Age of Adepts

Everyone's gaze was drawn firmly to the dark green crystal held in Declan's hands.

Most of them were hundreds of meters away, but the profound principle flux emanating from the crystal left a deep impression on them. Even Adept Ainley, who had not been moved at the sight of the four elementium crystals, was affected when he sensed the principle fluctuations.

He abruptly turned his head, searing greed gleaming in his eyes as he stared at the crystal.

A principle crystal!

That had to be a principle crystal!

A terrifying beast howled in Ainley's heart. He wanted nothing more at the moment than to reach out and cradle the crystal in his arms, to truly appreciate the taste of the principles within. Even though poison was wholly incompatible with his origin attribute, it was still a principle crystal! No one would ever not want it.

Just as he was about to lose control over his emotions, Greem waved his hand, and a cluster of golden flames wrapped around the crystal. The dark green crystal flew into his hands.

At the same time, a figure of the same dark green color emerged from his body. He danced on Greem's shoulder like a lively child dying to get his treat.

"Gimme, master…I want that thing. I want it, I want it."

It was Remi, the Spirit of Pestilence, who had been out of the picture for a while now.

Ever since the Scroll of Voodoo devoured the Libram of Wisdom, it had advanced from Fourth Grade Soul Equipment to Fifth Grade. However, Remi's soul was too weak and incapable of controlling such a powerful body. Consequently, he had no choice but to fall into a deep slumber.

Now, upon sensing a poison elementium crystal with a perfectly compatible origin attribute, Remi was naturally thrilled. He couldn't wait to devour the crystal to strengthen his soul and poison principles.

Naturally, Greem would not reject his request. Remi was the artifact spirit of his Soul Equipment. Should Remi become stronger, it would become easier for him to use the Tome of Corruption. He would no longer be in the same awkward position as he currently was, where every use of the Tome of Corruption would exhaust Remi's accumulated soul power.

That was why Greem gave the poison principle crystal to Remi without hesitation after obtaining it.

The one-meter-tall Remi suddenly opened his mouth unnaturally wide and devoured the crystal in a single gulp. He rubbed his bulging stomach in satisfaction and dove back into Greem's body.

Adept Ainley, who had been measuring his words and preparing to negotiate with Greem, was stunned in disbelief at the sight. After a momentary pause, the shock on his face faded into disappointment. He even lost all will to make small talk.

Greem might not know how hard it was to obtain a principle crystal, but Ainley, who had spent years roaming the realms beyond, knew very well.

Let us begin with the classification of an adept's power. The traditional adept system divided adepts into nine grades, from First to Ninth. Each grade had its own corresponding standard of power.

Apart from this, the source of power was also another category by which to divide adepts.

Adepts of First to Third Grade relied primarily on elementium power. Be it for the sake of strengthening their bodies or unleashing devastation, the source of their magic was always elementium particles.

These adepts were known as elementium adepts!

Upon reaching Fourth Grade, adepts would become the most powerful beings in a planar world. They would finally qualify to come into contact with the planar laws. At this stage, the adepts would have to work hard to convert their elementium power into the corresponding law powers. In doing so, they would elevate their power's origin.

Their grasp and mastery of the planar laws would then become the standard by which their power was judged.

Adepts like that could typically be called law adepts!

Meanwhile, the magical powers of Fifth and Sixth Grade adepts were largely driven by principles. They had to concentrate the law powers to form their own unique principle power. It was only when one had mastered a particular principle power that they could rise from Fourth Grade, ascend beyond the limits of the planar world, and become a Great Adept that had transcended death and mortality.

Thus, Fifth and Sixth Grade Great Adepts were also known as principle adepts!

As for the powers of those beyond Sixth Grade? Ainley had only heard vague descriptions from others about how the Seventh and Eighth Grade Great Adepts no longer wielded principle powers. They used world powers of an even higher class. What the traits of this power were and where it came from were all questions that Ainley had no answer for.

The Ninth Grade Great Adepts who stood at the peak of adepts apparently possessed a strange power known as Origin. Of course, Ainley knew even less about Origin and what it was.

If he weren't a core member of the Adept's Association, he probably wouldn't even have access to the information he already possessed!

After all, this knowledge was of the most classified information even in the Adept's Association.

Ainley had already been stuck at peak Fourth Grade for over three hundred years. Even now, he was still unable to elevate his law powers into principle power. It was the only reason he had resolutely left the World of Adepts to go exploring in the realms beyond.

