End of The Magic Era 1 41

Chapter 7: Screwed
Translator: Shiraishi Editor: TheAlliance
Such a miscalculation! If he had thought about it earlier, he definitely

wouldn’t have used Frost. After all, it was only a control spell with limited
power. It would have been better to use a spell with burst power like
Flame Burst! Even if that fellow had a magic tool that could resist magic,
he definitely would not have had such an easy time stopping it. Just the
shockwave from Flame Burst would be enough to leave him cutting a
sorry figure on all fours. The stress had apparently gotten to Raymond,
making him forget the reason for casting Frost in the first place.
‘Okay, this was a bit unexpected, but using Flame Burst will fix it!’
Raymond used a few words to comfort himself before chanting the

incantation for Flame Burst, full of confidence. Raymond appeared very
calm this time. He shortened neither the incantation nor the spell
gestures this time and just resolutely chanted his spell. Even the
arrangement of the elements spinning in his mana whirlpool was
textbook, to the point that if a strict teach saw his spell, they wouldn’t find
any faults.
‘There won’t be anything unexpected this time,’ Raymond thought

complacently.
But the result was…
Before Raymond even finished casting, a sharp whistling sound

suddenly passed by his ear.
That “whistle” felt like something was ripping through the air. It was
followed by Raymond feeling his shoulder tingle before his whole body
was sent flying like a cannonball…
Raymond landed on the ground a few meters away.

At that time, Raymond felt a painful heat on his shoulder and connected
it to that sharp sound he’d heard a second ago. Raymond realized that
this was the 2nd Rank spell, Tornado Whip!
But recognizing it didn’t mean that he understood. In fact, after he

noticed that it was Tornado Whip, Raymond was even more confused.
‘Wh-what… What happened? How could a Tornado Whip appear here?’
For a moment, Raymond even thought that he had chanted the wrong
spell, mistaking Flame Burst’s chant for that of Tornado Whip, causing
him to receive backlash from the misfire.
If that wasn’t the reason, the only possibility was that it had been cast by
this apprentice.
But the situation quickly changed…
Raymond didn’t have time to get up before a sharp whistle echoed once
again. He felt his other shoulder go numb this time before he went
sailing through the air.
‘That’s not it…’
Raymond lay on the ground once again, in a state of complete

bewilderment. He didn’t cast anything this time, so how could another
Tornado Whip appear?
‘No way, is it…’
As he gradually gathered his thoughts, Raymond raised his face and

slowly paled. Even a lousy mage couldn’t cast two completely wrong
spells in a row like that, let alone having the same backlash twice. The
only reasonable explanation was that those two spells truly came from
that 9th Rank Magic Apprentice.
No, not a 9th Rank Magic Apprentice…
The two spells that came from that guy were clearly both silent and
quickened. ‘Damn, that scoundrel is an actual mage, a mage who has
mastered at least two types of metamagic!’
At this time, Raymond really wanted to find a hole to hide in. ‘You could
have just said that you were a mage, why did you have to pretend to be
a magic apprentice? And did you even need to use Tornado Whip on me
twice? Are you a psycho?’
Raymond really couldn’t understand at all… When did Lin Yun break
through to become a mage? He was clearly a 9th Rank Magic
Apprentice just a month ago, so how could he suddenly become a
mage? And a mage that could easily use two metamagic abilities, how
heaven-defying was that?
“How could you have become a mage!”
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“Why not?” Lin Yun looked at Raymond strangely, not explaining
anything. He only casually continued, “Oh right, don’t forget to thank
your father once we return.”
“What do you mean?” Raymond froze when he heard that.
But Lin Yun didn’t plan to answer.
In fact, if not for Lin Yun thinking of that old man who was quite worthy of
respect, Raymond would have already turned into a corpse the instant
he cast that Frost spell. With the vigilance and alertness he cultivated for
twenty years at the end of the magic era, how could he even let
Raymond cast his shortened cast spell that still needed spell gestures?
The moment that the mana fluctuation had appeared, Lin Yun had
instantly formed an Icicle spell in his hand. If it went as he predicted,
once the Frost spell was released and the mana whirlpool shrank, Lin
Yun would cast his Icicle and pierce Raymond’s head with it.
It was as Lin Yun had said. Raymond really should thank his old man.
Just as the Icicle was about to be cast, Lin Yun suddenly realized that
this wasn’t the dog-eat-dog era that he had lived in for so long. The other
side’s attack wasn’t aiming at killing him. Moreover, that young mage’s
father was a worthy man.
Thus, Lin Yun held back the Icicle spell and used a rough mana shield to
block the Frost.
“Oh right, come help me.”
It was the same commanding tone, but this time, Raymond didn’t dare to
disregard his words. It wasn’t a good idea to refuse a mage that could
casually cast two Tornado Whips. If they fought, Raymond would
definitely be the one that would suffer a loss.
Thus, Raymond had no choice but to keep it in. “What do I need to do?”
“Enchant those.” Lin Yun was busily refining with one hand while using
his other hand to point at a few glass bottles.
“Eh…”
Enchanting was the easiest task in alchemy. It wasn’t hard at all for a
mage like Raymond. In fact, every mage had studied alchemy to some
extent, some more than others. There were many high ranked mages
who were peak alchemists.
Since the birth of alchemy, it had been linked in countless ways to

magic. They complemented each other. If one wanted to walk far in the
world of magic, it would be impossible without the help of alchemy.
Alchemy equipment could bring about direct improvements in power.
Refined potions could replenish strength in times of need. Puppets
created through alchemy had even greater strategic uses. If a mage
didn’t have the support of alchemy, even if he was a unique genius, his
accomplishments would be limited.
It was the same for alchemy, which was also linked inevitably to magic.
A good mage wasn’t necessarily a good alchemist, but a good alchemist
was bound to be a good mage. This might sound a bit strange, but it was
a well known fact. Some complicated alchemy formulas needed a deep
and wide understanding of magic. Some people might rely on talent and
hard work to have some achievements in alchemy, but only a mage
could keep researching deeper and deeper.
Without enough knowledge of magic, one wouldn’t be able to understand

those complex alchemy formulas. Without enough skill with metamagic,
one would never be able to make their own magic tool.
Raymond’s achievements in alchemy couldn’t be considered very high,

and he was still very far from being able to make his own magic tool, but
there was no problem with enchanting a few glass bottles. Raymond
started enchanting the bottle, skillfully and casually while still wondering
how this scoundrel had become a mage.
‘Eh? What’s that smell?’
While Raymond was lost in his thoughts, a strongly irritating smell

assaulted his nostrils. Raymond first frowned with annoyance before
suddenly paling.
Raymond realized that the person at the alchemy table next to him had
put a flame rock into that test tube…
“Shit…” Raymond held his breath. If a flame rock was stimulated with
magic power, it would instantly reach a high temperature. Throwing that
thing in a red coral solution was like throwing fire on a pile of fireworks.
‘Doomed! This scoundrel really will kill us this time!’ As the flame rock fell
into the test tube, a red light burst out, and Raymond could already feel
the high temperature from his location.
Raymond wanted to curse, but it was too late. Under the high
temperature, the red coral solution was already out of control. The
berserk mana was wreaking havoc as the red light soared, dyeing the
entire laboratory in a bloody crimson light. A surge of red bubbles was
striving to rush out of the test tube.
Feeling the horrible mana fluctuations, Raymond closed his eyes,

resigned to his fate.
“We are screwed…”
Chapter 8: Miracle
The peaceful alchemy laboratory was so quiet that time seemed to had
been frozen, and only the sound of the bubbles in the test tube could be
heard.
Raymond cringed back and waited for a long time, waiting for his last
moments to arrive. But after waiting for a long time, he suddenly heard a
voice.
“What are you doing?”
“Eh?” When Raymond, who had been waiting for his death with his eyes
closed, heard this voice, he initially thought it was just his imagination.
But then he thought about it. ‘Would there be such an annoying voice
right after I entered the afterlife?’
Thus, Raymond opened his eyes and looked over. That scoundrel, who
should have been buried in a magic explosion already, was standing
there as if nothing had happened. He was still holding that frightening

test tube in his hand. But at that time, Raymond didn’t focus on the test
tube at all. Instead, he was wondering why there hadn’t been an
explosion, or even anything out of place at all. ‘Why? The red coral
solution should have already gone out of control due to the high
temperature, so how could it remain completely unagitated within the
test tube?’
Raymond’s mind was in a total mess, as if it was melting. No problems
had arisen when the red coral solution was heated to a high
temperature, which was something that Raymond couldn’t accept. This
was simply like shaming Raymond’s knowledge of alchemy. And
Okland’s alchemy professors had emphasized many times that red coral
shouldn’t be dissolved into a solution no matter what, let alone having it
come into contact with high temperatures.
If he had to choose between this being his own misunderstanding or his
professors making such a huge mistake, he would rather believe that
everything he had just seen was only a figment of his imagination.
Indeed…
As if to prove that everything wasn’t just an illusion, that really annoying
voice echoed once again, and moreover, it seemed quite impatient this
time. “How long could it possibly take to enchant a few glass bottles?”
As he said that, Lin Yun came over, still holding his test tube that was
filled with the red coral solution.
“You… Don’t come!” Raymond jumped back in fear. He subconsciously
wanted to stop him, but he soon recovered and immediately changed his
tone, “I’ll bring them to you…”
Raymond felt a bit regretful after saying that…
Doing someone’s dirty work without profiting from it and still having to
bring it to them afterwards… This was losing one’s pride!
But he had already spoken these words and couldn’t take them back.
Thus, Raymond could only suffer in silence and finish the last
enchantment before enduring the shame and bringing those few glass
bottles to that scoundrel.
In order to retain a bit of pride, Raymond put the bottles down on the
alchemy table one after the other and was going to snort coldly to show
his displeasure, but as he caught sight of that deep red test tube again,
he didn’t keep up the act in the slightest due to his worry. He looked at
Lin Yun, feeling rather angry but not daring to speak.
Lin Yun didn’t bother about him at all as he took the enchanted bottles
and arranged them on the table before pouring the red coral solution into
the glass bottles, giving each a precisely even portion. During the entire
process, Raymond’s eyelids couldn’t help twitching.
After he was done with all this, Lin Yun finally put the dangerous test
tube down and began to sift through the pile of low-cost magic materials,
organizing them. He then ground some dried thousand knot flowers,
used a filtering cup to extract the juice of seven leaves grass, and
spread a bit of moonlight sand on a white sheet of paper. After a few
simple incantations, the scattered sand began shining gently.
The radiance gradually became increasingly more dazzling, and Lin Yun
started working faster. The juice of the seven leaves grass was poured
into the glass bottles and the diluted red coral solution’s red radiance
dimmed. When the powdered thousand knot flower was added in, the
irritating smell slowly disappeared.

When the glow of the moonlight sand disappeared, the three bottles of
light red liquid revealed their true appearance through a faint mist.
“My god…”
After Raymond saw all of this, although he had still been regretting his
loss of pride before, he slowly opened his mouth wide, a sluggish
expression appearing on his face. He was completely stunned as he
looked at Lin Yun with fear, as if this person before him was actually a
monster!
‘H-h-how could this be a Colorful potion!’
Raymond clearly remembered that a few months ago, when he had just
broken through and become a mage, the magic school allowed him to
enter Okland’s laboratory to study for a week as a reward. There, he
learnt about a whole new world. That place could be considered the
learning center of the kingdom. There were two Archmages as well as
seven Great Alchemists. It was even said that the one who was truly in
charge of Okland’s laboratory was a Master Alchemist… Their
existences made Okland’s laboratory a holy land in the hearts of
countless alchemists.
When Raymond visited, he had really felt like he was making a
pilgrimage.
That week was like a dream for Raymond. Being in the central hub of
learning and having the chance to see those legendary existences, while
even getting to hear them discuss their work if he was lucky.
Furthermore, he occasionally was able to watch their research… To
Raymond, this experience was worth all the wealth he could ever earn in
his lifetime.
There weren’t many people that could get an opportunity like
Raymond’s. Whether it was an Archmage or a Great Alchemist, they
were all people standing at the peak of their domains. They were
somewhat already separated from the commonfolk, and they could
unconsciously say something that might very well enlighten mages like
Raymond and save them years of fumbling their way forward.

