unmanned mechs appeared from the wizarding ring.
In an instant, hundreds of drone mechs surrounded Leo from specific positions, each drone mech possessing a level two energy aura.
Moreover, based on their location and energy connection method, these mechs can unleash the equivalent power of several Level Three Great Wizard.
"Do it!"
At a command, the Level Three Great Wizard instantly unleashed his magic, and hundreds of Level 2 mechs simultaneously activated, preparing to attack in coordination with the Level Three Great Wizard.
It can be said that even Level-Four World Lord could hold out for a short while if ten Level Three Great Wizard led hundreds of level-two unmanned mechs here.
We'll be able to wait a moment for a higher-level wizard to arrive!
The wizards' actions revealed an incredibly high level of teamwork, clearly indicating that they were all aided by Intelligent Soul.
Seeing this, Leo's expression darkened even more; these wizards really had taken all of his things.
A cold snort came from Leo's nose.
"Snort"
The wizarding team, which could hold out for a moment before Level-Four World Lord, was instantly overwhelmed by a terrifying pressure from a single cold snort.
"Boom"
They were all instantly pinned to the ground, unable to move. The magic released by the Level Three Great Wizard exploded, and the magical energy was drawn into the little red snake Tortai's body before it could spread.
Hundreds of drone mechs were blown to pieces and scattered all over the ground. Ten Level Three Wizard were pressed tightly to the ground, unable to even lift a finger.
His face turned bright red, but he was powerless to resist.
Splash!
The crowd that had been watching the spectacle instantly scattered. Someone capable of instantly killing ten Level Three Great Wizard and two hundred mechs—if not level three, then definitely World Lord!
If a war at the level of World Lord breaks out, their town will be razed to the ground. If they don't leave now, they'll be stuck here waiting to die.
"Why are you running? Whoever runs will die."
Yaoyao was displeased to see the panicked crowd. He wanted to take back the Shadow Plane, and if all these people ran away, who would pay his taxes? It would be useless for him to take it back.
Leo glanced at the chaotic crowd; these people weren't going to listen to Yaoyao and stay put.
Those who were quick had already packed up their shops and were preparing to fly out of town, while those who were slow were grabbing things from other people's stalls.
There are plenty of people who try to profit from chaos!
He lightly tapped the ground with his black staff, and a black ripple spread out, radiating throughout the entire city.
The fleeing crowd froze instantly. Even those who had taken to the air were pulled down and slammed to the ground by a black shadow. The entire city seemed to freeze in time, with not a single living being able to move.
Luokeni, who was the first to realize something was wrong, was the first to pack his things and try to escape, but unfortunately, he was only level two, and before he could even leave the city, a large number of level threes had already gotten ahead of him.
At this moment, his single eye on his forehead was filled with anxiety, but his body was stuck in a stepping motion and he couldn't move. He didn't know what kind of attack he had suffered.
The body's energy can still circulate, physical vitality has not decreased, and muscles, bones, soul, and consciousness have not been attacked.
But it just won't move!!
Everyone within his field of vision was immobilized, in the same state as him; this ability was completely beyond his level two understanding.
His single eye looked at a level three figure in front of him. The figure had not been attacked, but he was unable to move.
No matter how much this level three expert struggled or used the magic power within his body, even as his body emitted explosive sounds of unleashing its potential, he couldn't move!
However, he noticed something amiss.
That was the figure; there was no shadow on the ground, but his shadow was clinging to his body, as if a living being was pulling him along!
Their bodies were pressed together, it was incredibly eerie.
Luokeni was horrified. He had never heard of such an ability before, and he was absolutely certain that he was being pulled by his own shadow!
Ignoring these low-level beings, Leo focused on Tortai, whose body had recovered and could withstand the energy impact of his advancement.
Are you ready?
"Ready, Master."
Leo looked toward the Shadow Plane. When he first entered the Shadow Plane, the entire dimension was filled with cheerful sounds that only he could hear.
Just like a pet cat seeing its owner come home!
"In my name, I grant Tortai the right to ascend to the position of World Lord!"
Leo spoke in a low voice, but Leo image echoed throughout the entire Shadow Plane.
Like a whisper from the gods, a sudden storm arose, and countless energies converged towards Tortai.
A powerful energy lifted Tortai, propelling him into the sky. Amidst surging waves of energy, it announced to the entire world his ascension to the World Lord!
At this moment, all the gazes of life in the entire Shadow Plane converged on this place, unlike the lower-level life forms in this town.
Those powerful civilizations would immediately realize what was going on.
Although this Shadow Plane is at the level of World Cluster, it has never given birth to a World Lord, nor is there any native life here. The original life forms died or were migrated away over time.
It's clear that the Wizard World doesn't want World Lord to emerge from here, so it's nipping any potential for resistance in the Shadow Plane and turning this world into a purely commercialized one.