Chapter 992: The Extraordinary Slays the Transcendent; The Showdown Begins
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 992: The Extraordinary Slays the Transcendent; The Showdown Begins
On the scale of the Void, battles between Transcendents rarely occur. This is because Transcendents share a tacit understanding, exercising maximum restraint to avoid meaningless conflict.
Consequently, those in the Void who resort to combat—or even fight to the death—over the slightest disagreement are collectively labeled as "madmen."
Naturally, bellicose races suffer from poor reputations.
For instance... the Witch race.
In truth, a significant portion of the blame for the Witches' tarnished reputation lies with the Rebel Witches.
Of course, a race's reputation cannot be ruined by a single subgroup alone; the primary reason is that the Witch race itself is inherently warlike and fond of strife. Without such fertile soil, how could a group as defiant of heaven as the Rebel Witches ever be nurtured?
Then again, the reputation of the Wizard community isn't much better.
It truly seems to be a common ailment among the Transcendent races.
* * *
Inside the Witch Academy at this moment:
"With the power of the Great Spellbook, the Ancient Remnant Ice King can indeed effectively restrain a Transcendent Wizard. However, this only serves to deplete the opponent's combat strength," Dean Mei said to me. "The vitality of a Transcendent is such that even if you seal him and wear him down with this level of power, he wouldn't die for thousands of years."
"Is it truly impossible for an Extraordinary to slay a Transcendent?" I asked.
"By conventional means, certainly," Dean Mei shook her head. "Unless you use that consciousness banishment of yours that masters the Primitive Dream Realm... or if a Transcendent uses a power exchange to grant you the temporary possibility of slaying one. But the latter wouldn't truly be your own method."
"I see."
"Indeed. 'Transcendent' is the only rank officially recognized by the Void itself. That is no joke."
"Then what about the Saint Realm?"
"The Saint Realm is merely a man-made classification, albeit one recognized by the majority of living beings. It hasn't reached the level of recognition from the Void's essence. The standard for the Saint Realm is the Domain. However, in cases like yours, Xiao Han—where someone who isn't even a Transcendent possesses the prototype of a Domain—it's considered a special exception. But with Transcendents, there are no exceptions."
"Transcendents touch the 'Real World.' Does the Spirit Vision of the Main World not count?" I questioned.
"That is a talent bestowed upon you by the Main World. From another perspective, that power is akin to a loan; it does not belong to you. Only when you promote to Transcendent will that power be reflected back into your true vision."
"Is that how it works?"
"Yes. Xiao Han, is there anything else you wish to ask?"
"Yes!" I nodded immediately. "What rank lies above the Saint Realm?"
"Above the Saint Realm..."
Seeing Dean Mei hesitate, my curiosity piqued. "Is it something even you aren't sure about, Sister Mei?"
"How should I put this? Rumor has it that above the Saint Realm lies the World Lord, but that claim carries even less recognition than the Saint Realm itself. You can just treat it as a joke."
"Uh... does that mean there are no ranks above the Saint Realm? That shouldn't be right. There must be experts in the Void who have broken through that ceiling," I asked, somewhat incredulous. This was an outcome I hadn't expected.
"There is certainly some form of classification above the Saint Realm, but no one can define it. In the Void, no advancement system is self-evident. Currently, the beings known to have surpassed the Saint Realm all possess extremely distinct individual styles and have walked arduous, unreplicable paths—much like our Lady Primal Witch."
"And what about the Truth Witches?" I asked curiously.
"Truth Witch is a title bestowed by the Witch race in recognition of a Truth Dedication; it is not a rank. However, it is confirmed that most Truth Witches are in the Saint Realm, and some may have surpassed it. Very few Truth Witches announce such things. In fact, most Truth Witches vanish from public view shortly after their birth, their information lost to the Void."
"That mysterious?"
"Yes. The existence of Truth Witches is so shrouded in mystery that only the Lady Primal Witch knows exactly how many there are." Mei Lind shook her head with a sigh. "By the way—if you ever become a Truth Witch in the future, Xiao Han, remember to have a chat with this Dean of yours. Honestly, I’m curious about what Truth Witches actually do. Do they just huddle in some corner or border of the Void conducting some eternal experiment?"
"Oh—if such things must be kept secret, just pretend I didn't say anything," Mei Lind added at the end.
"Haha, Sister Mei, you're talking as if my becoming a Truth Witch is a sure thing," I teased.