Raymond still remembered the afternoon of the 3rd day that he was
there. He had been fortunate enough to have the chance to spectate
Great Alchemist Gustave’s potion-making. He was creating a bottle of
Colorful potion, specialized in cleansing away a mana whirlpool’s
impurities. For a mage that was already standing at the peak of the
standard mage level and urgently wanted to shatter their mana whirlpool
to step into the Great Mage stage, the value of that Colorful potion
simply couldn’t be calculated.
This was a miracle of alchemy. After witnessing the miracle personally,
Raymond felt that every detail was worth cherishing. The young mage
felt that even if ten years passed, he would still remember everything
that had happened there.
And nowhere near ten years had passed, so Raymond’s current
understanding was even clearer.
Perhaps it was because of this vivid memory, but Raymond seemed to
lose control…
Regarding the three bottles on the alchemy table, whether it was the
smell emanating from them or their magic fluctuations, it was all exactly
the same as that Colorful potion!
What did that mean? It meant that this person who had been stuck as a
mere apprentice for a few years wasn’t just a mage who had mastered
two kinds of spellcasting abilities, but he was also a very gifted
alchemist!
‘I must be dreaming, right…?’
As a mage, Raymond naturally knew that regardless of whether it was
magic or alchemy, they all required a great amount of time and
experience. Being gifted in these two domains wouldn’t decisively
change that fact. No matter how outstanding and gifted someone was,
they would need time to gather knowledge and temper their skills. No
one could skip this process.
Among the numerous branches of alchemy, potioneering was the one
that consumed the most time. With the large numbers of formulas and
neverending testing, all the potion alchemists had grown through

countless failures, so up to now in the Andlusa Kingdom, the youngest
potion alchemist was at least 30 years old.
This was already the limit. Without at least that much time to gather
knowledge and experience, it was simply impossible to become an
alchemist.
But that young master Merlin was only 20 this year, he was shockingly
young if his accomplishments here were real. If he truly was a potion
alchemist at this age, then he was bound to become a Great Alchemist!
‘I just attacked a future Great Alchemist…’
As this thought came to mind, cold sweat dripped down Raymond’s
forehead.
This wasn’t a joke.
‘How about I take the initiative and apologize first, before asking for
forgiveness in a sincere tone?’
Although this sounded like throwing away his pride, after offending
someone that would gain such incredible status, there was no other
choice. He had already lowered himself anyway, so there wouldn’t be
much of a loss if he lowered himself more.
‘Right, let’s do this.’
Thus, Raymond began racking his mind to decide the best way to
proceed. Since it was necessary to throw aside his pride, it would be
better to think about how to do it…
As a result, Raymond had yet to come up with anything good when Lin
Yun’s work was already complete.
The alchemy table had been neatly cleaned away, and the few tools that
had been used were back in their places, including the crucible that had
been picked out from a trash can. This was a habit that Lin Yun picked
up from living at the end of the magic era. In that era which was so
deficient in resources, even a crystal the size of a grain of rice would be
a huge treasure. After living a life in that poor environment, Lin Yun
simply wouldn’t put up with any wasteful actions.
Chapter 9: Helping
“Let’s go.” After finishing, Lin Yun took the three potions and left the
alchemy laboratory.
Lin Yun’s words snapped Raymond out of his intense introspection

about his pride, and after getting his bearings, the young mage
mumbled, “Eh… Yes!” But before leaving, he seemed to recall
something… If he wasn’t wrong, when Young Master Merlin cleaned the
alchemy table, he seemed to have thrown the test tube used for the red
coral solution into the incinerator…
Although he had already seen with his own eyes that the flame rock
didn’t cause the red coral solution to erupt earlier, he still had those
teachings stuck in his mind. He began to ask, “That red coral solution…”
“Don’t worry, there will be no issue.” Before Raymond had even asked
anything, Lin Yun had already answered. Lin Yun knew what was
troubling Raymond, which was whether the remnants of the red coral
solution would explode in the incinerator.
It wouldn’t, of course.
How much longer would it take before alchemists were able to find out
that the problem of red coral solution going violently out of control when
heated or agitated wasn’t something unsolvable? A bit of moonlight sand
and a short incantation was enough to fix that problem.
When that time came, the discovery would change the way that alchemy
was taught, a great number of new techniques would emerge, and
countless alchemists would be deeply immersed in studying the red
coral solution. They would make use of the incredible amount of magic
contained inside to make countless shocking achievements in the field.
And among these were the three Spectrum Potions in Lin Yun’s pocket.
That’s right, these weren’t Colorful Potions, they were Spectrum Potions.
Naturally, Raymond wasn’t completely wrong in his assessment. The
scent and magic fluctuations of the Spectrum Potion were the same as
those of the Colorful Potion, and even the effects weren’t totally different.
Though, even if they were similar, they weren’t completely the same.
After all, the added effect of the red coral solution was a game changer.
The only use of the Colorful Potion was to purify the mana whirlpool.
There was no need to use a dangerous material that was full of mana
like the red coral solution for this.
Only the Spectrum Potion had this kind of mana requirement. Even if the
Spectrum Potion could also purify the mana whirlpool, the main effect
was to strengthen the mana whirlpool. After bathing in the glow of the
moonlight sand, the red coral solution’s mana was even more stable.
Adding the thousand knot flowers made it so that the mana could be
absorbed by mages.
Although absorbing the mana seemed difficult and would need a large
amount of time, it was extremely valuable. Even the worst mage would
be able to understand. What did a mage yearn for most? It was definitely
the chance to strengthen their mana whirlpool. As long as they had a
mana whirlpool that was strong enough, a mage could be nearly
omnipotent.
And the Spectrum Potion offered that possibility.
Despite it not being as good at purifying the mana whirlpool as the

Colorful Potion, there were no other alternatives for strengthening the
mana whirlpool, so the Spectrum Potion was bound to be worth more
than the Colorful Potion.
Especially for the mages that had yet to reach 9th Rank. They weren’t in
a hurry to purify their mana whirlpools and were still trying to just
strengthen them as much as possible. They were the true targets for the
sale of the Spectrum Potion. Moreover, there were far more of those
mages than the ones at 9th Rank who were on the verge of breaking
through.
“Oh right, Raymond, help me with something.”
“Eh? Help?” Raymond was still a bit dazed and subconsciously

expressed his confusion, but he immediately reacted and corrected
himself. ‘That’s a 20-year-old alchemist, he is someone that can trample
my pride anytime, I can’t offend him, I really can’t offend him.’
Thus, Raymond hurriedly answered with a smile, “Please tell me what to

do.”
Unfortunately for him, Lin Yun didn’t pay attention to the fact that
Raymond was addressing him so politely for the first time. He only took
the three potions from his pocket and said, “Help me deliver these
potions. This bottle is for the Victorious Return Main Street’s auction
house, tell them that I need it sold within three days, and let them decide
the price. This potion is for the Mage Guild, I need a library pass with the
highest privileges. As for the remaining potion… Do as you wish.”
“Okay, auction house, Mage Guild, me… As I wish…?”
“Yes, as you wish, you can decide. If you want to drink it or give it away,
do as you wish.”
“Eh…” The hand that was holding the Spectrum Potions suddenly shook,
and he nearly dropped the potions.
“These are Spectrum Potions. Besides purifying the mana whirlpool, it

can also strengthen the mana whirlpool. I see that you should be a 5th
Rank Mage, so drinking this should be very beneficial for you.”
“This… isn’t this too precious?” Raymond hadn’t expected that the last
bottle of potion would actually be given to himself. It turned out that this
wasn’t the Colorful Potion that he’d thought it was, but just by listening to
the description of its effects, he could tell that this potion was a treasure
among treasures. Purifying and strengthening the mana whirlpool at the
same time, either of these two effects was something that every mage
longed for, yet this did both at the same time!
Considering that Raymond had just been thinking about how he should
curry favor with Lin Yun, this was a bit too much. He originally thought
that since he had attacked a future Great Alchemist, even if he didn’t die,
he would still be in a precarious situation. He had already been trying to
figure out how to resolve this issue.
Yet in the end, after leaving the Gilded Rose, a pie fell from the sky,
leaving Raymond feeling confused and stunned. Even after a long time,
he still didn’t know what to do.
“Okay, hurry up and take care of it.” Gifting a bottle of Spectrum Potion
wasn’t that big of a deal to Lin Yun, so he didn’t take it to heart.
Only in the current era would a Spectrum Potion be regarded as

precious, because no technique to handle red coral solution had
appeared yet. However, that technique was nothing secret later on, and
red coral could be seen everywhere in this era. As long as Lin Yun
wanted, he could make dozens of Spectrum Potions, so giving out just
one potion as a reward was just being polite.
Raymond had helped him with enchanting the bottles, so he gave him a
Spectrum Potion as a reward, it was that simple.
As for what Raymond thought, Lin Yun truly didn’t have the time to care
about it…
After seeing the world end with his own eyes just a short while ago, he
had inexplicably ended up in an unfamiliar body. With such an exciting
and satisfying experience, he still hadn’t fully recovered from it. How
could he care about what sorts of social intrigue others were thinking?
Raymond did his work efficiently, and on the 3rd day at noon, the bell of
the Merlin family house resounded. After explaining to his father why he
had disappeared for two days, he went upstairs to Lin Yun’s room.
“This is the thirty thousand gold from the sale of the Spectrum Potion at
the auction house.” Raymond handed a crystal card over, some regret
showing on his face. “Unfortunately, time was too tight. The auction
house didn’t have enough time to spread the information about the item.
It could only reach the ears of the mages in Thousand Sails City, so in
the end, an 8th Rank Mage bought it. The auction staff said that if they
had a few more days, they could definitely have sold this Spectrum
Potion for at least fifty thousand gold.”
“Thirty thousand is enough.” Lin Yun shook his head. Whether it was
thirty thousand or fifty thousand, each was the same in his eyes. Indeed,
Lin Yun was in need of money, but just tens of thousands was really too
little. What Lin Yun wanted to do wasn’t something that could be
accomplished with a few tens of thousands gold, or even hundreds of
thousands.
But thirty thousand gold would be enough for their immediate daily
expenses. For Lin Yun, the first thing he needed to do was to get a
better understanding of this time period. Mafa Merlin was only a Magic
Apprentice, so he only knew things up to that level. He had no
understanding of the higher realms. His understanding of this world
through his memories was too limited to begin with.
Thus, Lin Yun was even more concerned about the whereabouts of the
2nd Spectrum Potion.
“What about the Mage Guild?”
“Eh? The Mage Guild…” Raymond had still been feeling regretful about
the loss of twenty thousand gold. Upon hearing Lin Yun’s words, he
remembered something and fished out a 2nd crystal card from his bag.
“It went very smoothly with the Mage Guild. I found a senior working
there and the higher-ups expressed their approval. But they asked
something. They would like for you to visit them when you have time.”
“There will be an opportunity for that.” Lin Yun put away the two crystal
cards, not expressing a clear refusal to the Mage Guild’s proposition.
Since he wanted to access the Mage Guild’s Library, there was no way
he could choose not to meet them. Rather than having someone
inquiring, it was better to meet them openly to see what they wanted.
“Good, I’ll go give the answer to my senior.”

“Wait a bit, I still need your help with something.”
‘A-again?’ Raymond almost spat out. After running around with the
Spectrum Potions these past few days, how could Raymond not know of
their true worth? That time, the auction house had disturbed their chief
alchemist to have him personally appraise that potion. The Mage Guild
even bothered one of their three big shots, someone that would rarely
appear in public, but he did come out to personally receive a mere 5th
Rank Mage. And for what? Out of respect for the Spectrum Potion…
And Raymond had one of these incredibly precious alchemy potions,

and he only got it by helping with enchanting a few glass bottles.
Now that he was being asked to help once again, Raymond was
naturally very willing to do so. He was yearning to be of use to Lin Yun.
Chapter 10: Sage Tower

“What do I need to do?”
“I need some magic materials. This is the list, can you see if you can
help me with it?” Lin Yun asked as he passed it over to Raymond.
After finishing the Spectrum Potions, Lin Yun had not gone out. He had
been very dissatisfied by the efficacy of his two Tornado Whips. Whether
it was power or accuracy, they were both miles apart from what he had
been capable of in the past. Lin Yun even doubted whether those spells
had been cast by him.
But after thinking about it, that Mafa Merlin had been stuck as an
apprentice for so long, which made it make more sense. He had very
poor innate talent. Whether it was sustaining mana or controlling it, his
ability was far below average. This could already be considered a flawed
body. Hard work and diligence could only make the accumulated mana
stronger, but he couldn’t overcome his body’s flaws and advance to
become a true mage.
Naturally, after Lin Yun arrived, he relied on his mana control that far
surpassed that of others of this era and used a method that could be
considered rough and simple to advance to the Mage realm. But this
was only because the master of the body was now Lin Yun, not because
the problem of this body had been settled.
The problem was far from being resolved. Although the mana whirlpool
had already smoothly taken shape, in the future, from Mage to Great
Mage, from Great Mage to High Mage, and from High Mage to
Archmage, each time he would have to break through, this body’s flaws
would cause Lin Yun further complications. If he didn’t solve that
problem early on, Lin Yun would suffer from it sooner or later.
In this era when the research on the subject hadn’t matured enough yet,
this kind of physical defect was equivalent to being cut off from the path
of mages. If one couldn’t even sustain a slightly more intense mana flow,
how could one become a qualified mage?
Fortunately for him, Lin Yun didn’t belong to this era.
Solving the problem of mana sustenance wasn’t a problem, as Lin Yun

had at least two ways.
One used a special meditation technique to change the pattern of his

mana flow, but the time needed for this method wasn’t insignificant. Lin
Yun wouldn’t be able to advance to become a Great Mage for at least
three to five years if he went down that path. The second one was using
an alchemy potion to strengthen one’s body. This method was a lot
faster, ten days at best, fifteen at worst, but compared to three to five
years, it was negligible.
Naturally, the cost of this method would be enormous. Many magic

materials could be described as precious even in this era, and the thirty
thousand gold in Lin Yun’s hands was far from enough…
But it wasn’t urgent. Lin Yun estimated that he should have a good
amount of time before advancing to Great Mage, so during that time, he
would get a better understanding of this world.
…
After getting another opportunity to help, Raymond simply couldn’t wait.

