Chapter 1260
Suddenly, a faint crack appeared on the Gate of Rebirth. The massive door slowly split open, revealing a glimpse of a world bathed in light beyond the fissure.
A seven-colored skull floated forward, and beneath it, bones of the same iridescent hue began to grow. Once the skeleton was formed, flesh and blood rapidly gathered upon it. Soon, as the skin restored itself, Leon hovered there with his eyes closed. His appearance remained unchanged, but his skin radiated a subtle glow, and his hair fell like the smoothest silk.
His body's proportions became perfectly harmonious, enveloped in a layer of mysterious brilliance. It was as if a flawless version of Leon—identical in appearance, but utterly without blemish—had been created behind the Gate of Rebirth.
Suddenly, Leon slowly opened his eyes. Countless energies surged around his body, and a simple mage robe coalesced upon him. On its sleeve, a seven-colored wheel emblem gradually appeared.
Leon stepped out from that radiant void, and the Gate of Rebirth swung open.
The moment Leon emerged from the Gate of Rebirth, it was as if every light in the world was compelled to converge upon him.
As Leon walked forward, the Gate of Rebirth slowly closed behind him, dissolving into a cascade of seven-colored light.
Leon stood upon the ground, a dense aura of transcendental power radiating from him. The surrounding space seemed to twist and distort, and simply by standing there, he appeared to become the very center of the world.
For several eerie seconds, there was utter silence. Then, the eight Alchemical Golems abruptly resumed their frenzied assault, their perfectly coordinated attacks once again descending upon Leon.
But all attacks were stopped three meters away from Leon; a brand new shield materialized before him.
Mana Shield, Elemental Shield, Rune Shield—after advancing to Sky Rank, these merge into a new Fusion Shield, far stronger than even the most powerful Rule Rune Shield of a Title Archmage.
When Leon was a Ninth-Rank Title Archmage, he had already evolved all his runes into Rule Rune Shields. Now, his Fusion Shield is a Rule Fusion Shield—a feat nearly impossible for even first-level Sky Rank mages.
Normally, after advancing to Sky Rank, a mage must first combine all their runes into Rule Runes. Only at Sky Rank Level 2 can one further evolve their Elemental Shield using their newly comprehended laws.
Eventually, the Mana Shield, Elemental Shield, and Rule Rune Shield are merged into one. For most first-level Sky Rank mages, this Fusion Shield is simply a combination of those three shields.
Leon, protected by his Rule Fusion Shield, stood motionless. Every attack that struck the shield was like raindrops falling on a calm lake, stirring only the faintest ripple—utterly ineffective.
The four-colored Rule Fusion Shield resembled a thin, translucent sphere of light, encasing Leon within.
In the distance, Raymond and the others—who had already resigned themselves to death—were left utterly dumbfounded.
"Archmage Leon, did he... did he break through to Sky Rank? My god, he's so strong!"
Wasn't Archmage Leon just torn to pieces moments ago, his body nowhere to be found? How did he suddenly reappear, and not only that—he's now a Sky Rank mage, and he's already mastered the Rule Fusion Shield, perfectly adapted to transcendental power...
He only broke through to Sky Rank, so why has he suddenly become so much stronger? What on earth is that ancient-looking gate? My god, even the combined assault of those eight Alchemical Golems can't shake Archmage Leon's shield!
Even the Heartpiercer Golem couldn't make Archmage Leon's shield so much as tremble...
For half a minute, the Alchemical Golems attacked in waves, but Leon's expression remained utterly calm.
"As thanks for helping me break through to Sky Rank, I'll preserve you all perfectly as part of my collection. Your Innate Runes—I’ll gladly accept them."
These Alchemical Golems had already awakened intelligence, so they understood exactly what Leon meant. Hearing his words, their attacks grew even more frenzied. The Heartpiercer Golem instantly went all out, stabbing its dagger fiercely into Leon's Rule Fusion Shield.
But the effect was like a larger raindrop falling onto a calm lake—the ripple was only slightly bigger, and there was no hope of breaking through Leon's new shield.
Seeing its attack fail, the Heartpiercer Golem immediately tried to retreat. The Ironwall Golem moved to cover it, raising its massive tower shield. If the Heartpiercer Golem could just take a few steps back, it would be protected by the Ironwall Golem's shield.
But in an instant, Leon simply took a step forward—almost as if he had teleported—and placed a hand on the Heartpiercer Golem's shoulder.
Immediately, a terrifying surge of transcendental power erupted—far beyond what a typical first-level Sky Rank could muster—instantly engulfing the Heartpiercer Golem.
The Heartpiercer Golem, whose defenses were only marginally stronger than those of a level thirty-nine Alchemical Golem, was like paper before Leon's transcendental power, utterly unable to resist its onslaught.
A terrifying surge of transcendental power instantly pierced every gap in the Heartpiercer Golem’s body, sealing off all its energy channels. Every component froze in place as if encased in ice.
The Heartpiercer Golem’s crimson crystal eyes still flickered, but its body was completely rigid, unable to release even a trace of energy.
In an instant, Leon sealed the Heartpiercer Golem. With his other hand, he gestured toward the Ironwall Golem, which was just three meters away.
Countless Law Sigils surged forth, each one infused with a torrent of transcendental power.
In an instant, these Law Sigils coalesced into a perfect advanced Law Sigil framework. But now, empowered by transcendental power, it was no longer just a framework—within moments, it became a true Advanced Law Sigil, composed of at least dozens of rule runes.
A wind blade over a meter long materialized, radiating a dense transcendental aura. It sliced gently toward the silver tower shield held by the Ironwall Golem.
That tower shield, which had previously withstood countless of Leon’s spells, now seemed to lose its formidable defense. In an instant, the wind blade cut it cleanly in two, the surface of the cut as smooth as a mirror.
After slicing through the Ironwall Golem’s tower shield, the wind blade exploded, dispersing into a cloud of Law Sigils.
Even if the Advanced Law Sigil only existed for a fleeting moment with the aid of transcendental power, the force it unleashed was that of a true Advanced Law Sigil—not just a framework borrowing a trace of its power, as before.