End of the Magic Era

Loud explosions echoed as a dozen Four Element Bombs fell towards the three Heaven Rank casting puppets every second. The fierce destructive elemental power already covered a few hundred meters but Lin Yun kept releasing Four Element Bombs without stopping.

The three casting puppets didn’t stop releasing spells, as if they didn’t care about their circumstances.

Suddenly, Lin Yun’s frantic spell casting came to a stop and he started chanting rapidly. The law runes erupting from the wheel shadow didn’t slow down, there was actually a ten times increase in their numbers.

The endless law runes condensed into a three-meter-big Law Runic Bomb in front of Lin Yun. After successfully condensing that law runic matrix, the Law Runic Bomb flew out.

In the air, the power of those law runes burst out and the matrix was like a devouring black hole, tearing and absorbing power from the void.

It looked like a multi-colored ray of light was trailing behind that Law Runic Bomb.

The three casting puppet’s silhouettes could be seen on the other side. They moved closer to each other and some of their components connected together. A radiant shield then appeared around them.

Lin Yun’s all-out Law Runic Bomb impacted their shield the next moment.

Sound instantly disappeared, because the medium disseminating sound, and even the Law of Sound, were distorted. Everything was torn apart, only leaving behind a terrifying sphere of chaotic energy slowly expanding.

By the time the energy sphere expanded to ten meters, it suddenly burst open. The terrifying shockwave spread to the entire square and the array’s radiance kept flickering. Mariana and her five apprentice brothers were sent flying. Their faces were covered in dirt after the fall.

And during that time, the scales shadow under Lin Yun, the Purple Dragon’s shadow, the wheel shadow, and even the spell wheel’s shadow, all disappeared.

Lin Yun’s mana fluctuation rapidly dissipated, and he returned to being an ordinary person within a few seconds.

The dust and fragments that were sent flying started falling down, alongside various scrap-like puppet fragments.

On the edge of the square, the six Sword Saints foolishly looked at the scene before their eyes and gulped.

The dust settled and fragments of puppets could be seen spread all over the square. Most of the components had been deformed as if they suffered some kind of acidic corrosion or had been left in the desert for a few millennia and suffered from erosion.

After the dust and fragments fell down, everyone could see that the ground, which had been reinforced countless times and had remained untouched after all of their attacks, had a several-dozen-meter-big hole. From the edges of the hole, they could see that the earth had been reinforced up to seven meters, but it was still destroyed.

Three twisted bodies could be seen in the hole. One of the Heaven Puppet had already been blown up in half and was continuously shaking, its scarlet crystal eyes were still flickering.

After a few seconds, the other two puppets’ crystal eyes lost their radiance due to their mana reactors being shattered.

Only the puppet with a distorted body had yet to die.

Lin Yun calmly walked towards the hole. In the distance, Mariana and the others became increasingly paler. They weren’t afraid of those puppets, but they were completely terrified by Lin Yun.

Mariana’s mouth was trembling, and her hand holding her sword was shaking.

‘Heavens… Is that guy really a 9th Rank Archmage? Thirty seconds… It took him less than thirty seconds to get rid of all level 39 puppets and three Heaven Puppets!

‘I must be dreaming… It’s impossible for someone of the same rank to be so much more powerful… This is what Sir Abbot said, I’m the strongest under the Heaven Rank…

‘But this is too ridiculous. A 9th Rank Archmage, he is just a 9th Rank Archmage!

‘Heavens, the outside world is too dangerous, there is actually someone stronger than me…’

And next to Mariana, a horrified and stunned young Sword Saint asked in disbelief, “Senior apprentice sister, what just happened? What’s going on?”

In the distance, Laibo took advantage of Lin Yun’s burst to behead that four-arms puppet. His Song of Sacrifice then pierced through the puppet’s mana reactor and ended the battle.

Laibo’s expression flickered. He was utterly shocked, but he kept a calm expression, showing that he already knew what the outcome would have been.

He walked up to his six junior apprentices brothers and sister and sighed in relief after seeing that they were uninjured. His expression then turned cold as he fiercely glared at Constantine.

‘That spoiled brat didn’t listen to Sir Mafa’s instructions. Good, he encountered this kind of danger as a result of his actions.

‘If not because Sir Mafa wanted to scare these kids, they would have already died. I might have also died here.

‘But Sir Mafa is really powerful. The powerhouses among mages are really stronger than Sword Saints. Especially in this kind of circumstances, a mage is simply unequalled.

Laibo watched Lin Yun moving towards the hole, seemingly planning on gathering something. Laibo stood silently, calmly waiting.