There wasn’t even enough time to relax as the rest of his ten-day
vacation wouldn’t be enough to finish this. He hurriedly hugged the
potion bottle and ran out, making the old butler shake his head with a
lonely expression. He sighed, muttering to himself that his son had
grown up and was no longer willing to stay and keep his old man
company.
“Indeed, he isn’t very filial. You should beat him up next time he
returns…” Lin Yun had no issue slandering Raymond as he prepared to
go to the Mage Guild.
The Mage Guild was also on the Victorious Return Main Street. It was
only two crossroads away from the Gilded Rose, and one could see the
Sage Tower reaching into the sky. The runes carved on the tower were
always flickering, and even when the sun was shining down, they would
still be covered in that mysterious dazzling light.
Lin Yun stood underneath the tower, sizing up the runes carved on its
exterior while waiting for the guard to inspect his pass. From the runes
carved on the tower, the tower should have been built in an era that
wasn’t peaceful, because those runes were mostly used in battles
between armies, at least on the scale of tens of thousands. Moreover,
from the mana flow of the runes, they had definitely been used more
than once. Rather than a tower, it was more suitable to call that place a
stronghold.
“Welcome to the Sage Tower.” When he saw the golden magic symbol
on the crystal card, the guard immediately stood at attention and his tone
became much more respectful. This symbol meant that the bearer had
the highest privileges and was free to read any book in the Sage Tower’s
library. In the entire Thousand Sails City, only seven people had that
privilege. Every one of them was a figure at the peak of their field. He
wasn’t someone a small guard like him could neglect.
“Thanks.” Lin Yun recovered the inspected pass and smiled at the
respectful guard before entering the millennium-old magic hall.
If one could say that the Sage Tower was the Thousand Sails City’s
palace of magic, then the Sage Tower’s library was definitely the
treasure room. It had the richest collection of books of all kinds in the
kingdom’s east. Countless sages had left their prints here, and every
year, countless mages went to the trouble of travelling across long
distances to come here and enter the Sage Tower’s library, even if it was
just to stand inside foolishly for a long time.
To mages, knowledge was like a drug, and their thirst for knowledge
surpassed everything. In the Loshent area, many mages would pay huge
sums that ordinary people couldn’t even imagine just to get a pass to the
Sage Tower’s library, and without any regrets.
Naturally, Lin Yun held the highest pass so he didn’t have this kind of
feeling.
Slowly going up a delicately decorated flight of steps, he would

sometimes brush past a few hurrying mages, and before long, Lin Yun
stood outside the library on the 18th floor of the Sage Tower.
The library was very peaceful. Looking from outside, one could see
many black-gowned silhouettes sitting down at various desks. They
would rarely talk among each other, and even when they had no other
choice but to talk, they would whisper very quietly to the point that Lin
Yun, who stood at the entrance, couldn’t hear anything except the
rustling noise of the pages being flipped.
‘Truly a good reading environment…’
Lin Yun entered the library and tried to not make a sound. He found an
empty desk leaning against the wall and set his pass down to show that
he had taken this spot. However, when he was about to go look for a
book, a young black-gowned mage sat in front of him.
When that young mage sat down, he put the three books in his hands
onto the desk with some force, letting out a loud thud. Lin Yun, who had
just gotten up, couldn’t help frowning as he gave the other mage a
strange look.
“What, Merlin, forgot me that fast?” The young mage seemed to be

around 25 years old, and he could be considered quite handsome, but
his current expression was very disagreeable. Thus, Lin Yun couldn’t
help frowning after seeing him.
But this young mage wasn’t Raymond. If Raymond saw Lin Yun frown,
he would definitely shut up. Ever since that day in the Gilded Rose
where Lin Yun almost killed him, Lin Yun had only frowned once, and
now he had frowned twice.
The one who had just come up didn’t seem to understand the meaning
behind the frown. Lin Yun’s frown was clearly unhappy, and he actually
didn’t seem to remember him at all, but that guy exaggeratedly
continued, “We saw each other last month, how could you forget me so
quickly? Being that forgetful isn’t good. I’m Mason, I beat your nose to a
bloody pulp at last month’s Chambers of Commerce Union gathering,
that Mason!”
“Mason?” Lin Yun carefully thought back through his newfound

memories and discovered that there was really such a person.
And he had left a deep impression…
Chapter 11: History

According to Mafa’s memories, this Mason fellow also came from a

merchant family. His father was Monchi, the president of one of the
seven great chambers of commerce of Thousand Sails City, the Twin
Moons chamber of commerce. As a matter of fact, the status of the Twin
Moons chamber of commerce was even higher than that of the Flashing
Gold chamber of commerce among the seven. After all, the Flashing
Gold chamber of commerce had only risen up in the last few decades
while the Twin Moons chamber of commerce had already established
itself for a millennium, and its true power was far stronger than what it
showed.
It was just that the Flashing Gold chamber of commerce had risen too
quickly these past decades, outshining the Twin Moons chamber of
commerce to the point that almost everyone believed that the number
one chamber of commerce in Thousand Sails City was the one headed
by the Merlins.
Coincidentally, Mason and Mafa both became Magic Apprentices later

on while the two major chambers of commerce were fighting, both
openly and covertly. Naturally, many busybodies started comparing the
two of them.
But that comparison stopped after a few months.
Because Mason managed to advance and became a mage.
Afterwards, at a meeting of the seven chambers of commerce, Mason

found an excuse to ruthlessly teach a lesson to Mafa. As he had just
said, he had beaten Mafa’s nose into a bloody pulp. That created a large
conflict between the two chambers of commerce. If not for Locke Merlin
having an accident at sea, who knew what would have happened.
This was definitely not a good memory for Mafa Merlin. It could even be
considered a great humiliation. But for Lin Yun, who had witnessed the
end of the world, this was really not worthy of his attention. A 9th Rank
Magic Apprentice and a 1st Rank Mage that relied on alchemy potions to
advance… Lin Yun felt like their struggles were similar to kids playing
house.
Thus, Lin Yun didn’t even bat an eye and only nodded, expressing his
understanding before turning to leave his desk for the first bookshelf in
front of him and focusing on what he had been looking for.
Soon, Lin Yun found what he needed, a thick book entitled Noscent
History. Lin Yun grabbed it and started slowly flipping through the pages.
Lin Yun was so focused and conscientious in his studying that he didn’t
even notice that Mason had already come over.
“Tsk tsk tsk, lemme see that… Noscent History? No way, it’s really
Noscent History, hahahaha! Merlin, you Magic Apprentices are really
strange…” As he said this, Mason’s laughter grew even more
exaggerated. “How much money did your Merlin family spend to send
you here? And you don’t even cherish this opportunity. This is the Sage
Tower’s library. Even if you don’t understand those books, you can still
get some insights from them if you try hard enough. There is no need to
put on an act and read children’s books. Tsk tsk tsk, Noscent History, I
would feel embarrassed for you if people saw you with that cover
showing…”
With an exaggerated double take, Mason continued, “Oh right, I forgot to

ask, didn’t the Flashing Gold chamber of commerce go bankrupt? How
could your family still have money? If I were you, I would repay the debts
first before spending money. I heard that a few days ago, your uncle
Fario took a contract to your house to ask for money. How about I ask
my father to lend you some gold for you to repay him first?”
Aft first, Lin Yun didn’t pay attention to him, but Mason kept on talking.
The more he talked, the more excited he became, as he had no intention
of letting Lin Yun off. Lin Yun finally frowned for the third time.
“Manager.” Lin Yun’s voice wasn’t loud, but it echoed for a bit in this
peaceful library and seemed abnormally lofty, to the point that many
reading mages couldn’t help glancing over, some curious, and some
annoyed. As for the library manager, a 30-year-old 9th Rank Mage, he
slowly came over from a doorway.
“What?” As the manager made his way over, his demeanor showed that
he was clearly annoyed. He had chosen to become the manager of the
library because this place was quiet, so he could ponder over his work or
other issues without being disturbed. But now he was being bothered by
two kids in their twenties, so it would be strange if he was in a good
mood.
“I would like to file a complaint against Mage Mason here. He is
excessively trying to chat me up and has already affected my reading
experience. So I hope that the library staff can keep him as far as
possible from me.”
“Mage Mason, is this the case?” Regardless of the reason, directly

disturbing others from reading was absolutely not allowed in the Sage
Tower’s library. Thus, the 9th Rank Mage looked at Mason with a severe
expression.
“No… It’s not like that!” Mason was suddenly startled. He had spent a lot
of his father’s money to be able to enter the Sage Tower’s library. It
would definitely be too unfair if he was kicked out now because of a few
sentences.
‘No good, I have to find an excuse.’
Mason glanced at Lin Yun and suddenly thought of a plan, so he kept his
voice and expression stable as he pointed at Lin Yun. “I only was
suspecting that he had entered the library through improper means and
wanted to question him.”
“Eh?”
“He simply doesn’t have the qualifications to stand here. He is called

Mafa Merlin, the son of Locke Merlin of the Flashing Gold chamber of
commerce, a 9th Rank Magic Apprentice. If I’m not wrong, only 1st Rank
Mages are qualified to enter the Sage Tower’s library.”
Once these words came out, not to mention the onlookers, even the 9th
Rank Mage was taken aback for an instant before turning to Lin Yun and
inquiring, “Mister Mafa Merlin, can I take a look at your pass?”
Calling him Mister and not Mage already showed that Mason’s words
had had some sort of effect.
But that effect instantly disappeared when Lin Yun handed over his
pass.
The 9th Rank Mage casually received the pass and then froze, before an
appalled expression appeared on his face. Even though he quickly
covered it up, when he spoke again, everyone could hear the respect in
his words.
“My apologies, Mage Merlin, I’ll properly take care of this matter and give
you a satisfactory explanation.”
After saying that, he respectfully returned the pass with two hands as if it
was a treasure.
‘You are kidding, the highest privilege pass, and it was issued two days
ago, what does that mean? Two days ago, the three big shots issued
such a pass in the middle of the night. If the mages of the Sage Tower
were to learn that the owner of that pass was wronged by the library
manager, I would be the first to suffer.’
“It’s not necessary.” Lin Yun nodded and put the pass into his pocket,
picking up the book about Noscent’s history once again.
“Mage Mason, please follow me.” On the side, the 9th Rank Mage’s face
was scarily gloomy. Although the words he used to address Mason
seemed very polite, just hearing the sinister tone was enough for Mason
to feel a chill.
It was no wonder that the 9th Rank Mage felt so resentful of Mason. He
truly had been led into a hole by that bastard. ‘You can’t just stick to
reading when you’re in the library? Do you want to cause trouble
everywhere? And you even had to provoke someone that alarmed the
three big shots. It’s fine if you are courting death, but why are you
involving me?’ As he stewed in his thoughts, the library manager
became more and more upset.
“I… I truly only had suspicions…”

As he was being led away by the 9th Rank Mage, Mason was still trying
to defend himself. Unfortunately for him, no one wanted to listen to what
he was saying anymore…
When those two left the library, Lin Yun had already flipped his way
through more than half of Noscent History.
‘This was actually a time transmigration of thirty thousand years.’
Lin Yun slowly closed the book. He didn’t need to look at the rest of the
contents. If the history he knew of wasn’t wrong, the current period
should be shortly after the destruction of the 3rd Dynasty. Mankind had
just recently started the era of Plane Colonization, and there were about
thirty thousand years left until the eventual destruction of Noscent.
This was a truly great era.
Noscent’s glorious magic civilization started during the colonization era.
Countless resources passed through the colonies and endlessly flew

towards Noscent, the magic civilization expanded at a crazy speed, the
power and the ambitions of mages increased accordingly, and the magic
system was overturned time and time again. The magic civilization was
pushed towards a peak that could never have been imagined before.
All the way up until Noscent’s mana was exhausted and the mages that
could once be compared to gods fell back to being mortals. The formerly
glorious magic civilization dimmed, and the world ended up being
swallowed in flames and darkness.
Of course, all this had yet to happen.
Lin Yun put Noscent History back on the shelf and then took a book on
the Jide Formula.
From this book, he could see that the Sage Tower truly had a rich
collection. Lin Yun had read about the Jide Formula in that decayed
library in the end of time. That place had been said to contain the last
embers of the magic civilization. The books that could be stored there,
even in a corner, were definitely quality books among quality books.
Naturally, the two versions of the Jide Formula had huge differences.
This was normal, since the one that Lin Yun had read about had been
refined by countless mages over countless years. It had already been
revised close to the point of perfection.
Compared to that, the book in his hands could be considered a semi-

finished product at best…
But to Lin Yun, it didn’t matter whether it was only semi-finished or not.
He knew the perfected Jide Formula so well that even if he had the
finalized version in front of him, it would be a bit of review. What Lin Yun
wanted to do with this Jide Formula was to judge the magical knowledge
of this era and what kind of level it had reached. This would let Lin Yun
better understand the period that he was now in.
A book on Noscent’s history wasn’t enough.
In fact, Lin Yun’s only knowledge of this era so far was the point in
history that he was currently in.
Nothing could be done about it. There were a lot of useful things in the
end of the world, but that definitely didn’t include a detailed record of
history. In a world where surviving to the next day wasn’t certain, who
would want to pay attention to what had happened so long ago in the
past? In fact, about a hundred years after the mana was exhausted,
Noscent’s history had been almost completely severed. Lin Yun only
knew about some major events that had been passed down by word of
mouth through some stories. As for the details, as Lin Yun put it, ‘All the
conscientious historians died…’
Lin Yun sighed and focused his attention back onto the Jide Formula.
Chapter 12: Get Him Out of Here

