Gloomlamp Mage Corps

This elite mage squad, built at great expense by the dungeon, demonstrated remarkable tactical skills and coordinated spellcasting abilities on the battlefield.

If it weren't for them providing a defensive barrier for the dungeon legion, the guardian Daoists of Azure Cloud Mountain would have already torn apart the monsters' formation with the Sharp Wind Flag.

However, at this moment, this group of mages was like a bird with broken wings, trapped in a dark cave.

"Master." The dark mage Alaites stood outside the cave and bowed to Lin Xu. "The mages are in good condition, but their magic power is severely depleted. They need to rest for three days to recover their spellcasting abilities."

Lin Xu nodded. "So? Are they willing to submit?"

Alaites bowed his head and said, "Master, the mages are willing to serve you as their master, but they wish for a quiet place to cultivate. Also, they hope that after you conquer the dungeon, you will bring back the library's collection."

Lin Xu nodded in satisfaction. They even had their eyes on their former employer's collection of books, which showed that these monks were shrewd and knew how to adapt to the times.

That's true; the smarter a person is, the more they value their life.

"Go and enlighten them," he said, looking at Alaites.

Alaites bowed to accept the order and turned to walk towards the mage group.

After a brief exchange, he condensed Dharma Seed, which bloomed like a black lotus, its ethereal light seeping into the mage's brow.

A beam of light bloomed in the sea of consciousness, illuminating the dark space. In the shadows, a ferocious giant octopus slowly emerged, a bright lamp appearing on its forehead, absorbing and digesting the traces of alien power, ultimately transforming it into pure spiritual essence, which then nourished the sea of consciousness.

The dark magic was refined into a clear spiritual essence by the light of the spirit lamp, transforming into the shimmering dark golden Lamp Kindling Magic Power, which surged endlessly through the meridians, nourishing and purifying the body damaged by the radiation of the alien force.

"Buzz~"

As the Dark Mage continued to transform, at a certain moment, in Lin Xu's "unsurprising" gaze, Alaites's body suddenly shone with a dark light, his robes fluttered without wind, and golden lamp patterns appeared between his brows.

As the dim lamp was first lit, it illuminated every inch of shadow deep within the cave, even causing the chill seeping from the rock walls to freeze for a moment.

Alaites sat cross-legged on the ground, his eyes slightly closed, his breathing gradually synchronizing with the lamplight, and the eerie light around him rose and fell like the tide.

As each elixir entered his stomach, its medicinal power transformed into a warm current, replenishing his depleted magical energy until the surge of magical energy subsided after a cup of tea.

Lin Xu subconsciously opened Alaites's personal panel.

Alaites, Level 5 Dark Mage, Strength 6, Agility 7, Constitution 7, Spirit 16, Intelligence 15, Health 85, Mana 183.

New talent [Learning] added, skill learning speed increased by 30%.

"Sure enough, Alaites has also advanced, and has gained an additional talent..." Lin Xu thought with joy.

Alaites' transformation confirmed his earlier speculation: after becoming the leader of the Guardians, his individual talent and strength would experience a qualitative leap.

However, this change was not simply driven by the "Lamp Kindling Spirit Transformation Chapter," but rather by the manifestation of the rules of the Spirit Realm, the mysteries of which were difficult for him to comprehend for a time.

But advancement is a good thing. After Alaites completed his transformation, he successfully enlightened a total of 23 dark mage captives.

With the addition of the original two mages, the entire team officially transformed into a 25-person Gloomlamp Mage Corps.

"Very good, now it's all complete~" Lin Xu's gaze swept over the entire magic group, a satisfied smile appearing on his face.

The previous performance of this Dark Mage Corps has fully demonstrated their strength.

Compared to the hastily assembled group of guardian Daoist priests, the discipline, spellcasting ability, and teamwork of the Gloomlamp Mage Corps far surpassed it.

After all, they are spellcasters carefully trained by the dungeon. Even if they are only the lowest-ranking dark mages, they have undergone years of meditation and magical shaping, possessing a complete knowledge system and rich practical experience.

Lin Xu glanced at the mess on Azure Cloud Mountain: "Yingqiu, you stay here. Azure Cloud Mountain is your responsibility. Keep the crafted magical artifacts in the meditation room; you can deal with them yourself later."

At this time, the underground city's military strength had been severely depleted, and its power had been greatly weakened.

The first thing Daoist Xuanzhen did upon returning to the military camp was to summon his disciples and Daoist soldiers to prepare for the attack on the underground city.

At this point, the underground city was not only unable to send troops to threaten Azure Cloud Mountain, but it was also in grave danger of self-defense.

This was a golden opportunity for Lin Xu, as he could finally free up his hands and use the resources of Xuanwei Monastery to strengthen himself without any constraints.

"Yes, sir." Li Yingqiu bowed.

"Jingshu, you stay too." He glanced around, his gaze settling on the Ghost Bride. "Your ghost followers suffered heavy losses in this battle; you must replenish them as soon as possible."

"Yes, Master." Yan Jingshu bowed.

"Let's go." Lin Xu flicked his sleeves, and the Gloomlamp Mage Corps and the Dharma Protector Daoist Group marched in formation. Behind them, the spoked carts slowly drove out of Azure Cloud Mountain, the wheels rolling over the gravel with a dull thud.

It was already the second day after the battle, and he took the opportunity to make a detour to the military camp with his supplies.

"Palace Master, Abbot invites you!" A true disciple dressed in a red robe stood at the entrance of the camp and bowed to Lin Xu, who was leading the group.

Lin Xu nodded. "Please."

Having a true disciple lead the way was a privilege he hadn't received before; clearly, his treatment had improved after being promoted to Hall Master of the Incense Offering Hall.

Upon returning to the frontline military camp, the atmosphere was different once again.

Although most of the NPCs were expressionless, Lin Xu still sensed a peculiar emotion.

"Exhilarating—did we win?" A thought flashed through his mind.

The underground legion suffered heavy losses, and he didn't believe the enemy could field another legion of equal size.

Given the Xuanwei Monastery, their defeat was not surprising.

Upon entering the main tent, Lin Xu glanced around and noticed that the abbot of the Daoist temple and the other two elders were already seated, and even two of the true disciples had come.

"They've deployed their elite forces!"

He silently recited the mantra and bowed to the head abbot, saying, "Greetings, Abbot!"

"Sit!" Daoist Xuanzhen nodded in response. After Lin Xu sat down, he scanned the entire room. "In yesterday's great battle, the Daoist temple achieved a great victory, annihilating a portion of the enemy's forces. With their main force weakened, it's time to attack the underground city."

Lin Xu remained expressionless as he listened to the Abbot's instructions. "Elders and disciples, follow me into battle. The key to this battle is to seize the entrance to the underground city; we must finish this quickly!"

"Yes!" Everyone in the tent stood up and bowed.

"Palace Master Lin," Daoist Xuanzhen's gaze fell on Lin Xu, "You will be in charge of the temple, and you must ensure that military supplies are sufficient!"

This arrangement was not unexpected. Lin Xu calmly bowed and said, "As you command, Master!"

Leaving the main tent, he glanced at the bustling military camp. "A great battle is imminent!"

As usual, Lin Xu led the wounded soldiers away from the military camp and returned to the Daoist temple with the supply train.

Passing by Peach Tree Village, green shoots have already sprouted in the newly cultivated fields outside the village.

The villagers and militiamen are clearing land and cultivating the land, gradually putting his plans into practice before he left.

Lin Xu summoned Chen Yuanfu to inquire about the situation, but instead of entering the village, he returned directly to the Daoist temple.