End of the Magic Era

I've studied the bloodline I transplanted for countless years, yet I don't know it as well as Mafa Merlin, who just casually looked at me, and made a comment that sounded like a joke. However, his casual remark has at least doubled the stability of my bloodline. I'm now able to develop my bloodline in other ways. This is the real plantation…

That's right. This is how the eyes should've been planted. Only one of the eyes is enough. One of them is more powerful than two of them combined were earlier. My research didn't strengthen the eyes, but weakened their power…

Terrifying. Mafa Merlin is truly terrifying. How well does he know bloodline transplantation? It's impossible to estimate his expertise at all.

The people of the Thorny Crown were standing around Myers. They were all worried to see that he was almost crazy. However, when they saw Myers' only eye that had obviously changed, they all knew what happened.

They, too, recalled what Lin Yun had said earlier, which sounded like a joke. However, that turned out to be a lifesaver for all of them…

"Sir Myers, what's the matter? Isn't it a great thing that you've found a way to improve your bloodline compatibility?"

"Sir Myers, don't worry. It may be just a coincidence…"

Everybody knew why Myers was so upset. As the best researcher of bloodline transplantation in the Thorny Crown, he didn't know his own transplanted bloodline as well as a person that met him for the first time did. That was definitely frustrating.

Myers took a deep breath, and then shook his head.

"Don't worry. I'm very happy. I'm very happy to see someone who studies a subject that other people cannot understand like we do. Also, Mafa Merlin is definitely much more knowledgeable than I am. He is better than all of us.

"I'm very glad to see this light of hope. Many times, I thought that it was impossible to proceed with the research on bloodline transplantation. However, I've seen hope, and a new horizon, which is a good thing for all of us.

"I believe you are all aware of the significance of this matter!"

Myers spoke in a low voice, and everybody else was quiet. However, there was passion on all their faces. They were excited to discover the light of hope on the desperate path of darkness. Nobody else could understand them…

Myers raised his head, and looked back at his companions with hopefulness on his face.

"Ever since we embarked on this path, there has been no turning back. We cannot see the road ahead of us. We cannot find the direction of light in the dark. There have been more mages who perished due to bloodline transplantation than we can remember…

"They all collapsed on the road. We are the lucky ones. Thanks to the favor of fate, we are the few people who have reached the Heaven Rank, and I'm the luckiest one.

"We fumble our way forward in the thorns that are reddened by our blood. Now, I think it's time we weave a crown with those bloodstained thorns, and wait for the final coronation…"

What Myers said made everybody's expression change. Myers' followers seemed quite firm, but Sheldon wore a cold smile.

Mafa Merlin is so strong probably because he has transplanted the bloodline of a certain powerful extraordinary creature. How else could he know bloodline transplantation so well? As long as I find his weakness, everything he knows will be an opportunity for me to grow stronger. Myers is too weak, and just wants to appeal to him.

The Thorny Crown is destined to walk in the darkness. Greater power is the guarantee of our safety. All our research is meant to let us grow stronger. It seems that they have forgotten that the Thorny Crown's sufferings are all because we aren't strong enough!

The key to the Thorny Crown's narrow escape was the casual remark that Lin Yun gave when they encountered each other, which made Myers have complicated feelings and other thoughts. However, not everybody of the Thorny Crown thought the same.

The Thorny Crown had been corrupted. Or rather, some of its members were already corrupted. They were no longer pursuing the truth of magic, but rather pure power. They were willing to sell everything, including their own souls, for greater power, and certainly didn't care about anything else.

After the outburst of the magic storms was over, the colorful streaks of light that rose to the sky from the ground like springs fell too. After the terrifying mana surged to the ground, the power of the storms plummeted.

Apart from the victims that were torn apart by the storms at the beginning, few other creatures died. All the creatures on the surface of the plane were hiding in their nests, trembling. The army insects that were hunting on the surface all dug a pit and hid there.