At that time, someone knocked on the door of the reception room on the
top floor of the Sage Tower.
Three people were sitting in the reception room, one old, one middle-
aged, and one young. The old one was wearing a gray gown. He had a
grizzled beard and thin figure and was issuing a few coughs from time to
time, his body seeming to be in poor shape. In comparison, the middle-
aged man sitting in front of him seemed a lot more lively, his hair and
beard meticulously combed. And although the clothes he wore seemed
neither luxurious nor ostentatious, the exquisite clothing was finely
handcrafted. A person with a discerning eye would notice that they had
been made by a famous tailor. It was highly possible that this set of
clothes was worth enough to pay for the expenses of an ordinary family
for an entire year.
The youth sitting to the side wasn’t even 30 years old, but the shocking
part was that the cuffs of his black gown had some thin, silver lines.
In other words, this was a Great Mage that was less than 30 years old!
But in this reception room, whether it was the rich middle-aged man or
the young Great Mage, they both had a very respectful attitude toward
the old man.
This was because that old man was the leader of Thousand Sails City
Mage Guild, one of the three big shots of the Sage Tower, Solomon.
In Thousand Sails City, the three big shots of the Sage Tower were
legendary existences. They would rarely appear in public, and in the
past few years, almost no one had ever caught sight of them. People
only knew that these three powerful mages who were jointly controlling
the Sage Tower had been on the path of growing as High Mages for the
past dozen years or so, and that they had deep and unmeasurable
strength.
Their existences were the sole reason that the Mage Guild towered
above Thousand Sails City. No one would challenge the Mage Guild.
Who would dare to face the fury of three High Mages? It would be a
joke. It had to be known that they weren’t some kind and benevolent
elders. Back in the days, the outstanding and vicious bandit group called
Black Wing was burnt to ashes by these three big shots. That bandit
group had consisted of more than a thousand people, but ultimately, no
one was left alive.
“Come in.” The knocking sound had interrupted the discussion between
the three men. The old man could only smile apologetically at his two
guests.
“President Monchi, Mage Ryan, I’m sorry for the disturbance.” The one
who opened the door was a young mage that was perhaps almost thirty.
If Lin Yun were there, he would definitely be able to recognize him at first
sight. That young mage had been in the library earlier, and when Mason
was taken away, he had thrown a few curious glances at Lin Yun.
After entering, the young mage first apologized to the two guests before
whispering a few words into Solomon’s ear.
“Okay, I understand.” After listening to the young mage’s report,

Solomon merely nodded and did not give the young mage a real
response. In fact, he turned towards the two guests with an apologetic
smile. “I’m truly sorry, President Monchi, a problem happened in the
library.”
‘The library?’ When Monchi heard that, his eyelids twitched a little. ‘Isn’t
Mason in the library right now?’
How could Monchi not know of his son’s character? Usually taking
advantage of his family’s influence, he didn’t have any scruples doing
anything he wanted. And with Mage Ryan’s help, he had recently
advanced and become a new Mage. Feeling burgeoning pride in his
recent success, he became even more arrogant, to the point that at the
last gathering of the seven chambers of commerce, he had casually
found an excuse to punch Locke Merlin’s son, almost creating a huge
problem.
Currently, he had poured a huge amount of money into drawing up a

plan to cooperate with the Sage tower, sending his son to the library in
the meantime, as he had felt that it was less likely to come into conflict
with anyone when everyone there was just quietly reading. Before he
left, he had specially warned his son that the Sage Tower wasn’t just any
place. He couldn’t act arrogant there or he would bring a lot of trouble to
the family.
As he thought of what might have happened, Monchi couldn’t help

having a headache. Sometimes, he really couldn’t understand. They
were both his sons, so why was the difference between Mason and
Ryan so great? One was steady and shrewd, managing to become a
Great Mage at a young age, while the other was always only stirring up
trouble. Even his eventual breakthrough to become a mage had only
been accomplished through relying on his older brother.
After he returned this time, he would properly discipline Mason.

Otherwise, if it kept going, he would bring a great disaster to the family.
Monchi hesitated for a while before forcing himself to ask, “Leader

Solomon, did Mason…”
“Don’t mind it, it was a minor issue.” Solomon waved his hand, his smile
still on his face, “A disagreement happened between Mason and a
young mage just now in the library, it’s not that big of a deal, Solon took
care of it.”
“I am truly ashamed…” Monchi repeatedly apologized while relaxing

somewhat. Hearing Solomon’s tone, it seemed that, thankfully, Mason
must not have have provoked an important mage of the Sage Tower. If
that was the case, giving Solomon a suitable apology and then paying
his respects to the Sage Tower should be enough.
As for that young mage, it would be better for him to be tactful. If he

wanted to get into trouble with someone, he should know who he was
talking to. The Monchi family wasn’t one to be trifled with.
The only thing that mattered now was the attitude of the Sage Tower, but
it seemed that there was not much problem with it. After all, he had
brought up the cooperation plan, so he should have a lot of sway for the
Sage Tower right now. At this crucial moment, Solomon would give him
some face despite his son’s actions.
Just as Monchi expected, Solomon quickly accepted his apologies and
didn’t talk further about Mason’s faults. Afterwards, the discussion
continued quite pleasantly and was no longer just limited to business
talk. It wasn’t so stiff anymore so the atmosphere in the reception room
naturally became more harmonious sounding more like old friends were
talking.
Solomon even talked about of some of his past experiences. He was

someone who had been a High Mage for more than a dozen of years,
after all. His experiences were legends for many people. Regardless of
whether it was the extremely wealthy Monchi or the Great Mage Ryan
who broke through before even reaching 30, they both listened,
enraptured, as these stories were an eye-opener to them.
When leaving, Solomon surprisingly also accompanied them to the door.

This was a rarely seen treatment and was happening for the first time in
years.
After seeing off the father and son, Solomon returned to the reception
room once again. Solon, who had been waiting there the whole time,
carefully asked, “Teacher, should I appease Mason?”
Solon assumed that since his teacher had talked so happily with this
father and son duo for all this time, the Sage Tower and the Twin Moons
chamber of commerce would most likely finalize the cooperation
agreement, and the young Mason who had been driven away from the
library might need to be appeased. He was Monchi’s son after all. If he
made too much noise, it might not bring any benefit to the imminent
partnership.
Solon hadn’t expected that after sitting down, the old man would fire off
such sharp words.
“What do you mean, appease? Get him out of here!”
Chapter 13: Here We Go Again

“Ah?”
“Ah what? Causing trouble in the library is definitely an affront to the

dignity of the Mage Guild. Not breaking his legs is already letting him off
easy. Oh right, if that Monchi comes to look for me tomorrow, you can
tell him that I went to Olana and that I will take ten days… No, I should
come back in a month.”
“Ah?”
Solon didn’t even know how to react to this. ‘Wh-what’s happening,

didn’t teacher change his attitude way too quickly?’
‘Wasn’t he chatting very happily just now? Why did he suddenly become
so hostile and tell me to get Mason out of here? And then afterwards, he
no longer even welcomes Monchi himself? Isn’t this a bit irrational?’
“You seem rather confused about this. Speaking of that, it’s not without
reason that you took so long to advance to Great Mage. You are not
using your brain properly, why do you think I chatted that pair of father
and son so much? Isn’t it because I don’t want to hear about their
proposition? If not for the sake of those old guys of the black tower, I
would have already kicked them out too.”
“But why? Teacher, didn’t you say before that the cooperation with
Monchi was truly advantageous? That it would bring benefits to our Sage
Tower without bringing any troubles?” Solomon hadn’t explained his
sudden change of heart, and thus, Solon couldn’t understand.
“That was before!” Solomon looked at his disciple unhappily, a sneer

appearing on his old face. “That father-son pair really thinks that I’m
clueless because I’m old. Locke Merlin’s shipwreck last month definitely
had the shadow of the Twin Moons chamber of commerce behind it.”
“…” This time, Solon didn’t say anything. He only glanced at the old man
while having some doubts in his heart. ‘Locke Merlin’s death was a
month ago and you are only just now thinking of fighting for justice?
Since when did you become so righteous?’
“Why are you looking at me like that?” Solomon suddenly flew into a
rage, viciously lashing out at his disciple, “Are you implying that I, your
teacher, am not a man of justice? That’s why you spent so long to
become a Great Mage, it really makes sense, you really can’t
understand the path your teacher is teaching you!”
“No no no, Teacher, you misunderstand…” Faced with such vicious

scolding, the young Great Mage was quickly driven to the verge of tears.
“Forget it, this isn’t important…” Solomon waved his hand and let his
only disciple off the hook for now. “What’s important is that the owner of
the pass is Locke Merlin’s son. Since that’s the case, I need to be
righteous here.”
“Why is that?”
“Because that pass was granted for an alchemy potion.”
“You mean, the alchemy potion that we received a few days ago?” As
Solomon’s only disciple, Solon naturally knew that a few days ago,
someone had brought a potion to the Sage Tower and exchanged it for
the pass that granted the highest privileges, but Solon still wasn’t clear
about the details of the potion. Even hearing Solomon talk about it now,
he still felt a bit unconvinced. “That potion is that important?”
“If you dare to ask that in front of Thorpe, he will be happy to air dry you
until you shrivel up and then turn you into an experiment.”
“…” The young Great Mage immediately shrank back. Great Alchemist
Thorpe, one of the three people in charge of the Sage Tower… If he
really wanted to turn him into an experiment, then even his teacher’s
reputation might not stop him. That was the only dangerous person in
the entire Sage Tower that would dare to curse in front of his teacher’s
desk.
However, after the initial twinge of fear, Solon couldn’t help feeling
curious. What kind of potion would make the three big shots so
interested…
Originally, Solon had guessed that this potion might have used some
precious materials or might have been something that one of them had
needed for a long time.
But Solon definitely didn’t expect that it would be so serious. Serious

was the wrong word… Would Thorpe really have made him into an
experiment for questioning the importance of that potion?
“I’m not just trying to frighten you, you just haven’t seen old Thorpe’s
reaction. Excited wasn’t enough to describe him when he held that
potion bottle, he was stuttering and stammering as he shouted
something masterpiece, something Great Master, something bound to
be written in history books, and so on. In any case, he was in a bizarre
state…”
The young mage became even more intrigued. Thorpe was a publicly
known figure with the greatest achievements in potioneering in the entire
Thousand Sails City, and he had always set his gaze very high. Even
that Great Alchemist of the Twin Moons chamber of commerce didn’t
enter his sight, as he had always been disdainful of both predecessors
and newcomers.
For many years, Solon had rarely heard him give anyone the slightest bit
of praise. Just hearing the words “acceptable” from him was already an
honor.
But he actually lost control of himself? Even talking about it being written
in future history books…
‘Was that potion really that miraculous?’ he wondered.

“You know me, I’m not an expert in potioneering alchemy.” Solomon
glanced at his disciple, giving him a rather irresponsible answer to his
unspoken question. “In any case, I heard Thorpe say that each bottle of
this alchemy potion might bring another Great Mage to the Sage Tower!”
Just as he finished this sentence, Solon couldn’t help sucking in cold air.
‘What was all this about Great Master, Masterpiece, and history books,
the matter of Great Mages was far easier to understand…’
The Sage Tower had a total of 13 Great Mages, of which only 7 resided
there permanently. The big three had usually remained in seclusion for
most of the past decade, and the Sage Tower’s external expansion,
fights over resources, and other conflicts were simply in the hands of
these seven Great Mages. In other words, the current Sage Tower’s
status was half-established by these Great Mages.
That was the case with seven Great Mages…
If it really was like Thorpe had said, and each bottle of potion was able to
bring a Great Mage to the Sage Tower, then Solon really didn’t dare to
imagine what kind of scene it would be.
It was no exaggeration to say that any power that could obtain the favor
of that Great Alchemist might easily be able to rival the Sage Tower in
Thousand Sails City. This was a factor that the three big shots had taken
into account. If that person had a way to restrain the three of them, then
destroying the Sage Tower might be as easy as waving his hand…
Thinking of this, cold sweat dripped down Solon’s forehead.
The bright side was that the Great Alchemist apparently seemed to
prefer remaining inconspicuous. He hadn’t made his plans public yet,
whatever they were. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have had a young mage
deliver the potion and then gifted the pass to another young mage.
The key to figuring these things out should be these two young mages…
Especially that Mafa Merlin. He should have a rather close relationship

with the creator, or else the alchemist wouldn’t have given him the pass.
‘No wonder teacher would have such an attitude…’ Solon concluded. ‘If
it really was like Teacher said and the Twin Moons chamber of
commerce was linked to Locke Merlin’s shipwreck in a bad way, and
their plot was brought out to light, then that chamber of commerce might
face the fury of an incredible Great Alchemist…’
As Solon considered the idea, Solomon concluded their discussion.