"You never know, right?" Mei Lind looked at me, her gaze carrying a profound depth.
That look of unbidden expectation eventually forced me to quickly change the subject.
As I chatted with Dean Mei, my gaze fell back upon the Qunluosen Wasteland... or rather, what should now be called the Qunluosen Snowfield.
The area was now covered in snow and glaciers from the exploded secret realm. The wasteland was unable to contain such a massive spatial expansion, and the effects had already bled into neighboring territories.
* * *
At that moment:
Just as Dean Mei had said, the power of the Great Glacial Throne Technique could not completely kill a Transcendent.
Perhaps once the Ancient Remnant Ice King promoted to Transcendent, it could annihilate this Wizard with a flick of its finger, but not now.
The Wizard shook his head. His body, even on the surface, shimmered with the luster of ice crystals. Every movement caused shards to flake off. Countless consciousnesses were incessantly trying to seize control of his form. He trembled as if suffering from Parkinson's, but even this was not enough to kill him.
He had to admit that as a Wizard, he had actually lost in terms of methodology to a race that had only just been revived. What he found even more unbelievable was that his opponent wasn't even a Transcendent!
However, facing the suppression of something on the scale of a Great Spellbook, his loss wasn't entirely shameful. If he were given a Great Spellbook—or even just a Great Wizard Tool—he could likewise stand among the top tier of the Wizard Academy!
Wizards operated differently from Witches; their spells relied more heavily on Wizard Tools. Thus, when dealing with [Transcendent Knowledge], they preferred to craft Great Wizard Tools. Using these tools as a medium, they could cast Great Witchcraft. In essence, it was similar to a Great Spellbook, but it was a product born of the Wizard power system.
"You cannot kill me!"
He suddenly traded injury for a burst of power, letting out a furious roar accompanied by a surge of energy. The vibrating Witch Power nearly shattered his crystallized body.
My Ancient Remnant Ice King clone simply watched in silence.
If my main body were here, I could definitely use the "Wisdom Granting" technique in reverse—Wisdom Withering—the moment his body showed a flaw. I had tested this back when I triggered the Dreamscape Calamity in the Expansion Realm; while Wisdom Deprivation had little effect on Transcendents, Wisdom Withering was very effective.
Given a bit more time, eroding his consciousness directly from the soul-matter level would be enough to cripple a Transcendent.
As Dean Mei said, conventional means couldn't kill a Transcendent, but unconventional ones were a different story.
Unfortunately, I was currently just the clone of the Ancient Remnant Ice King. Special skills like Wisdom Granting were essentially performed through the Great Wisdom Enlightenment Art—the power of a Holy Relic.
However, I had another trump card.
The Void Rift.
Let the Great Spellbook celebrate its rebirth by using a Void Rift to terminate a Transcendent at the final moment of its creation!
In that instant, my form merged into the Great Spellbook. The Ancient Remnant Ice King transformed itself into pure power; it was both a part of the Great Spellbook's strength and the wielder of that strength.
The racial concept of the Ancient Remnant Ice King transformed into the Authority of Summoning within the Great Glacial Throne Technique. Its bloodline information merged into the spell as the Prototype for Transformation.
The high-hanging Void Rift replaced the ice crystal staff in the Ice King's hand. The deep fissure tore through the Void like a slithering serpent. The power shaped by the Great Spellbook tightly constrained the Void Rift, forcing it to transform into an indestructible spear in my hand.
"No! This is impossible! How can a Void Rift be used like this?!"
The Wizard's composure shattered completely. The tearing of his flesh made his descent toward death unstoppable. Bloody water flowed from his eyes, turning into translucent crimson crystals in an instant.
A Void Rift wasn't a "power" per se; it could not be tamed. Only [Transcendent Knowledge] could utilize it. Whether it was a Great Spellbook, a Great Wizard Tool, or anything else, their essence lay in dissecting the fundamental concepts of [Transcendent Knowledge], analyzing its traits and laws, and then using that technology to manipulate a Void Rift.
But as simple as that concept sounded, not everyone was qualified to achieve it.
In this moment, the Wizard—who had initially been prepared to die—felt a profound sense of indignation in the depths of his heart. He wouldn't have minded dying at the hands of a Transcendent Wizard, but he never imagined he would fall to an Extraordinary Ancient Remnant Ice King!
He desperately tried to catch the Rebel Witch's attention, but she wouldn't even grant him a glance.
