Chapter 1034 - 787: Decennial Celebration

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"I guess you must not have eradicated all the Star Devourers," Isrile said as she handed the report to the elder seated in the floating chair.

"This! This is impossible! It clearly escaped back into the fissure!" the elder exclaimed in shock.

"Although I do not know what exactly happened at the beginning, it seems that things did not go as you had imagined," Ruosha said.

"This is a Star Devourer. Whether it’s the size or the directions of the ravines on its body, I can assert that it is definitely a Star Devourer!" the elder yelled, agitated.

"You once said that Star Devourers have no intelligence and would devour other planets recklessly. But why is this Star Devourer lying dormant? And it appears to be nurturing spies, doesn’t it?" Ruosha asked.

The elder sat down dejectedly in his chair, his eyes filled with fear. For if this truly was a Star Devourer, the Balance Church now had no means to stop it!

"If it lies dormant here of its own will, then it must have a grander scheme in mind, perhaps to cause a larger spatial rupture to open in this world. Then, for now, we are still safe. But if it’s dormant because someone compelled it to be so—like the inhabitants living on its body—then I think we should start with them and find out what they are up to!" Ruosha said.

Ruosha and Isrile returned to the middle plane, and the silver battleship withdrew from here.

When the Azure Sky Emperor and Hong En Emperor learned from Ruosha and Isrile that such a terrifying thing was lurking in their midst, they were immediately stunned and scared out of their wits.

And to solve this problem, speed was key!

At this point, the psychic spells Little Zi had learned played a significant role.

All scientists associated with that planet were controlled by psychic spells, brought unawares to a secret location. Under the influence of a series of psychic spells, a shocking truth emerged.

It turned out that those scientists were not the original inhabitants of that planet, but were abducted from other planets. They were brainwashed, indoctrinated with new knowledge, and sworn to make all the nations in the universe appreciate the benefits of exploring interdimensional fissures.

"In the end, it all comes back to that planet," Ruosha said.

Ruosha, Isrile, the Azure Sky Emperor, and the Hong En Emperor now sat together in a secret meeting room, isolated from everything else. No sound or magic could be transmitted here, and no one knew what they were discussing.

"Our secret investigation might soon be exposed, so if we are to do anything, it’s best we do it now. Otherwise, if we wait for a reaction from the other side, we might have no chance," Isrile said.

"What should we do?" the Azure Sky Emperor and Hong En Emperor asked almost in unison. As emperors, they had never felt as powerless as they did now. Not long ago, they prided themselves on being the first and second most powerful nations in this plane. But in the face of the Black Iron battleships, they had no chance of fighting back. And now, they learned that a group of Star Devourers was menacingly eyeing the fissures in their plane!

The huge psychological gap made it difficult for them to adapt, and they could only instinctively rely on Ruosha and Isrile.

"First, we need to figure out the composition of that planet, then swiftly apprehend anyone related to it, and finally, leave that Star Devourer to me," Ruosha said.

"Then, when do we act?" the two emperors asked.

"Now!"

The seed of the tree was found once again, and the news brought excitement to the entire Ancient Mage Tower. Naturally, Long Yi was credited for this feat, and Elma, who considered Long Yi one of her own, was even happier.

Lately, the power struggle between Elma and Solis had almost reached a climax, although it was never brought to the surface. But nearly every high-ranking member knew that choosing the wrong side at this time could be fatal.

However, it just so happened to be the ten-year celebration of the Ancient Mage Tower. Every ten years, the Ancient Mage Tower would hold an internal celebration where mages showcased their latest research. A grand contest would also be held, where the strongest mage within the tower would be determined. This honor came with a substantial ultimate reward, which every combat-savvy mage would strive to win.

This year was no exception.

Long Yi had registered early, always having a great enthusiasm for battle.

However, there were rules to these matches, and the most important one was that only magic was to be used in these fights.

After all, in the Ancient Mage Tower, it was the power of magic that was the only pursuit.

So although Long Yi was well-known for his combat prowess, the mage standing opposite him in the arena did not take him seriously.

"Long Yi, I advise you to step down yourself. This is a mage duel. I admit your martial skills are strong, your Fighting Aura sharp, and your Cosmic Stone Greatsword immensely powerful. It’s a pity, though, that we are competing in magic, and you are no match for me in that," the opposing mage yelled, inciting laughter from the spectators around.

"Whether or not that is true, is not for you to say—come and try," Long Yi retorted, beckoning the other man with a hand gesture. Without hesitation, the man drew a wand from his private space, its tip adorned with a luminously splendid Cosmic Stone.

