Chapter 314: Fusion
Even if this was a top-tier bloodline...
Perhaps, such a supreme bloodline was something the old Mafa Merlin—or even the entire Merlin Family—had always dreamed of...
But for Leon, it was nothing but a shackle. What he truly desired, no so-called top-tier bloodline could ever give him!
So, as that single drop of Destruction Dragon's Blood merged into his body, and just as a long-dormant bloodline was about to awaken, the Mana Harness within Leon began to spin rapidly. Before that sleeping bloodline could stir, Leon immediately guided that drop of Destruction Dragon's Blood straight into his Mana Harness...
Instantly, Leon's face turned deathly pale.
The power contained in the Destruction Dragon's Blood was wild and scorching. Once it was drawn into the Mana Harness, it was like molten lava rampaging through, unleashing a terrifying impact upon the apparatus.
It was a kind of pain that ordinary people could never imagine...
For Leon, the Mana Harness was not just a cluster of Arcane Sigils—it was his second heart. The first heart pumped blood for his body; the second fueled his magic. Now, with a single drop of scalding Destruction Dragon's Blood flooding into his second heart, the power it contained was like poison to the Mana Harness. The moment it made contact, thousands of runes shattered to pieces. Leon had spent countless hours and effort fusing those sigils into the Mana Harness, but now, in a single instant, all that time and energy was reduced to nothing...
And all of this happened in just a split second.
Leon knew—the truly dangerous moment had arrived. If he couldn't suppress that drop of Destruction Dragon's Blood, not only would the dormant top-tier bloodline awaken, but his Mana Harness might collapse completely. That would mean the end of his magical path.
Enduring the agonizing pain, Leon forced himself to control the Mana Harness, fighting desperately to fuse the scattered sigils back together. Yet, with every effort, more runes were shattered by the impact of the Destruction Dragon's Blood. Leon poured in magic, repeating the process again and again, but the Mana Harness was never whole for even a moment. He knew this was a clash between bloodline and magic. If he refused to be shackled by any so-called supreme bloodline, he would have to pay a steep price.
Time ticked by, second after second...
Sweat beaded across Leon's pale face...
His fists clenched so tightly that his nails dug deep into his flesh, blood trickling between his fingers, dripping onto the altar with a steady "plip, plip."
William Merlin watched anxiously from the side...
It was the first time William Merlin had ever seen his cousin in such agony. Even when Mafa—his cousin—had entered Vaughn's alchemy lab, or fought a Title Archmage, he had only brushed the dust off his robes. Even when they escaped that dead plane and returned from the endless void graveyard, his cousin's face had merely gone a little pale.
The impression his cousin left was always one of calm confidence, always understated and unruffled. William Merlin couldn't even recall a time when his cousin had ever lost his composure...
But now, William Merlin saw it clearly—his cousin, always so composed, was showing an expression of unbearable pain atop the altar.
What to do, what to do...
The more William Merlin watched, the more anxious he became. He wanted to step forward, but didn't dare, and could only pace around like a frantic ant on a hot pan...
"This shouldn't be happening..." William Merlin couldn't figure it out. How could a simple Bloodline Rite turn into such a disaster?
The Merlin Family's Bloodline Rite had been passed down for a thousand years. William Merlin knew that Leon, Owen Merlin, Ross Merlin—they had all gone through the Rite. He'd never heard of anyone suffering as much as his cousin during it.
What on earth was going on...?
Just as William Merlin was lost in thought, a surge of astonishing magical energy erupted from the altar. In that instant, it was as if a wild wind swept through the entire Sanctuary of the Ancients—even the blazing flames seemed to flicker and sway in the sudden gale.
"What's happening?" William Merlin was startled, quickly wiped his eyes, and looked up at the altar.
Then...
William Merlin saw countless magical sigils rising up, swirling like a vast vortex, transforming into a dazzling, multicolored tornado in midair. The spectacle lasted a full ten minutes before, with a sudden swoosh, it plunged back into Leon's body...
"This is..." The scene left William Merlin utterly stunned.
This was the sign—the fusion of Arcane Sigils, the threshold of stepping into the rank of Archmage!