Lin Yun walked down the hole and watched the two dead puppets. The ability runes embedded in their arms already lost their luster. This showed that the puppet’s mana had already disappeared.

He didn’t find anything abnormal after dismantling, but the crystal eyes of the distorted puppet that had yet to die were frantically flashing as it wanted to counterattack. It just didn’t have the power.

The huge explosive force already destroyed its energy circuit and weapon system. Even its key components were completely distorted and it couldn’t move its body.

But after its outer shell was dismantled, Lin Yun discovered that its ability rune was still operating. Moreover, some special energy circuits that didn’t come from this puppet’s frame spread out of the ability rune and were linked to the puppet’s mana reactor.

Seeing this, Lin Yun was startled.

‘Heavens, this ability rune has been transplanted! It was transplanted from another puppet!

‘This circuit, this technique, and this special symbol. Damn, this is the helix circuit researched by Bill George, and the contactless energy transmission structure!’

Seeing this thing, Lin Yun immediately sealed this Heaven Puppet and preserved it.

This time, Lin Yun understood why the transplanting technique that had yet to be researched could be seen in this place.

It was because that technique had simply been lost. Why else would the formidable puppeteers of the peak of the Magic Era dedicate so much effort in researching Bill George’s ruins?

This ruins was not only connected to the puppet base found in the Raging Flame Plane, it had a very strong connection, because it was also a ruins left behind by Bill George!

The helix circuit structure would be researched in the future, and so would the contactless energy transmission structure.

Lin Yun knew five of these kinds of contactless energy transmission structures, they had all been researched during the peak of Noscent.

But the one before his eyes was completely different. It didn’t appear in the future, it was a combination of that kind of structure and the helix circuit.

It could allow the transplant of ability runes!

This was the best specimen. If not because he had wanted to explode the puppets, he might have been unable to discover this, that kind of contactless energy structure wouldn’t have been discovered in dismantled puppet.

It could only be seen when the puppet was completely torn apart. Another alchemist might not discover such a thing.

Lin Yun left the hole after putting away the puppet.

Seeing Lin Yun walking over, Laibo walked to Constantine with a dark expression and picked him up from the ground before carrying him in front of Lin Yun. He then fiercely threw him on the ground.

Constantine was about to speak when Laibo kicked his legs. With a snap, Constantine was forced into a kneeling position.

“Constantine, what is the 383th rule of our Secret Monastery? Recite it loudly.”

Constantine struggled, trying to stand up, but he was pressured by Laibo’s Aura. Hearing Laibo’s words, his expression suddenly changed and he loudly recited, “When not understanding something, you have to humbly ask those with knowledge. You cannot recklessly interfere in something you don’t understand.”

“What is the 18th rule!”

“Putting one’s companion in danger due to impulsiveness and stupidity is the most wretched behavior.”

Laibo had an ashen complexion. Mariana lowered her head and remained silent.

The Secret Monastery’s rules had the highest importance. Even the Abbot had to abide by these rules. Those that didn’t complain would definitely be properly punished. Even the Abbot once punished himself because he broke a rule.

Laibo’s complexion didn’t change as he stared at Constantine.

“Constantine, what kind of punishment should you receive, speak for yourself.”

Constantine’s eyes were red, but when faced with the rules, he could only remain well-behaved and admit his wrongdoings.

“Seal my Aura and cut three thousand Iron Trees in the Secret Monastery. Every tree has to have the same dimension.

“Seal my Aura and enter the sleepless ground for three years to face three years of punishment…”

Mariana couldn’t bear it when she heard the punishment and her face turned pale.

‘There can’t be more than a fingertip-length difference between three thousand iron trees, failures aren’t counted. It would take at least three years to accomplish that with his Aura sealed…

‘Staying in the damned sleepless ground for three months would be enough to make anyone go insane. The senior apprentice brother that once killed a disciple of the monastery was sentenced to remain in the sleepless ground for ten years, but he collapsed after a year and killed himself.

‘Three years… Constantine will die…’

After Constantine was done speaking, his face was thoroughly devoid of color, but he didn’t dare to ask for leniency.

Then, Laibo’s expression eased up a little and he looked at Lin Yun.

“Constantine, do you know what would have happened if not for Sir Mafa helping you in spite of your distasteful actions? Not only would you have died here, even I could have died here.

“You are all the most important disciples the Secret Monastery nurtured in this generation. If you all died alongside me, then if the monastery met a powerful enemy, the inheritance of our monastery might have thoroughly perished.

“And this would have all been because you thought yourself clever and made a move that harmed everyone.