A Void Rift!
This was a method that could truly kill him. He never expected to die in such a fashion. It was bizarre and absurd—like a man who goes looking for a fight, survives the mushroom cloud of an atomic bomb, only to be slain by a broadsword forged from raw uranium.
"Die."
The massive figure spoke with a voice that was cold and devoid of emotion, pronouncing his death sentence.
The tearing rift streaked across the world like a pitch-black meteor. The healing Void left behind faint scars, like tiny slithering snakes, until they vanished.
The rift, reaching into the depths of true time, pierced the Wizard's chest. Even a Transcendent level of vitality meant nothing in this moment.
A wail originating from the very essence of his life bypassed his raspy vocal cords; a soul-shaking lament was his final farewell.
The bloody feat of an Extraordinary slaying a Transcendent took place right before the eyes of all the gathered Transcendents.
Except for a few who remained confident, the faces of the others turned pale. In the past, the Void Rift had seemed far away, but now, it felt terrifyingly close.
The sacrificed Wizard's life came to an end. The newly shaped Great Spellbook welcomed its most glorious return!
The power unique to the Great Spellbook rippled outward with the Ancient Remnant Ice King as the center, countless crystal blocks decorating the entirety of the snowfield.
Now, everything had lost its original meaning. A figure emerged from the space. Then, one figure after another stepped out.
Because things had escalated to this point—even resulting in the death of a Transcendent—it was time for a showdown.
More and more figures emerged from the Void: Transcendent Wizards... Forest Elves... Holy Angels... Transcendent Beastmen...
Every academy involved in this affair had sent a Transcendent. Even the smaller academies had dispatched Transcendents to follow behind those from the top-tier institutions. The sheer size of the crowd was staggering.
Those not in the know were still wondering why this event had attracted so many Transcendents to watch. But those in the loop knew that during this period, a major event had nearly overturned the Main World!
However, that event had started and ended just as quickly.
The Wizard Academy had received word that Mei Lind, who presided over the Qi Observation Art project, had appeared, meaning the observation had concluded. No one knew exactly what the Witches had done. But the fact that the World Navel showed no further abnormal movement was the best possible outcome.
Thus, the situation in the Qunluosen Wasteland shifted from the initial brink of war back to the level of a student conflict.
The Wizard Academy had violated regulations by allowing a Transcendent Wizard to intervene in a student battle—and he had been killed by an Ancient Remnant Ice King inside a secret realm. They had to swallow this loss, and they were destined to play the part of the fool!
A mentor from the Wizard Academy had been slain by an Extraordinary! This was the kind of news that would become gossip for most races across the Void.
As the Transcendent lineups from the various academies made their appearance, the Witch Academy was not to be outdone.
Dean Bev Alanna led the way personally, bringing with her a large group of idle Witches who were just there to enjoy the spectacle. After all, it was still the holidays, and the academy was a bit too relaxed. With a Rebel Witch standing by to provide pressure, their momentum was not lacking in the slightest.
"You Wizard Academy people are truly f*cking shameless! Sending a mentor to bully our academy's important Teaching Assistant, honorary Little Witch, instructor for several key projects, and... uh, anyway, you're bullying our academy's beloved little sister, aren't you?!" Bev Alanna opened with a characteristically erratic speech.
At this moment, no matter what she said, she was in the right. The more titles she piled onto Xiao Han, the more value she demonstrated. According to Old Lady Mei, a real fight wouldn't break out this time; the other side had already been threatened by their trump cards. At most, they could extort the Wizards and make them bleed resources.
As the person at the center of it all, I straightened my clothes. The Ancient Remnant Ice King clone stood by, watching the commotion. This life-clone hadn't died after all, so I gave it a new task.
This incident wasn't big enough. Trying to spark an Academy War using this as a breakthrough point would be a bit forced. Therefore, the Academy War would have to start in a different way.
I looked up at the sprawling snow and the collapsing glaciers in the distance... The Qunluosen Wasteland had completely become the Qunluosen Snowfield.
And just now, the crystals scattered by the Ice King's battle had spread very far. At the very least, they had landed far beyond the boundaries of the Witch territory.
Those were all Transcendent materials, nearly on par with Six-Sided Crystal Amber!
I wasn't afraid of these materials being picked up; in fact, them being picked up would be the best result.
Since that was the case... let the dispute centered on profit and interest begin.