Chapter 1375
After Anderfa condensed, the left face exclaimed in amazement.
"Hahaha, it worked, it really worked! I feel so powerful now, taking down that fool Shaun would be a piece of cake..."
The right face looked bitter.
"This is way too ugly, way too flashy. My whole body is turning multicolored, and now there's a horn growing from my head. Though it's a little better looking than a unicorn's horn..."
Anderfa's three faces completely changed, now formed of converging light, with a seven-colored crystal-like horn on his forehead.
Both side faces were sighing and complaining, but the middle face looked strange.
"Damn it, Merlin, I think my intelligence has increased. These two idiots seem to have developed a bit of independent thought..."
Immediately, the left and right faces became unhappy.
"Independent or not, you're just too stupid. That's why you were suppressed by Lord Shaun, that fool. Haven't you seen that Theodorus has already become the embodiment of a transcendent magical artifact? Now even Lord Shaun is transcendent, and you still think it's bad..."
"Exactly! Sure, I look uglier and way too flashy now, but strength is all that matters..."
Listening to Anderson's three faces bickering, Leon was a bit stunned. Anderson always had three faces, but before, they shared a single consciousness—almost no independence at all. It just looked like three faces, not three separate minds...
But now, it seemed like each face had its own independent, yet interconnected consciousness. It was as if there were three minds. Who knows if that's good or bad? If these three start arguing in the middle of a fight, things could get pretty interesting...
Leon didn't say it out loud, but he understood—Anderson was still Anderson. Strictly speaking, only his wisdom had increased, which meant he could wield the power of the Arcane Wheel even better.
Anderson's aura had already leaked out once, so it didn't matter anymore. A newly forged transcendent magical artifact, one that had devoured the mana of Northend World and now bore its imprint—at this point, nothing else mattered.
Leon dismantled the nearly-collapsing Sky Rank Alchemy Array. Instantly, the entire castle shattered into countless fragments, which then disintegrated to dust. Only a few particles fell to the ground, leaving behind a barren patch of earth—the castle had completely vanished.
During the earlier impact, the castle had already been forcefully obliterated. What remained was just the shape preserved by the Sky Rank Alchemy Array.
Leaving the empty ground behind, the group was already waiting outside. Leon led the way, the dazzling Arcane Wheel floating beside him, with Anderson hovering above it.
When Anderson appeared, Lord Shaun, who'd been feeling a bit jealous, burst into wild laughter.
"Hahaha, Anderson, I never thought you'd end up like this! You look just like a horny chameleon—oh, damn, no, you're way more dazzling than a chameleon now. Pretty impressive! Look at that horn, maybe you've got some crystal unicorn blood in you..."
With just one sentence, all three of Anderson's faces darkened at once.
"Shaun, you idiot, you're just jealous! Come on, come here—let me show you the power of Lord Anderson!"
"Shaun, you're just jealous! No matter how ugly I get, I'm still way better looking than you!"
"Damn it, Shaun, are you asking for a beating again?"
Anderson's three faces launched a barrage of insults, leaving Lord Shaun stunned. In that instant, Shaun realized these faces were different now—each had a completely distinct personality.
For two uninterrupted minutes, Shaun was bombarded by insults from all three faces—seamlessly, without a hint of awkwardness. Only then did he roar in anger, flying up with claws flashing and a strange soul power, swiping fiercely at Anderson's left face.
A shimmer of light flashed as Shaun's claws collided with the halo, the light exploding as two terrifying powers clashed—transcendent energies rippling out instantly.
The next second, Shaun spun through the air, thrown backwards. After landing, he didn't attack again, his eyes now full of wary suspicion.
"Damn it, you bastard! No wonder you're so cocky—you can actually block my power now, even defend against soul attacks!"
It wasn't just Shaun who was surprised; Leon was a bit taken aback too. Shaun's attack looked ordinary, but it was a direct assault on the soul. Even a fully prepared Sky Rank mage would have their soul easily torn apart by Shaun.
But that kind of power was useless against Anderson. As the avatar of a magical artifact, Anderson was essentially a soul-based entity—one that couldn't wield soul power, yet could defend against soul attacks. A paradoxical existence that shouldn't even be possible...
That was probably the benefit of this new birth—a naturally transcendent magical artifact, a transcendent avatar, whose potential power couldn't be measured.
And with this power, Anderson would only get stronger, both in offense and defense. That was a good thing—after all, the Arcane Wheel was the most important artifact.
Leon shook his head.
"Alright, that's enough. We leaked a bit of magical fluctuation just now—people are bound to notice. No one will guess a transcendent artifact was born here from just a trace, but if word gets out, it'll be trouble. Let's get out of here."
With Leon's words, everyone fell silent. Lord Shaun glared, baring his teeth at Anderson, while all three of Anderson's faces grinned with smug pride.
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Leon summoned back the alchemical golems stationed here, leaving only those meant to guard the farm. After a few words with the manager, he quietly led his people away.
Within half an hour, a powerful aura appeared in the manor. There were plenty of people cleaning up the aftermath inside, but the strongest among them was just a magus. After all, this was only a manor focused on farming, growing nothing rare. Even the materials here were mostly low-grade, not worth protecting with strong forces. The presence of a magus was only because the place was so large.
Suddenly faced with the aura of a Sky Rank expert, the weaker ones fainted instantly. Seeing several people collapse, the newly arrived Sky Rank mage quickly restrained his power—he was here to ask questions, and if everyone fainted, who would he ask?
"Do any of you know what just happened here? What exactly went on?"
A Sky Rank level-six expert hovered in midair, and the magus's face turned white with fear, his body trembling uncontrollably. Hearing the question, he blurted out the truth without even thinking.