“According to our Secret Monastery’s rules, I made you kneel in front of Sir Mafa so that you could apologize, do you refuse to comply?

“Do you refuse to accept your own punishment upon return?”

Constantine lowered his head, gritted his teeth and kowtowed in front of Lin Yun before loudly shouting, “I accept. I’ll willingly receive any punishment!”

Laibo’s tense expression slightly relaxed. He turned towards Lin Yun and faintly bowed, “Sir Mafa, I really have to thank you for your help. This happened because our Secret Monastery didn’t teach our disciples properly. I apologize and thank you for your selfless assistance in saving my junior apprentice brothers and junior apprentice sister.”

Lin Yun shook his head, not caring too much about this matter. He had just wanted to scare them. After all, he needed their help to crack the array. If they all died there, he would have wasted these past two days.

If not for this, he might have not discovered the secrets of the Heaven Puppets and might have missed that lost technique. This was enough.

Moreover, Lin Yun was looking forward to what was in the easternmost part of the ruins, because this was definitely a ruins left behind by Bill George.

And the Reedpush Plate being here was a lot more believable, because Bill George was a relatively mysterious existence, even in the future. Most of his ruins discovered in the future were small ruins, and most of the artifacts discovered were small things, there was nothing out of the ordinary.

The ruins where Bill George truly researched alchemy hadn’t been found by the time Noscent perished. Many legendary techniques had become lost, only leaving names behind.

Lin Yun’s mind was focused on how to crack the easternmost array. He naturally wasn’t paying attention to Constantine’s matters.

In any case, this matter has already been settled.

After the puppets were all eliminated, the door of light in the depths of the square emitted rays of light and the rays of light turned into a vortex, showing that the entrance was thoroughly opened.

Lin Yun and Laibo took the lead in crossing the light vortex and left this trial ground. Mariana and the others followed closely behind them.

Constantine lowered his head, his eyes red as he fiercely looked at the door of light and loudly ground his teeth.

‘Mafa Merlin! It’s all because of that damned guy. Senior apprentice brother Laibo wouldn’t have scolded me if not for him, nor would he have used the rules against me!

‘That damned guy is obviously powerful but he didn’t want to make a move and insisted on escaping by cracking the array.

‘Mariana had been in danger! If not for me, she might have already died, yet that guy was completely indifferent, he doesn’t care about our lives.

‘Why didn’t he say that the door of light wasn’t fully open? He did it on purpose to force us to act!

‘That damned guy. I want to pierce his throat with my sword, but he is too powerful…

‘It doesn’t matter, he might be powerful but he is only a 9th Rank Archmage. I am the most talented disciple of our Secret Monastery in the past few centuries, I’ll definitely advance to the Heaven Rank. He won’t be my opponent once I advance.

‘Sir Abbot said that my future accomplishments would be greater than senior apprentice brother Laibo. Senior apprentice brother Laibo might not be Mafa Merlin’s opponent, but he’ll definitely be my stepping stone.

‘Since senior apprentice brother Laibo already spoke, I’ll have to accept my punishment upon returning. Those damned Iron Trees are harder than steel and cutting them is a torture… But I have to cut over a thousand…

‘I definitely don’t want to go to that damned sleepless ground, it would make me go insane. I must advance to the Heaven Rank before I return. Only that way could I make the Abbot absolve me of my punishment.

‘I must step on that damned Mafa Merlin!’

Constantine stomped on the ground before entering the vortex of light.

After he emerged, Laibo approached and told him, “Constantine, why did you take so long?”

Constantine’s eyelids twitched and he promptly lied, “I was picking up a puppet’s fragment so that I can put it on my table upon my return and engrave this lesson in my memory.”

Laibo shook his head and sighed.

“Constantine, do you know why you were sent to get some experience in the outside world? It was to temper your attitude. Learning from experiences is a good thing.

“I believe that you can advance to the Heaven Rank after you return and accept your punishment, this will be a good lesson…”

Constantine lowered his head and remained silent. He couldn’t help getting angry as he looked at Lin Yun, but the gap in strength was too vast and he was afraid that Lin Yun would sense his gaze.

‘There is nothing I can do, I can only endure silently…’

After rescuing Mariana, all of Laibo’s juniors had been saved. It was now time for Laibo to fulfill his side of the deal and help Lin Yun crack that array.

Since Lin Yun had learnt of the ability rune transplant secret in the trial ground, Lin Yun’s interest was no longer limited to the easternmost array.

There was enough time, so he checked some of the relatively important locations on the map.

He didn’t find important information, but he found the dilapidated notes of two of the workers.

Reading these notes, Lin Yun’s doubts cleared up.