"Arcane Bombardment!"

A massive magical missile with a diameter of several dozen meters plummeted straight from the sky!

Boom!

The terrifying explosion shook the ground, and the surrounding runic barriers prevented the spread of the explosion of the magical spell.

"You’ve lost!"

The mage shouted triumphantly, to the cheers of the surrounding crowd.

"Have I?"

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Long Yi’s voice suddenly came through as the light dispersed, and he was seen holding up the Cosmic Stone shield with one hand, looking at his opponent with an amused expression.

"Although that was somewhat unexpected, your attack still lacked power."

As Long Yi spoke, Runes swirled around the Cosmic Stone shield.

"Arcane Bombardment!"

The exact same Magic as the Mage, but this time, three huge, dozens of meters long magic missiles fell from the sky in succession! And each of the magic missiles was even burning with raging flames!

Explosions with huge mushroom clouds followed, and the continuous shaking left the people around speechless in astonishment. When the flames dispersed, the Mage from before was lying on the ground, with large areas of his clothes burned, muttering indistinctly, unable to be understood.

Around there was a silence, which made Long Yi feel uncomfortable. Clearly, this was not his home turf; the people of the Ancient Mage Tower did not like Surface-dwellers, especially those whose authority was mysteriously higher than theirs.

Next, Long Yi’s opponent was a Guardian of the Ancient Mage Tower, whose eyes held no contempt. But neither could one see any trace of regard. Before the battle even started, the Guardian spoke first, "I am aware of what happened in the Underground City, so I certainly won’t underestimate you."

Was there a hidden meaning in his words, suggesting he knew about the attack on Long Yi?

"Whether you underestimate me or not, it won’t stop you from losing to me," said Long Yi with a smile, beckoning to him as the Cosmic Stone shield transformed into a Cosmic Stone staff.

"Ethereal Light Shield! Burst Cast! Tenfold Cast!"

Right from the beginning, the Guardian of the Ancient Mage Tower buffed himself with enhancement Magic, moved into position, and opened with a Thunderstrike spell. And under the influence of the tenfold casting buff, the single Thunderstrike became ten separate arcs of electricity!

Tenfold Cast could make the next three spells emanate tenfold power, but it would reduce the casting speed. This spell required precise calculation.

Long Yi was struck by Thunderstrike, and although his Mana shield reduced the damage, the tenfold electrical arcs still left his body uncontrollably stiff.

"Gravity Trap!"

Three black crystals materialized out of nowhere, trapping Long Yi in the center, and almost simultaneously, twenty-seven more black crystals appeared! Long Yi was even more immobilized!

"Ice Seal Barrier!"

A dreadful chill gushed from the ground, and Long Yi, already stiff, found himself even less able to break free. As the tenfold chill surged continuously, Long Yi, attempting to turn, was frozen solid!

"Spatial Rupture!"

This was the final spell, and also the most time-consuming one, requiring a total of five seconds from the start of casting until its release. Therefore, the opponent had cast a series of powerful restraining spells on Long Yi in a row. By the end, he could release the Spatial Rupture with ease!

Meanwhile, the surrounding crowd had already begun to cheer! Some even started a countdown!

"Five!"

"Four!"

"Three!"

"Two!"

"One!"

Boom!

A pitch-black Spatial Fissure suddenly appeared on Long Yi’s body, tearing it apart!

"Yay! We won!"

The cheers rose high this time.

"No! Not yet!"

The Guardian of the Ancient Mage Tower’s eyes widened in shock because what had just been torn apart was merely a shell of ice! Long Yi was not inside!

"That was a close one, I almost capsized in the gutter!" Long Yi’s voice suddenly came from behind.

"He’s behind you!" the crowd exclaimed.

"Thunderstrike!"

The Cosmic Stone staff was pressed against the Guardian’s back, with such close-range casting leaving no chance for evasion and also no consumption whatsoever.

"Gravity Trap!"

Three crystals fell, trapping the adversary in the center.

"Dark Binding!"

Long Yi did not continue using the opponent’s Magic but instead unleashed Dark Binding, a spell from the Black Dragon Empire, which not only bound the opponent but also reduced his Mana level! The complexity of this spell was far beyond the magical capabilities of this world.

The Guardian from the Ancient Mage Tower, bound in place, could only watch powerlessly as Long Yi executed the final spell.

"Spatial Rupture Fast Version!" (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it at Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)