The magic crystals exposed to the air in the underground caverns and channels had all been minced by the storms, and pushed out of the ground as pure mana.

When the storms were underground, they were strengthened by the mana that was released from the magic crystals. However, the mana quickly dispersed on the surface, and spread across the plane as wind.

Since no more mana was erupting from underground, the storms lost their support, and gradually dispersed as pure mana. In only an hour, the mana density of the whole plane had been at least doubled. Many plants that weren't destroyed greedily devoured the abundant mana. A lot of them were mutating, and even evolving into new species.

The plants were fine. Even if some of them were destroyed, more of them would grow up soon. They had no idea what fear was. However, the beasts in the plane all detected that a horrifying being had woken up. They were still hiding and trembling in fear even though the magic storms were gone. None of them dared to go out.

Deep underground, Lin Yun didn't get out of the protective alchemy array when the storms came to an end. He simply waited in silence.

"Sir Merlin, the storms seem to be over. Are we not running?"

Xiuban squatted at the edge of the alchemy array with an awful expression. He looked at the empty cavern, where the exposed magic crystals were all gone. Only dust was left on the hard rocks. The previously glowing cavern was like a desert at this moment.

Lin Yun ignored Xiuban, and continued setting up the alchemy array. His previous alchemy array was the most protective. With Reina's ice, it wasn't a problem to resist the pure magic storms. However, what he needed to do next was more complicated.

He changed the alchemy array into another one in only half a minute. The new alchemy array wasn't just meant to resist magic power, but was for another purpose.

The magic storms outside ebbed faster and faster. Without the magic crystals to boost them up, they were quickly weakened as they passed through the zigzagging channels and underground caverns.

Five minutes later, the magic storms were completely gone. Dust fell and gathered into a thick layer on the surface of the cavern. In the spherical space deep underground, the mana released from the enormous mana crystal was getting peaceful too. Inside the mana crystal, the giant soul, which had transformed into an eye, was showing the light of intelligence too.

In only a few minutes, the light inside the enormous eye was replaced by fury. Its soul waves, mixed with the flowing mana, spread out of the spherical space along the caverns, reaching the surface and the entire plane.

In only one minute, Lin Yun put on a solemn expression. He took out another several bottles of potion, and sprayed it on everybody's skin.

A breeze arose in the empty cavern. It felt like a normal wind, but in the blink of an eye, it squirted through one of the channels, and filled up another cavern. Then, it moved on to other channels astonishingly fast.

The alchemy array emanated dazzling brilliance. Half of the 100 magic crystals that powered it exploded immediately and transformed into mana, making up for the alchemy array's consumption.

In only five seconds, all the mana in the 100 magic crystals was exhausted. Lin Yun solemnly added more magic crystals. Even so, he could feel that the gentle breeze was leaking through the hard rocks, and was eating away at the alchemy array like countless ants.

In only a few seconds, tiny cracks had appeared on the surface of the alchemy array, and the breeze leaked inside and reached everybody's skin. Instantly, the potion on everybody's skin worked and melted with the breeze. The potion they had ingested earlier kicked in too. The potions gradually melted with the breeze, allowing them to get accustomed to the intensifying waves.

In half a minute later, the alchemy array completely collapsed. The horrifying waves that were flooding in the cavern drowned the pit where they hid, but they weren't affected at all when the waves hit them.

Lin Yun was slightly relieved, and walked out of the pit.

"Let's get out. We're safe for now. However, it's impossible to proceed with our exploration. We won't come back to this plane until decades later. Let's just return to the surface first. I hope the people of the Thorny Crown are all dead, or we will be in trouble…"

They returned in the same way they came, this time a lot faster than before. It was difficult to find the right way underground, but it was much easier to come back.

When they passed two caverns, and entered the third one, ripples appeared on the wall, and many stone worms that had hideous mouthparts emerged, attacking everybody crazily.