“Knowing the current situation, only a fool would cooperate with the Twin
Moons chamber of commerce.”
“…” The young mage suddenly sympathized with that father-son pair. In
order to cooperate with the Sage Tower, they had prepared for half a
year and accepted all kinds of conditions, but in the end, it wasn’t as
good as a single potion.
“Okay, I told you everything that you needed to know about this, so you
decide how to handle it. Don’t always rely on me. You’ll take over my
seat sooner or later, after all. It’ll be good for you to learn how to deal
with these kinds of matters.”
“Yes, I’ll take care of it…”
A month passed. Ever since that conversation in the reception room,

Solon had felt that paying close attention to that young mage was an
absolute must.
From his observations, Solon found out that this young mage was truly
interesting. His range of reading material was really vast, from light
reading material about Noscent’s history to the profound and abstract
knowledge of the Jide Formula, he would casually hold a book and read
it all day long. Sometimes, Solon even doubted whether there was any
sort of criteria for the books he picked out, or if he was just reading for
the sake of reading.
Quite a few times, Solon wanted to remind him that the chance to enter
the Sage Tower’s library really was a rare opportunity. Many mages
would even sell their entire family fortune for the chance, while he didn’t
seem to be cherishing it, picking random books every day, completely
without rhyme or reason, sometimes reading them with great interest as
though he was just reading for fun. Solon wanted to tell him that he
might one day regret treating this opportunity so lightly…
And today was such a day.
Solon went to the library after breakfast. As always, he glanced at a

particular corner because he knew that every day at this time, that young
mage would sit at the same desk and would spend the whole day
reading after casually picking up a book.
Sure enough, when Solon glanced there, that young mage was already
sitting at his seat, holding a book with a red striped cover and reading it
with great interest.
‘Here we go again…’ Solon sighed. It didn’t seem to be light reading

today, but in Solon’s eyes, this wasn’t too different from light reading.
The red stripes on the cover meant that the knowledge of the magic
book was at least Great Mage level. For a recently advanced 1st Rank
Mage, how could it not be leisure reading?
Moreover, it wasn’t the first time Mafa had done something like that.
Solon even saw him reading a silver striped magic book with great
interest once. That was preposterous, as that meant that the contents
included knowledge on the level appropriate for High Mages.
Solon really couldn’t stand watching anymore. How could a mage who
wasn’t respectful of knowledge itself have any accomplishments in
magic?
Even a book that only Great Mages were qualified to read was just
leisure reading material to him. He definitely wasn’t pondering over the
information, as he wasn’t even taking notes or pausing. He was simply
flipping through page after page with a pleased expression on his face,
to the point that Solon even wondered if he was trying to study at all, or
just relaxing.
Solon would have been astounded if he’d discovered that he had
actually guessed correctly this time…
Chapter 14: Reaching Beyond His Grasp

Lin Yun truly had tired himself out this month. In order to quickly
understand the current era, Lin Yun had swept across more than a
dozen bookshelves. Such frightening reading speed, if someone else
had tried that, their mind might have already melted.
When Lin Yun walked into the library today, he decided to take a rest
day and not overwork his brain with the relatively dry and uninteresting
historical knowledge or the task of comparing the magic knowledge of
the two different eras. He decided to look for a relaxing book to pass
time…
Thus, Lin Yun picked up a book called The Fanrusen Formula.
To Lin Yun, these books that were intended for Great Mage were
nothing more than leisure reading material. It definitely didn’t require
much brain power for him to read page after page. From time to time he
would find some mistakes inside and would mutter to himself, criticizing
the errors.
Sitting under the gentle rays of the sun, reading a light book while
scolding the author, truly a beautiful life.
“Tsk tsk tsk, a High Mage that doesn’t know right from wrong, he still
believes in that superstitious seven string theory? Shrinking the mana
whirlpool and cross-arranging? Such a mess…”
“What is a mess?” When Solon approached, he happened to hear that

last part and couldn’t help giving that young mage a strange look.
“Good morning, Mage Solon. Nothing is a mess, did you mishear?” How
could Lin Yun own up to his words just now? He just raised his head and
answered, playing dumb.
“Is that so…” Solon smiled and did not comment. He didn’t pursue that
line of questioning, as he felt that it didn’t really matter. He had come
over to give some reminders to this young mage out of good will, after
all.
Perhaps it was because he had gotten his pass too easily, but this young
mage wasn’t treasuring it at all, and whether it was the way he chose
books or his attitude while reading these books, they both seemed too
casual, lacking the proper seriousness. He might not feel anything about
it now, but in a few years, when he strove to attack the Great Mage
realm, he would definitely feel regret that he wasn’t conscientious
enough back then.
As someone who was more experienced and who could be considered

part of an older generation, Solon really didn’t want to see something like
this happening. Sometimes, if the opportunity was missed, it couldn’t be
grasped again and it would be too late for anything but useless regrets.
“Mage Merlin, that…” Solon started talking, before hesitating a bit.

Although this person was merely a 1st Rank Mage, behind him most
likely stood a Great Alchemist. Naturally, he couldn’t lecture him in a way
that might draw his ire.
“Eh? What?”
After a slight pause, Solon answered, “It’s not an important matter, I just
came over to ask if Mage Merlin had any requests. You are one of the
noble guests with the highest pass, so if you have any requests, we will
definitely satisfy your needs.” After this polite opening, Solon stopped
and suddenly said, “Oh right, Mage Merlin, I wonder if you need some
book recommendations? I’ve worked here for two years and could be
considered to have some understanding of the books here.”
Solon felt a bit helpless about having to be so polite to a 1st Rank Mage.
He couldn’t do anything about it, since there might be a hidden Great
Alchemist behind this fellow. In this situation, even his teacher Solomon
didn’t want to act without thinking. Even if he wanted to give him a
suggestion, he could only recommend it very tactfully. He had to
consider the consequences, after all. If he was too direct, he might
exasperate this young mage, and who knew what kind of temperament
he might have…
Thus, Solon could only inwardly sigh, ‘I’ve given you the opportunity, it’s
up to you whether you grab it or not.’
“How could I trouble you with that…” Lin Yun felt that this was a bit of an
annoyance. He had finally decided to take a rest day. ‘What kind of
recommendation can you give me? Are you disturbing me on purpose?’
But declining was no good because Lin Yun could tell that this library
manager really had good intentions. Thus, Lin Yun could only say a few
polite words while inwardly considering what kind of excuse he could use
to brush him off.
“Mage Merlin is truly too polite. Regardless of anything else, you are an
esteemed guest of our Sage Tower, so offering you a bit of help is
definitely something we should do.”
The young Great Mage then started enthusiastically introducing a few

books. “You should be a 1st Rank Mage, right? If you are interested, I
would recommend you to study Gaude’s Notes. Those notes were left
behind by Archmage Gaude, the last Archmage of the 3rd Dynasty. He
recorded all his experiences during his progress through the Mage
realm. Oh right, Farrel’s Conjectures is another interesting read.
Although many of his theories have already been proven to be wrong, I
personally feel that the way he pondered through novel ideas with a wild
imagination is worth learning from.”
“Sure, sure, I’ll go take a look later.” Despite this young Great Mage
being very passionate about the matter, to Lin Yun, these
recommendations really weren’t worth mentioning. they were too shallow
and were for complete beginners. They couldn’t even be leisure reading
materials for him. Reading through them would only have a hypnotic
effect, making him drowsy.
“Okay, and if these don’t interest you, then I would suggest that you
research the Flame Spear spell. That’s the spell closest to Great Mage
level spells. You might need it in the future…” Sensing that the other
side was answering perfunctorily, Solon’s tone became harsher. He
especially emphasized the last word, ‘future’, to remind him that he was
but a mere 1st Rank Mage now!
Unfortunately, Lin Yun had no reaction after hearing that. In fact, the
mention of the Flame Spear spell made him remember something else.
“Oh right, Mage Solon, I heard that the Sage Tower seems to have
collected the full Star Path incantation, I wonder if I could be allowed to
broaden my horizons?”
If there were any spells in this era that could interest Lin Yun, Star Path
would be one of them. Even at the peak of the magic civilization
countless years later, those powerful mages still had a very high
assessment of that particular incantation.
Lin Yin had actually seen the Star Path incantation in that decaying
library, but that one had already passed through countless edits and
revisions. Lin Yun had never seen the original version.
“Star Path?” Solon almost laughed out loud when he heard that. It was
true that the Sage Tower had collected the entire Star Path incantation,
but that spell was on the level of forbidden magic. Even if the big three
joined hands, nothing would come of it. How could a mere 1st Rank
Mage dare to think about it?
Not knowing whether he should laugh or cry, Solon answered once

again, but he wasn’t as polite as before. “Mage Merlin, don’t you think it’s
a bit too early for you to study Star Path now? What I say might not be
pleasant to hear, but you are a 1st Rank Mage, there aren’t that many
books suitable for you in this library and so the choices that would be
proper for you are really limited. There is no one that can jump through
into the heavens of the magic world in a single step. Even if I arranged
the Star Path in front of you, would you be able to understand any of the
runes?”
“…” Lin Yun very much wanted to answer that he would indeed be able
to understand them. ‘I have seen them so many times, how could I not
understand them?’
Unfortunately, the young mage didn’t give him the opportunity to answer.
“Well, Mage Merlin, I still have something to take care of, so I’ll take my
leave.”
Solon exited the library with a belly full of grievances, and after thinking
for a bit, he once again returned to the study at the top floor of the Sage
Tower.
Solomon was sitting by the fireplace, a gray blanket covering his thin
body, a magic book propped open across his knees, with a fierce cough
bursting out from time to time…
‘Teacher’s body is getting worse…’
Solon sighed inwardly when he entered. Solomon had been seriously

injured twenty years ago. This was a secret that only a few people of the
Sage Tower knew about. Most mages didn’t know what had originally
caused his condition. It was because of this serious injury that Solomon
had lived a life of seclusion for so many years, his strength stopping at
the peak of High Mage, unable to break through.
“Teacher, your cough is getting worse. Should I ask High Mage Thorpe
to make a few potions for you?”
“No. Thorpe’s potions are too unpleasant to drink. I don’t want to drink
those horrors. In any case, it’s been so many years and my body still
hasn’t failed yet.”
“Understood…” Solon had a sad expression. Solomon’s condition was

the thorn in the minds of all the mages of the Sage Tower. Everyone
hoped for the High Mage to recover soon, but no one found an effective
remedy. Even the Great Alchemist Thorpe had tried for two years before
having no other choice but to give up. He was only able to refine a few
potions for Solomon from time to time to lessen the pain when his
condition flared up.
In fact, Solomon himself didn’t really take it to heart. “Oh right, you came
from the library? How are things with that young mage, Merlin?”
“Still the same, he would come first every day and leave last.”
“You have been in contact for so long, what do you think of that young
mage?”
“He behaves very well, and he is very smart and courteous, but…”
“But?”
“But he seems to be reaching for what is beyond his grasp.”
“Eh?”
Solon thought about what had happened in these past days, hesitated
for a while, but then finally explained, “Oh right, today he looked at a
book on the Fanrusen Formula. When I went over, I seemed to have
heard him saying that it was a mess.”
Chapter 15: Cut It Out Already!

“A mess?”
Solon carefully thought back to what he had heard and hesitantly

continued, “It seemed to be about the seven string theory.”
It had only been some mumbles under the breath, and Solon himself
hadn’t taken it to heart. However, he hadn’t expected that these words
would make the old mage resting with his eyes closed suddenly sit up
straight and give him a sharp look. “Are you saying that he looked at the
Fanrusen Formula and assessed that the seven string theory was a
mess?”
“Yes… That should be what he said, more or less.” Solon was a bit
overwhelmed by his teacher’s sudden reaction.
“That’s not completely implausible…” Solomon smiled and then chanted
an incantation. A bony finger softly slid through the air as huge amount
of mana gathered at his fingertip. A light that was visible to the naked
eye streaked across the air in front of him, and immediately after, the
entire region of space before him seemed to be torn apart, exposing a
curtain made of white light.
In this light curtain, a young mage was sitting at a desk, leisurely looking
at a book, a smile appearing on his face from time to time while he
seemed to be mumbling some things to himself.
This was a replay of everything that had happened in the library earlier.
The High Mage’s Temporal Recall could even track a scene that had
happened more than ten years ago, let alone a scene that had just taken
place nearby.
Of course, the more recent the event, the clearer the scene would be.
Even now, the scene in the light curtain was so clear that each hair of
the young mage could be clearly seen. Even Solon had no problem
seeing all the details from behind his teacher. That young mage was
holding the book about the Fanrusen Formula, flipping through the
pages very quickly while having a weird smile plastered on his face, as if
he was looking at something ridiculous.
‘What is so ridiculous about it?’
The young Solon thought for a long time, but he couldn’t understand. But
the High Mage before him seemed to have noticed something as
amazement suddenly appeared on his old face.
When he reached the 12th page of the book, the young mage on the
light curtain put the book down, and the smile on his face on his face
seemed even more derisive as he mumbled some things while
facepalming.
At first, Solomon’s face was filled with amazement, but when he realized
what the young mage had mumbled, the High Mage suddenly paled, and
the right hand casting the Temporal Recall suddenly shook, causing the
curtain of white light to flicker, making the image lose focus.
“Teacher, you…” The young Great Mage was worried. It was the first
time in many years that he had seen his teacher forget himself in the
Sage Tower.
“It’s nothing…” Solomon shook his head as he scattered the Temporal