"Reporting, my lord, I have no idea what happened. Suddenly, huge black clouds appeared in the sky, carrying a terrifying aura, and then lightning struck. Our manor's castle was hit by a massive bolt and just vanished, leaving only ashes...
My lord, I truly don't know what happened. I don't even know how to report this to my superiors—the things destroyed in the castle, and a bunch of freshly harvested materials..."
The magus was telling the truth—well, the truth Shaun had personally edited. The magus genuinely believed this version, with no memory of Leon ever being here.
A newly born transcendent magical artifact, infused with the imprint of three worlds—something that had never happened before. The moment its aura leaked out, Leon knew it would cause a huge stir, just not this big. Within half an hour, the entire Odin Kingdom would know.
Even though the eruption lasted only a dozen seconds, any powerful being who felt that aura would come to investigate personally. When something like this happens, it's either a powerful exotic creature breaking through, something extraordinary being born, or a legendary relic emerging.
If anyone tracked it down—whether or not they knew about the transcendent artifact—they wouldn't give up easily. That would be a real headache.
If a transcendent magical artifact was born here, it would absolutely spark a Sky Rank war. Even level-seven or eight Sky Rank experts couldn't resist such temptation.
After all, a newly forged transcendent magical artifact—especially a naturally transcendent one—meant anyone could use it. People wouldn't know it was fully attuned to Leon and custom-made...
A level-three Sky Rank bloodline warlock who had fused with a Lava Dragon’s bloodline—when he could no longer advance, he’d have to hunt down a level-four Sky Rank Lava Dragon and fuse its bloodline to have a slim chance at progressing.
This method is a paradox in itself. For a level-three Sky Rank bloodline warlock to defeat a level-four Sky Rank Lava Dragon is nearly impossible. The higher the rank, the lower the success rate—almost negligible.
Moreover, this approach has a hard limit, directly tied to the warlock’s bloodline compatibility. Once they reach this limit, there’s no further advancement.
No real potential, and far too many lunatics. Plus, it’s a massive headache. Even if such a faction offered themselves, Leon Merlin wouldn’t want them—it’s a waste of time and energy.
Ever since his mage legion began comprehending the rules, their advancement sped up. Once all fifty legion mages reach Sky Rank, the legion alone will be enough for any battle except those involving the very strongest.
A legion of true Sky Rank mages would unleash power that would shock all of Northend World. At that point, mage legions will surely become the focus of every faction’s cultivation.
Leon Merlin hurried away, unwilling to keep entangling with Lord Max. Yet the other party placed himself so low, his attitude not only respectful but humble.
Upon arrival, he first apologized for the previous incident, offering a pile of precious materials to make up for the losses. Then he brought up pledging loyalty, making it impossible for Leon Merlin to say anything harsh.
For days on end, Sky Rank experts kept flying overhead, but as time passed and no one found anything useful, their enthusiasm gradually faded.
After so many days, even if there had been something valuable, it was probably long gone. No point in searching any further.
Gradually, some factions withdrew, though a few stubborn ones kept investigating. Leon wasn't too bothered by them.
He'd just acquired a transcendent magical artifact perfectly attuned to himself, but Leon barely had a few days to enjoy it before trouble arrived—the Thorned Crown had come knocking...
"Lord Merlin, we swore loyalty to you before—how could we break our word? Besides, we pledged with both soul and mana. Even if you drive us away, Lord Merlin, we're still your subordinates..."
Max looked earnest, his attitude humble but full of confidence.
Leon just frowned, not saying a word, feeling a headache coming on.
This is irrelevant to the story and can be skipped.
Damn, these guys are a real pain. They found the Gilded Rose so quickly! It's the largest bloodline transplant human faction in Northend World, and now they're chasing me down to pledge loyalty? Max has lost it—and the rest of Thorned Crown has gone crazy with him...
Over the years, mages and warlocks with transplanted bloodlines haven't had it easy. Only the bloodline swordsages fare a little better, but even they are just cannon fodder on the front lines of planar conquest.
If those guys lose control of their bloodline, they're like berserk warriors—everyone around them becomes a target, and they're only good for cannon fodder.
Thorned Crown has pretty much gathered all the transplanted bloodline mages and warlocks. They want to defect to me—did they all agree to this? Are they all nuts?
Haven't these guys caused enough trouble already? And they'll make things even worse in the future. No real prospects, no real use—bringing them in would just mean more headaches.
"Lord Max, all I want is for you not to leak information about that plane. As for the rest, I've never asked anyone from Thorned Crown to pledge loyalty to me. The Gilded Rose is just a small faction—it can't handle a behemoth like Thorned Crown.
From now on, don't say things like that again. If Lord Max wants to buy something at the Gilded Rose, you can check out the shop. If you see anything you like, I'll give you a discount.
I've got an important alchemy experiment to run. Lord Max, feel free to browse—I've already given instructions."
With that, Leon hurried off, determined not to get tangled up with Thorned Crown. Their reputation was bad enough, and there were too many lunatics—disaster was inevitable.
Plus, transplanting the bloodlines of exotic creatures is inherently dangerous. Each individual and each bloodline is unique—there's no standard procedure. Every transplant requires new research to ensure the best fit, minimal side effects, and the highest chance of success.
But even with the best match, failure is still possible. Failure usually means death or total loss of power—rarely anything better.
With such a high failure rate, and the added risk of exotic bloodline transplants, it's already been deemed a failed path for the future—a mistake. Those who go down this road have almost no prospects.
Even at Northend World's peak, the strongest mage with an exotic bloodline transplant only reached Sky Rank nine—and there was only one.
Very few ever surpassed Sky Rank five. For bloodline warlocks, if they had the right bloodline and kept strengthening it with similar sources, surpassing Sky Rank five was a bit easier—but even then, no real potential.