But hadn’t Leon Merlin already stepped into the Mage realm long ago?
Why is he only now merging his Mana Runes...
Could it be that when Leon Merlin became a Mage, he hadn’t truly unified his Mana Runes?
This...
Isn’t that a little terrifying?
William Merlin was a Mage himself—he knew better than anyone how much power a Mage gained when their Mana Runes became one. Leon Merlin had already been frightening before; now that he’d merged his Mana Runes, what kind of monstrous level would he reach?
And wasn’t this a bit too grand?
When William Merlin merged his nine Mana Runes, it took less than ten seconds from start to finish.
It’s said that Ross Merlin, who possessed the strongest Mana Rune in the Merlin Family—the Endless Spring—only managed to last a minute...
Ten minutes—what does that even mean...
The more William Merlin thought about it, the more his scalp tingled...
"What's wrong?" By now, Leon Merlin had completed the fusion of his Mana Runes. He stepped down from the altar with a smile, catching sight of William Merlin's dazed expression, and couldn't help but ask with a hint of amusement.
"N-nothing," William Merlin replied instinctively, shaking his head. But as he did, he couldn't help sneaking another glance at the young Mage.
He looked the same as always—calm, composed, that ever-present, faint smile on his face. Yet for some reason, standing before this young Mage, William Merlin felt as if he was facing not a man, but an insurmountable mountain...
"By the way, cousin, um... Did you finish your Bloodline Rite?"
"You could say that..." Leon Merlin smiled, offering no further explanation. He simply led William Merlin away from the empty temple.
"What do you mean, 'could say that'?" William Merlin followed, unable to stop himself from muttering inwardly.
Either it's done or it isn't—what kind of answer is 'could say that'?
Little did William Merlin know, even Leon Merlin himself wasn't sure whether the Bloodline Rite was truly complete...
Earlier, Leon Merlin had nearly exhausted all his strength to finally use the Mana Harness to suppress that drop of Destruction Dragon's Blood. Seizing the opportunity, he managed to merge all ten Mana Harnesses and step into the Mage realm in one fell swoop.
In that sense, Leon Merlin had indeed succeeded.
However, what was truly strange was that the Destruction Dragon's Blood hadn’t continued its rampage, nor had it disappeared—it had fused with the Mana Harness...
Now, the Mana Harness was in a bizarre state. Andrevar had already been residing within it, and now there was a drop of Destruction Dragon's Blood as well. Even Leon Merlin couldn’t say what state the Mana Harness was in.
After thinking it over, all he could do was wait for the Wheel of All Magic to be completed before worrying about it.
Once the Wheel of All Magic was done, Andrevar would have to find a new place to reside, and only then could Leon Merlin slowly study the Destruction Dragon's Blood.
By the time the two left the Merlin Family’s ancestral grounds, it was nearly dusk. Bathed in the setting sun, they walked along the winding mountain path, passed once more through the heavy mist, and returned to the shores of Falling Star Lake.
At that moment, neither Leon Merlin nor William Merlin could have known that, in one of the dozen guardian towers, more than twenty powerful Mages were gathered around a long table. The one sitting at the head of the table even radiated a faint aura of transcendence...
"Lord Barakra has spoken—we must uncover the identity of the family descendant who performed the Bloodline Rite today, no matter what..."
"Impossible. Lord Barakra hasn’t spoken in centuries. The last time was because of that monster, Thornton Merlin. By the way, does anyone know where Thornton Merlin is these days? He’s been wandering deep within the ancestral grounds for nearly two hundred years, hasn’t he?"
"Who knows? The last sighting was in the Blood Moon Plane, apparently searching for something..."
Wasn’t it the Shadow Plane last time? Now it’s the Blood Moon Plane? Damn, is Thornton Merlin trying to mingle with vampires or something?
Hard to say. Everyone knows Thornton Merlin’s mind has never been quite right...
"Enough, quiet down..." The elder radiating that hint of transcendence had been resting with his eyes closed. Only when the conversation had strayed too far did he finally cough and intervene: "Let’s focus on the young man from today. The magical fluctuations from the temple were felt by all of you—that was no ordinary Mage..."