Chapter 1434
A hapless undead mage happened to be caught within the area. His body was instantly purified by the power of Holy Light. The ashen earth was cleansed, and the piles of undead bones that had accumulated turned to dust, their deathly power forcibly expelled. That bone ash became the most fertile of all fertilizers.
Darkness was banished, death driven away. Within a hundred kilometers, the land returned to its former state. Beneath the earth, fresh blades of grass pushed up through the blackened soil, growing rapidly to full maturity, then withering and decaying once more. Seeds scattered across the earth, sprouting into even more vibrant grass.
In just a few seconds, patches of green emerged across the land within the fortress's hundred-kilometer radius. These lush colors spread like an unstoppable plague, transforming the entire region into a fertile grassland.
Life flourished, with not a trace of death remaining. It felt as though this place was once again the Leviathan Realm, as if it had become the most fertile Mesopotamian Plain of the Leviathan Realm.
The Holy Light slowly faded. Those who had been gravely wounded found their injuries completely healed. Even those infected by the Plague seemed to have their symptoms lessened.
One by one, the mages stared blankly at their own hands and at everything around them. They looked at the shattered fortress, and at the seemingly endless grassland outside—so full of life, so utterly devoid of death.
Everyone was stunned, unable to make sense of what had just happened. At the very center, Leon stood calmly, while Lord Shaun sat on his shoulder, his face filled with amazement.
“What a rare sight indeed. The life force and Holy Light of a Sky Mage, Seventh Rank, unleashed all at once—this power is absolutely comparable to a Tenth-Rank spell: Resurrection of Life...”
Leon, too, was filled with wonder. Among the branches of the rules of Light, only Holy Light is the purest. In the beginning, it was all healing and enhancement, never destruction. This outburst contained not a hint of destructive power.
Forcibly dispelling all death and darkness within a hundred kilometers, reviving the land and making it vibrant again. Even healed everyone's injuries and weakened the spread of the Plague. Many infected did not recover completely, but are much better than before.
But that's only for a Holy Light mage. If it were a Seventh Rank Sky Fire Mage, and both magic and life force erupted at once, hardly anyone would survive.
A group of powerful figures stood dumbfounded, exchanging glances, not knowing what had happened. All they saw was endless Holy Light, and then Nock was dead. Nock's demi-plane wasn't just shattered—it was utterly destroyed.
No one understood what happened, nor why it happened. All were shocked, staring at Leon at the center. Some even rubbed their eyes and cast a dozen mental protections, just in case they were seeing an illusion.
But what they saw was still Leon, standing there unscathed. Lord Shaun on his shoulder was also perfectly fine.
Why? Why is Nock dead, but Archmage Merlin is still alive?
How did Archmage Merlin do it? Damn it, wasn't Nock supposed to use his own demi-plane to smash Merlin's demi-plane?
What happened? Did that idiot Nock use his own demi-plane to collide with the Leviathan Realm? No, did he crash into the Undead Realm?
His demi-plane was directly destroyed. What on earth happened?
Is Archmage Merlin's demi-plane much stronger than Nock's? And not just a little stronger?
These people are considered well-informed, the most knowledgeable in Northend World. But now, they have no idea what happened.
A Seventh Rank Sky Mage used the safest method to suppress and kill a mage who, just months ago, was Fifth Rank and had just advanced to Sixth Rank. The outcome should have been obvious.
This kind of direct clash of ranks always ends with the lower-ranked mage being crushed. The higher-ranked mage will suffer some backlash, and their demi-plane won't be unscathed, but some damage is inevitable.
But the result was completely predictable.
This is a truth confirmed by Northend World's mages over countless years. No one has ever broken it. That's why, after Fifth Rank, every rank higher means a mage can easily defeat a lower-ranked mage.
Because Sky Rank is about understanding the rules. Each increase in rank means deeper insight. For Fire Mages, a Seventh Rank will always understand fire better than a Sixth Rank. In a head-on clash, the Sixth Rank will always lose.
But now, no one understands...
Leon looked as if he'd just watched a grand fireworks show, his complexion rosy and glowing, not even out of breath.
Leon briefly sensed his Natural Semi-Plane and was very satisfied. Everything inside was stable, the winds undisturbed, the mana flow only slightly faster than usual, and it quickly returned to calm.
Facing Nock's supposedly safest and most foolproof attack, Leon simply waited in place. When Nock charged, he summoned the projection of the Natural Semi-Plane and let Nock crash into it.
And so, the result was truly without suspense. First, countless Eternal Dark Gold fused into the Natural Semi-Plane for reinforcement, then the demi-plane transformed into the Heavenly Pillar Mountain to suppress it, with 108,000 runes of truth inscribed upon the Heavenly Pillar Mountain.