It was the same for Gloria and the other Association ultra-powerhouses. They all faced the difficult problem of converting laws into principles.

That was why Ainley had experienced such tremendous shock from watching a principle crystal disappear before his eyes. The tumultuous rise and fall of his emotions were so intense that his heart almost gave out.

Principles…principles. Why were they so hard to grasp?

The main reason for that was because principle powers were utterly intangible. They were mysterious and tremendous forces generated when a planar world moved according to its systems. It was only possible to slowly sense and understand the higher principles by leveraging the laws you had already mastered.

It was like having a doctor who had never seen the anatomy of a person's body attempt to deduce the shape of your heart and how it functioned just by feeling his own pulse. It wasn't hard to imagine how difficult it was!

That was why every adept who had made it past the threshold to become Fifth Grade were incredibly lucky. They were brilliant prodigies with exceptional knowledge of magic.

It would have been impossible for them to achieve such unbelievable feats if that wasn't the case.

Ainley almost felt his heart break when he saw Greem feed such a valuable principle crystal to a 'pet.'

He exchanged a few more meaningless words with Greem before hastily leaving.

…………

While the victorious Fourth Grades adepts joyously harvested their spoils and enjoyed themselves, large groups of Association adepts and adept forces swarmed out of the tower and began to clean up the battlefield.

Greem stood silently at the edge of Inkdeep Valley. With him here, the disaster creatures and mutated beasts were all forced to remain at the bottom of the valley, not daring to show themselves.

It gave the Adept's Association a rare opportunity to wrestle back control over the battlefield!

All surviving mutated beasts were executed, one after another, before being butchered and reduced to magical materials. With such high-quality materials, the Association adepts would be able to create more powerful voodoo beasts.

The war towers that had been destroyed were cleared out. New war towers were quickly raised on top of their ruins.

Large groups of Association adepts even flew above the valley on large owls and two-headed eagles to cast down strange green plants.

These green plants grew at a visible rate upon landing. Like enchanted daggers, their roots and vines dug into the hard stone cliff. Their leaves swayed about in the wind merrily as they devoured the evil and corrupting disaster aura.

With their help, the mists of the valley slowly thinned.

Apart from the depths of the valley, which remained shrouded in mists, the area outside the valley was already completely clear and restored to its former appearance.

As they continued to purify the disaster aura, the World of Adepts' law chains quickly grew and extended back over this land. The law aura grew stronger and stronger. The planar consciousness conveyed feelings of joy and happiness to every living creature toiling in Inkdeep Valley through the principle level.

Of course, the low-grade adepts only felt more and more motivated as they worked. They couldn't understand the existence or source of this mysterious power.

Meanwhile, the Fourth Grade adepts shut their eyes and focused as the traces of planar feedback entered their bodies.

It was a rare chance to come into contact with the planar consciousness.

Nourished by the planar feedback, the adepts were able to gain sudden insights into the planar laws that had eluded them in the past. The principle powers that they could never reach were revealed to them faintly, like no more than a mirage.

Why was it that high-grade adepts were always eager to participate in repelling planar invasions? That was because the planar feedback and blessings from the planar consciousness after the victory was always a rare opportunity to study the principles.

If there weren't a large-scale planar war capable of triggering the planar consciousness's sense of danger, they wouldn't be able to obtain a blessing of this level!

From this perspective, the seven Central adepts who followed Greem here to Inkdeep Valley also obtained their just rewards. They put in the effort, risking their lives to fight with disaster creatures. It was only right that they received such a prize.

Meanwhile, the Fourth Grades that remained in the Central Lands might have been safe, but they missed out on this opportunity.

That was why it was always said that danger existed side by side with opportunity!

The Adept's Association were not shy to help Greem, the most significant contributor to their victory.

A dozen Second and Third Grade healers hovered around Greem, using their abilities to help him remove the elementium poison in his body.

Meanwhile, in the face of the large chunks of missing flesh, the healers shot out green beams and applied healing potions that could stimulate regeneration. They tried their best to patch up all the damage.

With Greem's gigantic body and terrifying elementium resistance, any injury would require kilograms of higher healing potions to have even the slightest of effects.

The fact that the Adept's Association were so willing to help Greem despite the costs demonstrated their sincerity in wanting to develop a friendly relationship with him!

With regards to this, Greem simply smiled and accepted their goodwill.