Recall spell, which had already lost its stability. “Okay, you leave first, I
need to think about something.”
“Yes, Teacher.”
After Solon walked out, the study became quiet once again.
Solomon sat still for a bit before getting up. He went to a desk at the
edge of his room and sat down to begin writing a letter.
This letter was written to Star Sage Jouyi, one of the three Archmages of
the east. He was also the one who had taught Solomon for twenty years.
Solomon wrote down everything he had just seen while using Temporal
Recall.
Solomon didn’t tell Solon that Mafa Merlin wasn’t the first mage who had
said that the seven string theory was a mess.
The words had made Solomon remember that he had heard at least one
other mage say that before.
And that was Star Sage Jouyi!
A few years ago, there had been some research done on the seven
string theory in the Cloud Tower, and the one in charge of that task was
the Star Sage. At that time, he had said the same words, that the seven
string theory was simply a mess. It had sent who-knew-how-many
mages down a winding road… But the research into the seven string
theory in the Cloud Tower didn’t make much progress. They lacked a
few crucial pieces of data, causing the whole project to stagnate.
But just now, upon seeing the 12th page of the Fanrusen Formula, that
young mage had mumbled a few sentences to himself.
Temporal Recall didn’t reproduce any sounds, so Solomon didn’t

actually hear what the young mage had said. However, he had become
very good at lip reading because of how often he had used this spell.
The mage had muttered something in the Nesser Language. His words
contained four key pieces of data, and those four might be the key points
that could prove the seven string theory wrong.
This was why Solomon had been so agitated…
After finishing the letter, Solomon sealed the envelope and called for
Solon to come back in.
“Send this letter to the Cloud Tower, it is for Star Sage Jouyi.”
“Yes, I will ensure that it is done.”
“Oh right, tomorrow when Mafa Merlin comes, invite him here. I have
some things I want to ask him.”
“I will, Teacher.” When Solon withdrew from the study room once again,
his mind was full of doubts and amazement.
After all, Solomon’s study wasn’t a place that just anyone could enter.
Even Monchi and Ryan had only been invited to the reception room. One
of them was a rich businessman of Thousand Sails City and the other
was a Great Mage that wasn’t even 30 yet, and they had came with a
huge plan that had been prepared for months.
What was so special about that young mage…? But the comment about
the “mess” had made his teacher lose his self-control and fail to maintain
the Temporal Recall… And now he was even inviting that young mage to
his study for a chat.
…
In the end, Lin Yun didn’t go to the library the next day.
That day was the day of the Gilded Rose’s reopening. With the thirty
thousand gold from the auction, the old butler was a lot more relaxed.
Not only had they settled Fario’s debt, but the butler had even begun to
draw up plans for the revival of the Flashing Gold chamber of commerce.
Lin Yun originally didn’t want to worry too much about it. Thirty thousand
wasn’t that big of a number, and he could just casually buy some magic
materials to deal with the daily expenses. But reviving the Flashing Gold
chamber of commerce… Wasn’t that a bit too much?
But the old butler couldn’t wait to settle that matter…
After Lin Yun turned him down a few times, the old butler began to act
like a rascal. He would sigh every day within Lin Yun’s hearing range,
talking about how he was getting on in his years and that he knew he
didn’t have long to live. If he suddenly departed and met the old master
in the heavens, would he have to explain that after so many years of
flourishing, the Flashing Gold chamber of commerce was now on the
verge of death?
In the end, Lin Yun had no choice but to make concessions. There was
no point mentioning the revival of the Flashing Gold chamber of
commerce yet, but the Gilded Rose could actually be reopened almost
immediately.
Thus, the twenty-some thousand gold that was left over was put into
renovation, employee recruitment, and material purchases… Not much
remained of the money.
The old butler was left dumbfounded…
‘What can we do? We have no money left… What about the alchemist?
An alchemist workshop without an alchemist… What difference is there
from opening a restaurant without a chef?’
When this matter had come to light, the old man had gained a few more
white hairs. Nothing could be done about it, since alchemists had very
high status. Even if all the twenty thousand gold had been used for it, it
would only have been enough to pay for the wages of a peak alchemist
for perhaps two months, let alone now that they only had a few hundred
gold left on hand. Did they have to hire apprentice alchemists to make it
up?
This would ruin their reputation…
Since there was no other choice, Lin Yun had to personally act.
After coming out from the Sage Tower the day before, Lin Yun did not
head straight home, instead heading to the alchemy laboratory of the
Gilded Rose. He spent the entire night using the remain cheap materials
to make a dozen potions, along with a few magic armors and magic
weapons. As for magic tools, he was powerless to do anything about it.
He was restricted by the shoddy materials. Even if Lin Yun had
knowledge that transcended the era, he couldn’t make miracles out of
nothing.
As for the grand reopening, there was no need for Lin Yun to worry
about it. This was in the hands of the old butler. Lin Yun simply handed
over the results of one night of work before finding a room in the Gilded
Rose to sleep.
After spending the night hard at work, even an energetic alchemist

wouldn’t be able to handle it.
Lin Yun’s mana whirlpool was far more robust than that of ordinary
mages, while his mind had the knowledge of alchemy far beyond the
people of this era. Many problems that his contemporaries would be
unable to settle were casual matters in his hands.
But even if that was the case, this night had exhausted all of Lin Yun’s
energy, as the mana whirlpool within his body had been working on
overload, almost exhausting his reserves. It was quite nice to be able to
lie down for some rest.
He kept sleeping through the afternoon, and when the sun was about to
set, Lin Yun was woken up by a loud sound.
“Someone is courting death…” Lin Yun said, still half-asleep, before

turning to face the other side to try to rest a bit more.
But it seemed that the person outside was deliberately set against him.
Before he even finished rolling over, he heard a loud “Bang” come from
outside. It wasn’t from the door, but from the sales counter…
“Cut it out already!” This time, Lin Yun could no longer bear with it and
angrily got out of bed, dressing himself and heading for the door. ‘I want
to see who dares to cause trouble here.’
After entering the hall, he saw a group of people in a circle. A shelf had
been knocked down, the counter had been smashed, and the recently
decorated hall was left in a complete mess. A few employees were
already ducking on the side while the old butler was arguing loudly with
that group. One young mage seemed especially conspicuous.
“Smash everything! You dare sell fake items to me? Don’t look at me like
that, you think that I’m easy to bully? I’ll let you know, old geezer, if you
don’t hand Merlin to me right now, not only will I smash this thieving
shop, I’ll report it to the Chambers of Commerce Union and have
Thousand Sails City’s people take a look at how shameless the Flashing
Gold chamber of commerce is.”
“Get the hell out, this place doesn’t welcome you!” The old butler had
followed Locke Merlin for twenty years. He considered the reputation of
the Flashing Gold chamber of commerce more important than his own
life. Hearing Mason insulting the Flashing Gold chamber of commerce,
the old man burst in anger, and regardless of whether they were
customers or not, he raised his hands to push Mason toward the exit.
The old butler was an ordinary person, so even if he had been twenty
years younger, he wouldn’t have been able to threaten a mage. But
Mason simply wasn’t paying attention to the old butler, being too excited,
gesticulating and splattering saliva while shouting, and thus, he was
shoved back, causing him to stumble.
“Old Geezer, you dared to hit me?” This time, Mason had an even
nastier expression.
A mighty mage was almost pushed down by a 60-year-old butler. If this

spread, would anyone still respect him?
Chapter 16: Apology and Compensation

After recovering from staggering, a fierce glint appeared in Mason’s eyes

and the magic staff in his hand was activated, the gem at the end letting
out fierce mana fluctuations.
“Give it a try.” Lin Yun had already arrived during the argument, and
although there was a smiling expression on his face, the mana
fluctuations around him let everyone know that if Mason dared to make a
move, the young master would definitely not be polite.
“Merlin, you came just on time!” As he saw Lin Yun appear, Mason didn’t
dare to attack the old butler, but he still kept his overbearing attitude. “I
came with good intentions and brought friends for your Gilded Rose’s
reopening to give you some business, but I didn’t expect you to be
selling fake items. My friend just drank your potion and has some
problems. You should compensate him!”
“I know that this dragon eye gem is quite precious, but you don’t need to
raise it that high for me to see…” After Lin Yun drew closer, he first
pushed away Mason’s magic staff before casually asking, “Which potion
did your friend drink for him to have a problem?”
“It was that healing potion!” Mason unhesitantly answered. He had asked
around before, and healing potions were truly first-rate potions. There
weren’t that many alchemists in Thousands Sails City that could craft
effective healing potions, and they all had high status. They weren’t
people that the current Gilded Rose could hire.
Moreover, that healing potion was dark red…

Only failed healing potions were dark red.
“Take a look, he already drank more than half of the potion and his injury
didn’t improve at all! Moreover, the wound that had already been
scabbing started bleeding again!” Mason made his subordinates bring a
stretcher while explaining.
A young person that was perhaps in his late twenties was lying on the
stretcher. His right arm was wounded, and after opening the bandage, a
deep and long cut was revealed. And from the bloodstains and the
residue, it was evident that it had truly been healing before splitting
open.
“I know you have no money right now and can’t even afford your uncle’s
debt, but surely it wouldn’t be good to use that as an excuse? For the
sake of our friendship, I’ll ask my father if he can help you. But what
about the fake potions?” Mason had a grieving and sorrowful expression,
but he was inwardly gloating. ‘You dared to humiliate me in the Sage
Tower, so today I’ll destroy your workshop and humiliate you in public.
Indeed, that so-called friend was someone I spent a few hundred gold to
hire, he agreed for me to cut open the wound on his right arm. As for that
healing potion, I already had people throw half of it away. The remaining
half should be good enough as evidence. With the testimony of that guy
and the potion, you will be the one suffering!’
Mason felt that Mafa’s fate was as good as sealed. ‘What will you do?
Planning on saying that this healing potion is a real one? Such a joke,
you could cheat other people, but you can only dream if you want to
cheat me. The Twin Moons chamber of commerce has a Great
Alchemist, he patted his chest and guaranteed that a dark red healing
potion was definitely a failed product.’
“What do you think? I’m helpless, my friend suffered such a huge loss,
what does your Gilded Rose think about that? I have a very simple
suggestion. First is to compensate my friend, I guess ten thousand gold
should be fine. If you can’t procure it, then you are definitely lacking
sincerity. In that case, you’ll have to admit that the Gilded Rose sold him
a fake potion that harmed him and then guarantee that no such things
will ever happen again.”
Even Mason himself felt that the two conditions were harsh. The entire
Thousand Sails City knew that the Flashing Gold chamber of commerce
had gone bankrupt and that Locke Merlin’s son wasn’t able to pay the
debt that he owed his uncle. How could he come up with ten thousand
gold for compensation? Moreover, before the matter of the
compensation was even settled, he still had to publicly apologize and
admit that he sold a fake potion. That would truly be a great humiliation.
After that, proudly raising his head in Thousand Sails City would be a
dream for Mafa Merlin.
Of course, when those two conditions were put forward, Mason was
already prepared to haggle over the amount of the compensation. When
the time came, it would be fine as long as he insisted on the 2nd
condition. As for the ten thousand gold, he didn’t care much about it, as
he didn’t lack money. The goal was to ruthlessly trample on that kid’s
pride.
“That sounds reasonable. Our Gilded Rose opened to do business, so if

there really was a problem with that healing potion, offering
compensation and apologizing is a matter of course.” Who knew that Lin
Yun would be extremely straightforward and not argue the matter at all?
“Ah?” Even Mason, who had always been thinking about how to shame
this guy to get his revenge, couldn’t help freezing. He had prepared so
many more arguments. ‘How can he agree so quickly? Well, it doesn’t
matter, saving some effort is also good.’
“Since that’s the case, then hurry up and settle it, you should
compensate and apologize. I still have things to do, I don’t have time to
chat with you.”
“Hey, Mason, did you listen to me? I said, ‘if there really was a problem
with the healing potion’… You should understand the meaning of this,
right? Or do I need to explain for you?”
“What do you mean?” Mason had an unpleasant expression.
“Looks like you really didn’t understand…” Lin Yun regretfully shook his
head, inwardly cursing the standards of Noscent’s compulsory education
before very patiently explaining to Mason, “What I mean is if there is an
issue with that healing potion, we will definitely compensate and
apologize, but if there is no issue with that healing potion, I wonder what
Mage Mason plans to do?”
“No problem?” Mason lowered his head to look at that half-empty bottle
of healing potion, and when he saw the unsightly dark red color, he
steadied his resolve and declared, “If there is no problem with that
healing potion, I’ll eat its bottle!”
“Good.” Lin Yun nodded and waved to an employee in a corner. “You,

please come over.”
“Eh?” That employee was about 20 years old, a faint mana fluctuation
could be seen on his body, he should be someone who just became a
magic apprentice. Nothing could be done about that, as studying magic
was very expensive. An average person without a family background like
Mafa Merlin or Mason simply couldn’t cope with such a huge
expenditure, thus, most magic apprentices would look for work to ease
the burden.
“What’s your name?”
“Boss, I’m called Remy.”
“Very good, Remy, do you want to get a raise of one hundred gold to
your salary starting next month? If you are willing, roll up your sleeve…”
“Eh?” Although the young apprentice rolled up his sleeve, his mind was
in chaos. His current salary was only 100 gold, so how could his salary
double just by rolling up his sleeve, wasn’t that too irrational?
While he was thinking about it, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his right
arm.
“Ugh…” Remy felt a chill as he looked down and saw that his boss had
given him a deep cut.
‘Damn, I knew that an offer to double my salary couldn’t be anything
good…’
“Good, help me test the flavor of this healing potion.” Lin Yun said as he
handed over the remaining half of the potion. “Don’t just stare at it in a
daze, drink it fast, I still have things to take care of.”
Chapter 17: You Must Act With Integrity!