At least 30 stone worms had crawled out of the wall. Their bodies had undergone amazing changes. Their stone bodies were covered in crystals that looked like diamonds and ice. Even the sharp teeth inside their mouthparts were coated in crystal too.

Xiuban roared and charged, brandishing Carnage that was wreathed in a yellow halo. He smashed one of the stone worms' head heavily, and broke it into pieces, which then fell on the ground. The crystals on its skin collapsed, and the pieces inside the worm's head were not the stones from before, but crystals that looked like stones…

Noises of collision burst out continuously. In only 10 seconds, Xiuban had smashed all the stone worms' heads apart. However, when they lost one of their heads, they didn't escape. They simply completely crawled out of the wall, and attacked with their other heads insanely.

After killing all those stone worms, Lin Yun frowned, and led everybody to move faster.

Before they entered this plane, Lin Yun had known where this place was the most special, and why no intelligent creatures were born in such a perfect environment.

The moment the monster woke up, the mana crystal would stop normal breathing, and start an outburst. Considering the amount of mana inside the crystal, it could cause terrifying storms of mana, even though it was just exhaling longer than usual.

Such pure storms of mana were completely unreasonable. It was impossible to resist them with anything else other than one's own mana. Furthermore, if one's own mana was of too low a quality, then it would be impossible for one to fight this war of attrition. One would be torn into pieces immediately.

The magic storms would also be boosted by the magic crystals that were exposed to the air, so the first outburst would definitely be unbelievably powerful. Nobody below level 7 of the Heaven Rank could possibly weather them.

After the initial outburst, the monster would completely wake up. Because of the massiveness of its body and soul, the awakening would take a long time. After it woke up, the first thing it would do was clean up everything in this plane. This entire plane was under its control. Considering the monster's terrifying soul power and magic power, it was very easy for it to control everything in the plane.

After all the creatures were under control, a purge would be initiated, and wouldn't stop until the last creature that the monster found to be a threat died. The whole plane would go crazy. The purge usually wouldn't end until all creatures went extinct.

The local beasts of this plane were weak, and had incomplete and vulnerable souls of parasites. That was the reason why they survived.

Whenever an intelligent creature was born, or if an extraordinary creature entered the place, the monster would immediately be woken up. It would mince and destroy all creatures that had complete souls. Their bodies would nurture the plane, and their souls would be torn apart and polished, and then swallowed by the monster's soul.

That was the monster's process of growth. It lay asleep and let the plane develop on its own. When the plane was developed to a level, the monster would wake up and reap everything. Then, it would fall asleep again, leaving the low-level beasts to procreate in the plane, and initiating another cycle.

The monster had existed for countless years. It was possible for intelligent creatures to be born in this place, but impossible for them to live. Every time a species that had the slightest intelligence popped up, a great purge would begin.

Obviously, now that the monster had woken up, it would start its instinctive purge and eating. The souls of the dozen Heaven Rank mages here were all the best food for the monster. Nobody could stop it from killing the invaders.

Controlling all of the invaders, and commanding them to enter the underground world, and jump into its mouth was the easiest and most effective way of hunting for the monster.

Frowning, Lin Yun led everybody to the surface quickly. This outburst was clearly more powerful than he'd expected. Not just the outburst of magic power, but the outburst of soul power was much more powerful than recorded.

Obviously, it was because the monster hadn't woken up in a long time. The magic crystals that had been condensed in the caverns were already exposed to the air. They had surely accumulated over hundreds of thousands of years.

The potion that could resist the monster's mind control was not entirely effective after it was swallowed. It had to be sprayed on the skin to serve as a barrier to prevent the control.

That was different from what was recorded in history books. Also, after failing to control the targets, the monster didn't try again. The waves had already spread out and vanished, which made Lin Yun feel ill at ease.

Even though the monster was incapable of launching powerful outbursts continuously, how could it abandon the delicious food so easily? That was not possible. The monster only had the instinct of building up its soul. How could it give up on the targets?