Plus seventy-two King's Pillars...
Earth, fire, water, and wind were stabilized, blue sky and white clouds—almost everything a real world should have was present.
Nock's demi-plane was like a floating island crashing into a real world—one that Leon had reinforced multiple times.
It was like an egg smashing against a pure steel mountain—unable to even shake the mountain, the egg destroyed itself first.
Looking at the scene, Leon sighed inwardly. Holy Light mages are truly admirable—except the Holy Light Alliance. Even in death, they bring benefits to everything within a certain range. Only Holy Light mages can do that.
After looking around, Leon found everyone staring at him blankly. He shrugged.
“Why are you all looking at me? Lord Nock suddenly understood the true meaning of Holy Light, repented for everything he’d done, and decided to express the true meaning of Holy Light with his life. I tried to stop him, but couldn’t…”
Before Leon finished speaking, the mages rolled their eyes and laughed dryly. Anyone who believed that was even dumber than a burrowing marmot.
Many people now looked at Leon with much more caution and respect.
Just a few months ago, he was a Fifth Rank Sky Mage. Now he’s Sixth Rank, and after facing a Seventh Rank mage’s suppression, he’s fine—his robe isn’t even wrinkled, and the Seventh Rank mage is dead.
Most importantly, within a thousand meters, there are over twenty Fifth Rank mages, several Sixth Rank, and two Seventh Rank—and none of them know what happened.
That’s the scariest part…
What happened right in front of them, yet they have no idea about the details. The unknown is always frightening.
Many mages’ backs were soaked in cold sweat. The Odin royal member who earlier thought Leon was doomed, and was thinking only of how to clean up the aftermath, now had a robe drenched in sweat.
As a Seventh Rank Sky Mage, cold sweat dripped from his chin, his eyes trembling, feeling icy all over. He was a rank above Leon, but now he couldn’t help but feel afraid when looking at him.
Just now, I think I heard Nock’s final words…
He said he crashed into a real world…
I must’ve misheard, I must’ve misheard…
Only gods and demons have a kingdom, more like a real world. A mage’s demi-plane can’t possibly resemble a real world.
If it’s true, then Archmage Merlin’s demi-plane is like a real world. Damn, a real world.
Yes, only this explanation fits why Nock died so miserably and Archmage Merlin is completely fine. Merlin is the reincarnation of a god or demon—a reincarnated deity.
That’s right, only a reincarnated deity could have such terrifying talent and advancement speed, and possess a divine kingdom, and even control it.
I must have misheard, yes, definitely misheard…
Standing at the back, Reeves glanced oddly at the Odin royal member—the sweat-soaked back was just too eye-catching.
Did the Grand Duke of Bauhinia just see something? He looks scared.
Damn, it must be something terrifying I can’t see. Lord Merlin is becoming more and more frightening—far more than I imagined. Maybe it’s already wrong to keep viewing him as before.
That reincarnated deity followed Lord Merlin back, and nothing has happened so far. Lord Merlin may be even more terrifying than a reincarnated deity.
How long has it been? He’s already advanced again. Hellish advancement speed. Are the rules for Lord Merlin just laid out plainly before him, with no obscurity or difficulty at all?
Damn, what did the Grand Duke of Bauhinia just see? He must have witnessed Lord Merlin shattering Nock’s demi-plane, and was frightened.
Earlier, I thought Lord Merlin was doomed. Now, it seems my judgment wasn’t as accurate as I believed.
I think Lord Merlin might become the next Great Astrologer, and the process will be much faster than I expected.
Nock is dead—a Seventh Rank Sky Mage died in humanity’s greatest fortress, almost turning it to ruins. Yet no one discusses it, nor cares how Nock died.
The rumor spreading is that Nock’s Plague infection became uncontrollable, so he displayed the last brilliance of a Holy Light mage, sacrificing himself to contribute his final strength and help other infected warriors.
As for why the fortress became ruins, why everyone inside almost died, and why several unlucky undead mages were purified to ashes—no one cares about these things…
At least, none of the strong talk about it. It’s as if it never happened—no one cares why.
But secretly, the Holy Light Alliance is in a bad spot. At least, the Blood Prayer is now a widely known secret—an uncovered conspiracy.
By the Northend World’s portal, when the Holy Light Alliance’s mad dogs tried another dirty trick, they were caught red-handed by the waiting royal members. The perpetrators were executed, and internal bloodshed broke out in the Alliance.
Except for a few top factions, everyone else just senses undercurrents but has no idea what’s really happening.