“…” Remy hesitated a bit, but he ultimately couldn’t resist the temptation
of having his salary doubled. He ground his teeth before drinking down
more than half of the remaining contents of the potion while inwardly
hoping, ‘Boss, please don’t cheat me…’
Before he could even finish his thought, the wound on his hand suddenly
itched, and under his amazed gaze, the deep cut quickly healed at a
visible speed.
“That healing potion is real!”
Along with Remy’s surprised shout, the others also focused on the
wound, especially Mason. His mouth was open, and he couldn’t seem to
close it.
‘Fuck, how could a dark red healing potion be truly real? A dark red
potion is a failed potion, that’s what the Great Alchemist said! This is
definitely some sort of trick!’
“How about it, Mage Mason, would you say that our Gilded Rose’s
healing potion is effective?”
Lin Yun talked in an unhurried voice, but the tone felt ear-piercing in
Mason’s ears. He thought for a bit and couldn’t think of any other
explanation for what had happened, so he glared with an angry
expression. “Mafa Merlin, you definitely did something! How could a dark
red healing potion really work? That must be it, that guy was one of your
employees after all, who knows what kind of trick you prepared!”
“True…” After listening to Mason, he nodded and agreed, “This healing
potion is being sold by the Gilded Rose and an employee of the Gilded
Rose just tested its effects, it does sound a bit too unfair…”
“Good that you know!” Mason cut in.
He didn’t expect that before he could even finish his words, a cracking
sound came from under his feet.
It was followed by a blood-curdling scream.
A blood-red vine suddenly burst out from under Mason’s feet. It was a
bright red and carried a dense, bloody smell. That blood-red vine quickly
wrapped its way around Mason, starting from his feet up until it covered
his whole body. It constricted him very tightly, to the point that no matter
how much Mason struggled or screamed, he couldn’t stop the viper-like
vine…
“The Blood Vines spell!” someone exclaimed from the crowd.
Indeed, the 5th Rank Blood Vines Spell.
This was a truly sinister spell. It was rumored to have come from a
demon, and had been created based on the Bloodsucking Vines of the
Abyss. This magic created creeping tendrils that were just like the
Bloodsucking Vines. Once they coiled around a target, their thorns would
enter the target’s body and greedily suck out the victim’s blood. If the
caster didn’t stop the spell, the target would eventually be drained until
they became a dried corpse.
“Wh-what do you think you are doing!” When he thought about what
would happen to him, Mason felt the fear of death for the first time and
his voice became hoarse and dry.
“Didn’t I just explain? I agreed that having anyone from the Gilded Rose
test the effectiveness of the potion is truly unfair. Thus, I believe having
Mage Mason display the effects is a lot better.” Lin Yun’s voice was still
perfectly calm. If not for having just seen it with their own eyes, who
would have thought that such a gentle young man was using such a
sinister spell?
“No! Don’t kill me! I will compensate, I’ll apologize!!!” To the panicked
Mason, this smile was simply more frightening than any evil grin. Mason,
who had never met any setbacks, was truly fearing for his life this time.
The blood vines around him were coiling even more tightly as sharp
thorns kept piercing his skin one after the other, his blood constantly
being absorbed by the thorns. Mason already started feeling his body
turning cold.
Struggling, screaming, pleading…
Mason looked like a sheep under a butcher’s knife. Besides incoherently

begging for forgiveness, there were only desperate shrieks and rough
breathing.
The subordinates brought by Mason tried to rescue him, but they

couldn’t break through the blood vines. Even without Lin Yun’s direction,
those crazily spreading blood vines were keeping them away.
Soon, only a passionate red mass stood out in the room.
Lin Yun unhurriedly remarked, “Mage Mason truly loves making jokes.
Why would I kill you? The Gilded Rose is open for business, and
customers are kings. Killing is something that would never happen here,
we are only having a friendly chat to check the effectiveness of this
healing potion.”
“Yes, yes! Check, check!” At this time, Mason could only say that much.
Let alone testing the sketchy potion, even if Lin Yun made him admit that
he was a goblin, Mason wouldn’t hesitate at all at this point.
“Good, now we can proceed with the testing.” Lin Yun looked at Mason
before softly lowering his right hand that had been controlling the Blood
Vines Spell. The tyrannical blood vines withdrew underground with a
burst of magical fluctuations, disappearing in an instant, as if none of this
had ever happened.
It felt as if they had never even been there.
Mason, who had just narrowly escaped death, was the only proof that
those tyrannical blood vines truly had appeared. They had tightly coiled
around him and pierced his skin with the sharp thorns, leaving numerous
small cuts. At this moment, Mason looked as if he had been stung by a
hive of bees. Just looking at him made people feel a bit nauseous. Blood
was continuously flowing out, and in a short amount of time, a puddle of
blood colored the ground.
Mason seemed to be at his last breath as he was laying on the ground.

Even if an outstanding doctor saw his condition, he would most likely be
shaking his head while sending him home to prepare for his funeral.
Lin Yun put the remaining dregs of the healing potion in front of Mason,
and after looking once again to check Mason’s wounds, he nodded with
satisfaction. “This kind of injury should be convincing enough.”
“…” Everyone present, including the young apprentice who had been cut
a moment ago, immediately felt cold when they heard that inhuman
statement.
“Good, there, Mage Mason, I’ll have to trouble you to drink this, let us
take a look at the effects.”
As Lin Yun supported him, Mason managed, with some difficulty, to right
himself. He then struggled to drink what remained of the healing potion.
The whole time, Mason didn’t dare to look at Lin Yun. Those blood vines
had definitely left him thoroughly frightened.
The healing potion once again displayed its miraculous effects. Mason
had only just drunk the last gulp, yet the bloody wounds had already
started healing, and after no less than half an hour, Mason could be said
to be as good as ever before. If not for his whole mage’s gown still being
in a mess, Mason could almost imagine that everything that had just
happened was a nightmare.
An extremely frightening nightmare.
After finally waking from that nightmare, how could he dare to stay in the
Gilded Rose? After his injury recovered completely, he was about to
leave, crestfallen, with his subordinates…
“Hold on.”
But in the end, the nightmarish voice echoed once again, and Mason
completely stiffened up.
“Wh-wh-what is it?” Mason managed to get the courage to open his

mouth, but his voice was still trembling.
“Mage Mason, isn’t this a bit wrong? Didn’t we come to an agreement? If

this potion had a good effect, you would eat the bottle. Mage Mason, you
can’t be like this! You must act with integrity!
“…” Mason’s face suddenly froze. Seeing that fist-sized potion bottle,
Mason truly felt like his heart was dying.
“How is it, Mage Mason? Are you eating it yourself? Or should I help
you?”
“…”
“Bon appétit.”
Chapter 18: Spell Extraction

“Remy, help me take care of it. After Mage Mason is finished with his
meal, don’t forget to remind him to compensate our workshop for the
losses,” Lin Yun explained while yawning. He was truly too tired. His
output from that whole night of work was equivalent to what many
alchemists would need a month for, and he would need to sleep well for
a few days to recover.
Unfortunately, his idea to go back to sleep was instantly destroyed.
Lin Yun had barely turned to leave when a commotion could be heard
outside the Gilded Rose, followed by a young mage pushing the door
open.
This young mage was not yet thirty, but surprisingly, the cuffs of his
gown had a silver lining. His identity as a Great Mage was clearly visible.
Many onlookers recognized him when he entered. There was only one
Great Mage this young in the entire Thousand Sails City, Monchi’s eldest
son, Ryan.
It was said that Ryan had displayed shocking magic gifts when he was
young and that Monchi had originally planned to send him to Okland
Magic School, but when he was 15, a powerful master from the kingdom
paid them a visit and then left with Ryan shortly after.
That was ten years ago, and fairly recently, Ryan, who had already
become a Great Mage, returned to Thousand Sails City. Soon, everyone
in Thousand Sails City was shocked. A Great Mage that had yet to reach
his thirties, what kind of idea was that? This was a genius that might not
even appear in a hundred years! He would most likely be able to set foot
into the High Mage realm, and at that time, he might become an
existence that could walk shoulder to shoulder with those three of the
Sage Tower.
This sounded especially plausible after the news spread that Monchi and
Ryan paid a visit to the Sage Tower and that Solomon, one of the big
three, had personally seen them off. Ryan’s reputation in Thousand Sails
City became even more resounding.
Who was Solomon? He was an existence that was close to being a living
legend. For so many years, countless people had visited the Sage
Tower, but how many had been personally sent off by Solomon? Those
could be counted on the fingers of just one hand…
Ryan’s name spread throughout Thousand Sails City so quickly that it

even surpassed that of his father, Monchi, the president of the Twin
Moons chamber of commerce. Even those young magic apprentices
who had just broken through and become mages already viewed him as
their idol. The higher-ups of every major power were very courteous to
Ryan. Especially after they heard that Ryan still had yet to marry and
wasn’t engaged either. Some families with daughters had begun visiting
Monchi to make overtures.
Nothing could be done about all this attention. Becoming a Great Mage
before even turning thirty was too dazzling, even an idiot could
understand that. As long as he didn’t run into some incredible obstacle,
Ryan’s prospects would inevitably be bright. Sooner or later, he would
become a grand figure comparable to the top three of Sage Tower, or
maybe even surpass them… Eventually standing alone at the peak of
Thousand Sails City didn’t seem impossible.
And now, this young Great Mage with a shockingly impressive reputation
was standing at the doorway of the Gilded Rose, dressed in a simple
black gown, and besides the silver line on his cuffs, there was nothing
extraordinary about him. When he saw Mason with pieces of glass in his
mouth, his face didn’t even display the slightest hint of anger, as if this
person wasn’t his younger brother, but a random passerby.
“Take him back.”
With Ryan’s words, the hoodlums that Mason had brought with him felt
as if they were granted amnesty and they quickly helped Mason out.
This time, Lin Yun only stood there, sizing up that young Mage with a
curious look.
“The Twin Moons chamber of commerce will compensate for the

damage Mason caused you. Tell me the amount and I’ll send someone
to deliver it to you tomorrow.” After Ryan entered, he only glanced at Lin
Yun and didn’t ask what happened or who was right or wrong. He just
directly issued this statement instead.
Ryan didn’t care what this fledgling mage was thinking.
As the widely lauded Great Mage, how could he care about what a newly
advanced mage was thinking?
“As for you, you used the Blood Vine Spell. That Blood Vine Spell will be
extracted.”
Ryan’s words immediately changed the atmosphere.
Spell Extraction referred to the process of a mage transferring a spell

onto an item at the cost of completely forgetting about it. That item could
be a magic scroll, a piece of magic equipment, a magic gem, anything
could do as long as it could hold mana. After transferring it, that item
would obtain powerful magic ability and might completely inherit that
spell ability. In Noscent’s history, there had been several powerful magic
tools that had been created that way.
But the extraction process was extremely painful to a mage because this
was equivalent to pulling the spell out from a mage’s soul while still alive.
To a mage, this kind of torture for the soul was far more terrible than any
magical backlash.
In history, those mages who voluntarily had their spells extracted had
already reached their limits and had wanted to leave some heritage to
their disciples or the later generations. With shocking willpower and
endurance, they extracted the spells they were the proudest of from their
souls.
The number of mages who had done this of their own will, from the 3rd
Dynasty until now, might not even amount to 10.
Ryan talked about it as if it was nothing and asked Lin Yun to have his
spell extracted.
“Ryan, you are going too far!” The old butler stood out with a face red
from anger, shielding Lin Yun behind him.
Ryan stood there looking at Lin Yun as if the old butler wasn’t there.
“Mason was the one in the wrong, but the prestige of the Monchi family
cannot be provoked. Mafa Merlin, you should know that if I make a
move, you’ll feel even more pain.”
“Mage Ryan, you said so much, but there is something I still haven’t
understood…” Lin Yun gently nudged the old butler aside and then
smilingly walked towards Ryan.
“What’s the problem?” Ryan frowned slightly. He didn’t like that young
mage’s attitude.
Lin Yun stood in front of Ryan, and after scrutinizing him closely, he
asked him, “Are you awake?”
“Hmm?” Ryan didn’t react at first, but he then was hardly able to keep
his anger suppressed. ‘A little mage dares to ridicule me?’
“You brought this upon yourself!”
Ryan fiercely raised his magic staff, and shocking mana fluctuations
immediately filled the atmosphere before a vivid red spread through the
entire lobby. Amidst cracking sounds, countless blood vines crawled up
from the ground. Their growth was quick and violent as they covered the
lobby in a bloody color.
The same Blood Vine Spell in Ryan’s hands and in Lin Yun’s hands
seemed completely different. This wasn’t because Lin Yun’s casting
ability was inferior to Ryan’s, it was the gap between a normal mage and
a Great Mage being too huge. After a Great Mage got rid of the bindings
of the mana whirlpool, their strength reached a whole new level, a
completely different world. A mage that had yet to step on that path
couldn’t imagine how frightening the power of a Great Mage was.
This kind of gap almost couldn’t be breached. Regardless of how

impressive one was at conducting mana, regardless of how skilled one
was with metamagic or the process of casting spells, when faced with
that immeasurably huge gap, these could all only be considered funny
tricks.
The earth-shattering vines instantly flooded the entire lobby. Everyone
was enveloped by the frightening vines, and as long as Ryan sent out a
bit of mana, the entire lobby would truly be covered in blood.
In the eyes of this Great Mage, those below him weren’t even worth
mentioning.
At that moment, startled shouts and cries for help echoed throughout the
lobby. And even the old butler who always refused to admit defeat was
now exposing an expression of fear.
But Lin Yun, who stood in front of Ryan, had a smile on his face.
The Blood Vines were spreading over from the center of the room, and
despite the menacing bloody shadows, the smile on his face didn’t
change at all. All he did was flick his fingers, and a small flame came out
of his fingertips.
Among these overwhelming blood vines, that weak flame seemed like a
rock thrown into an ocean, and it drifted to the ground while giving the
feeling that it would stop burning anytime.
But then, a loud “Bang” echoed.
Just as the flame fell on the ground, a raging blaze flared up, as if
someone had covered the ground in something inflammable. The faint
flame turned into overflowing, raging fires as they burnt away the blood
vines, and only those. In a short time, those large blood vines had all
turned to ashes.
This had all happened too fast to the point that no one was able to react.
Shock was plastered on the faces of all the employees, and Ryan, who
had just cast his Blood Vines spell, still had his arm outstretched as if
trying to channel mana into his recently extinguished spell.
Chapter 19: Slap! Slap!

After that, a “slap” echoed out while everything else in the entire lobby
remained silent.
It was as if time had frozen. Ryan was tightly holding his magic staff,
looking at this young mage in front of him, full of disbelief.
‘That “slap” just now, where did that come from?’
As if to prove that this wasn’t an illusion, another clear sound echoed out
when Ryan had started thinking that it had been all a dream.
Another slap. The group of newly hired clerks looked dumbfounded at

the scene, blankly thinking, ‘No way?!’
“When you are still half-asleep like this, you should hurry back to bed
instead of sleep-talking in the Gilded Rose. You’ll have to compensate
for interfering with my business.” Lin Yun delivered some stinging words
after slapping him twice.
The gap between a normal mage and a Great Mage was truly
insurmountable. Even Lin Yun couldn’t directly bridge that gap. But it
was different for spells themselves. Lin Yun had more than a dozen
ways to restrain the Blood Vines.
Thirty thousand years later in Noscent, Lin Yun had even struggled with
the pernicious Abyssal Bloodsucking Vines. What was an insignificant
imitation spell compared to that?
Lin Yun didn’t even need to use a spell, he just threw out a wisp of Mana
Seal Fire. Even those vines from the abyss would be burnt cleanly.
Mana Seal Fire was the nemesis of the Bloodsucking Vines. Just a bit
would be able to scorch an ocean of Bloodsucking Vines into ashes.
That wisp of Mana Seal Fire had been extracted from a Mana Seal
Stone a few days ago by Lin Yun. He had wanted to use it to concoct a
dose of Burning Panacea, but because Ryan had used the Blood Vines
Spell, he could only use up that wisp ahead of time…
When he thought about this, Lin Yun felt extremely angry. ‘If you want to
help Mason out of his predicament, just do it, why do you have to talk
about the prestige of the Monchi family? Is that even as valuable as a
wisp of my Mana Seal Fire?’
At this moment, Ryan was still completely stunned by the two slaps, or
perhaps, terrified.
He was in complete disbelief. How could he have been ruthlessly

slapped by a newly advanced mage, and twice! What had just happened
was too unexpected, to the point that Ryan even forgot to block or
retaliate. He just stood there lifelessly, his gaze filled with confusion and
bewilderment.
‘How could this happen…’
‘Wasn’t it said that the power of Great Mages surpassed the power of
the normal ones by tenfold, or even hundredfold? Isn’t the gap between
Great Mages and Mages something that could never be bridged? This
guy clearly only just became a mage, why could he completely ignore
my Blood Vines Spell? How did he do that without even using a spell?
How can he slap?’
Countless questions appeared in Ryan’s mind, but he couldn’t find a

rational explanation… Let alone a rational explanation, he couldn’t even
find a single excuse to comfort himself.
He clearly couldn’t just say that he was “not prepared” or “careless” to

make himself feel better…
If an elephant was careless, could it still be tossed aside by an ant?
It seemed like nobody in the lobby could move. Ryan stood there in a
daze, anger gradually joining the confusion on his face. He wanted to
use the Blood Vines Spell once again to prove that this gap was truly
unbridgeable. But those countless questions in his mind kept reminding
him to not just act without thinking.
During that time, the atmosphere in the lobby became even more
strange and tense.
But that strange atmosphere didn’t last long, because someone pushed
the door to come in.
“Mage Merlin, congratulations…” The new arrival was Solomon’s only

disciple, Solon.
With Solon’s high status, the reopening of a workshop like the Gilded
Rose wasn’t worthy of his attention. Solon wasn’t just Solomon’s sole
disciple, he was also the successor of the Sage Tower chosen by the
respected High Mage himself. He would become the new leader of the
Mage Guild sooner or later. He represented not only himself, but also
Solomon, and even the entire Sage Tower.
Even if he wanted to come to see this new shop, he would have to take
into consideration the reactions of all the forces that might notice.
But today was truly a bit special.
After the discussion in the study yesterday, Solon decided that he would
definitely have a proper discussion with that young mage the next day.
Thus, Solon had waited in the library all day, but even after waiting for
the whole morning, Lin Yun still didn’t arrive.
In the end, he felt so fidgety and impatient that he sent someone to

inquire. Only then did he find out that it was the day of the Gilded Rose’s
grand reopening, so the young mage wouldn’t be visiting the library
today.
This got Solon a bit worked up, who was thinking at the time, ‘I have so
many unsolved questions, how could you not come?’
‘Forget it, I’ll visit you myself.’

Thus, Solon took two scrolls of the Sage Tower as a congratulatory gift
and rushed to the Gilded Rose, burning with anxiety.
The building itself seemed oddly damaged, but perhaps that was a
choice of style?
When he opened the door, Solon felt as if his brain had short-circuited…
“What… What happened?”
‘That young mage with both cheeks swelling, isn’t he the famous son of
the Monchi family? Great Mage Ryan of the Ash Tower?’
‘How could he look so awkward? Both sides of his face have clear red
imprints, has he been slapped by someone?’
‘That can’t be… Besides perhaps the big three of the Sage Tower, who
would even be able to slap a Great Mage in Thousand Sails City? No no,
this must definitely be some sort of a magic ritual I don’t know about.’
‘But in that case, why is Great Mage Ryan’s expression so strange? …

Has he truly been slapped twice by someone?’
‘Oh right, there is also that young mage, Mafa Merlin. Why is he standing
in front of a Great Mage smiling so leisurely like that? Isn’t that attitude a
bit too arrogant?’
As he processed this strange scene, Solon started feeling rather

regretful. ‘Why did I have to arrive with such timing? Such a tense
atmosphere doesn’t bode well for our interaction.’
“Eh…” Solon gulped awkwardly and forced himself to break this

deadlock. “Great Mage Ryan, such a coincidence! We haven’t seen
each other in a while, but you still look as elegant as last time.”
“…” Solon merely said that out of politeness, but to Ryan, it didn’t sound
like that. This time, Ryan really wanted to swear. ‘Do you fucking have to
speak bullshit? I got slapped twice, how could this possibly appear
elegant?’
“Ah, Great Mage Ryan, I didn’t mean that.” As soon as the words left his
mouth, Solon had also realized that he had misspoken. He wanted to
quickly remedy it, but he didn’t know how he should do it.
“Never mind.” After Ryan took a deep breath, using the opportunity
created by Solon’s appearance, Ryan regained his bearing.
As he calmed down, the bewilderment and confusion on his face slowly

disappeared. Everything had happened too suddenly, he had been
completely caught off guard by the circumstances. A mage had broken
his Blood Vines Spell and then slapped him twice, leaving him in a
stupor.
But Ryan was a genius who had broken through and become a Great
Mage before he was even thirty, after all. After finally calming down, it
wasn’t hard to figure out that this fellow simply knew the weak point of
Blood Vines and that he wasn’t actually powerful enough to bridge the
immense gap between Mages and Great Mages.
With this understanding, Ryan’s mood finally calmed down. As long as

this was the case, he would get back at him for everything that had
happened today sooner or later.
But he definitely couldn’t act today…
Because of Solon’s appearance.
Solon himself was a Great Mage, and he was also High Mage
Solomon’s precious disciple. His arrival itself represented the Sage
Tower’s attitude. Ryan, who had just calmed down, was greatly agitated
by this new discovery. Why would the Sage Tower suddenly display
such goodwill for a young mage of a declining family? What did that
mean?
‘No good, I have to return and consult with father about this.’
“Mage Merlin, I hope you’ll have such good luck again next time.”
With these words, Ryan turned around and left, not even greeting Solon.
Upon hearing Ryan’s parting words, Solon had stiffened in
astonishment. ‘It couldn’t be… right?’ His gaze drifted over to Lin Yun
before stopping.
The sentence was self-explanatory. If Solon only had an inkling before,

he was now certain. That Merlin was most likely the culprit behind the
red imprints on the young Great Mage’s face.
‘Oh God…’
When he thought about this, Solon couldn’t help holding his breath. That
was a genuine Great Mage. Even if his hands and legs were tied, he
would be easily able to kill a few novice mages just by opening his
mouth. ‘How could this be… How could he be slapped twice by someone
like Mafa Merlin?’
‘This is too irrational…’
‘How many secrets does this young mage have?’
‘I have to tell Teacher Solomon about this matter.’
“Congratulations, Mage Merlin, I hope that your business is ever-thriving,

this is a small congratulatory gift, I hope you’ll like it, see you later!”
After quickly blurting out these words, Solon didn’t even wait for an
answer as he thrust the two scrolls into Lin Yun’s hands before running
away.
Chapter 20: Dragon Blood Ink

After Solon left, Lin Yun did not return to his room. Instead, he washed
his face with cold water and then picked up the two scrolls before
heading to the place where he had overworked himself for a whole night,
the alchemy laboratory.
Solon’s arrival wasn’t strange at all. The value of the Spectrum Potion
was something that even a new mage like Raymond knew, let alone the
Sage Tower that held three High Mages. What truly baffled Lin Yun was
the two scrolls that Solon had brought…
A few alchemy formulas were written on the two scrolls, and they were
relatively uncommon. They would be worth several thousand gold on the
market. This was definitely a very good congratulatory gift.
But to Lin Yun, these few alchemy formulas weren’t important. The key
part was the two scrolls themselves.
When he first accepted the two scrolls, Lin Yun actually didn’t take them
seriously and was only being polite. His mind was filled with too many
perfected formulas from the end of the magic era, so how could he still
care about other alchemy formulas of this period?
But after taking a few glances at them, Lin Yun suddenly found out that
the letters on the scrolls seemed a bit too bright.
After taking a careful look, he realized that these two scrolls had actually
been written with Dragon Blood Ink.
“This is just too shameful!” Lin Yun lamented.
‘Too extravagant, too wasteful…’
The best use for Dragon Blood Ink was for alchemy arrays because the
blood of dragons had astonishing amounts of mana within. Not only was
this mana very easy to control, but it could even be brought to its full
potential with only a few runes. If an alchemy array used Dragon Blood
Ink, then the mana source used to power it could be reduced by a few
grades because the power of the Dragon Blood could support most of
the array’s operations. The mana source would only take an auxiliary
role.
But here, that Dragon Blood Ink had been used to write a few mere
alchemy formulas.
‘Do you need to use precious Dragon Blood to write an alchemy
formula?’
“I wonder which bastard wasted so much…” Lin Yun kept swearing while
carrying the two scrolls toward the alchemy laboratory. He was unaware
that in the distant Cloud Tower, an old mage sneezed.
Afterwards, Lin Yun started getting busy.
The always stingy and economical Lin Yun was surprisingly extravagant
this time. All kinds of magic items came out, and many bottles of
reagents were set up. Lin Yun spent a whole ten hours, working from the
afternoon into the night, not taking any breaks.
This was how important the Dragon Blood Ink was to Lin Yun.
Mafa Merlin’s body was far inferior to that of the average mage, after all.
If not for Lin Yun’s arrival, with Mafa’s talents, he might have never
become a mage in his lifetime.
These kinds of inherent bodily flaws were unsolvable in this era. The
only one that could fix it right now was the one coming from the end
times, Lin Yun. But the methods were very troublesome, including
special meditation or customized potions.
Because the meditation would take too much time, Lin Yun unhesitantly
chose the latter option.
The name of this potion was Mana Baptism. At the peak of Noscent’s
magic civilization, nearly every newborn kid would receive a Mana
Baptism. This Mana Baptism would not only enable them to gather their
first bits of mana, but it would also greatly increase their constitution.
Thus, in that era, nearly everyone would be gifted. Everyone would
stand at the same starting line and there was no longer any requirement
of a minimum amount of innate talent. What would decide their future
would be their efforts and their luck.
Afterwards, along with Noscent’s mana exhaustion, fewer newborns

were able to enjoy a Mana Baptism. After the most powerful mages were
buried in the sand, no more of those precious potions appeared in
Noscent.
Because there were no longer any mages that were able to slay a
dragon.
Dragon Blood was the most important component of Mana Baptism.
Without Dragon Blood, Mana Baptism would only become a common
potion and wouldn’t be able to bring forth the mana gathering effect, let
alone further increasing one’s constitution.
Even though he had returned to this era that was so rich in resources,
Lin Yun still couldn’t avoid the headache of having to obtain some
Dragon Blood. It was truly too uncommon. Let alone a fledgling mage,
even some High Mages might not be able to see a drop of Dragon Blood
during their lifetime.
They were an existence far above High Mages. Extremely tyrannical

physical power combined with magical abilities inherited through their
bloodlines let the dragons stand proudly at the top of Noscent’s food
chain. From ancient times till the current day, there had been no more
than three people that could slay a dragon. Each of them could be
considered genuine legendary figures!
When Lin Yun had included this in the list of things for Raymond to get, it
was with a “just in case” attitude. He wasn’t actually expecting to hear
any news of it on that side.
He had been prepared to struggle for a long time to obtain some.
If it came to it, he would first operate the Flashing Gold chamber of

commerce and build it up, before relying on financial resources. If a
hundred thousand gold wasn’t enough, then he would use a million. He
would even use all of his family fortune to get a drop of Dragon Blood.
At that time, Lin Yun couldn’t have thought that someone would just drop
by and gift him a drop of Dragon Blood.
Naturally, it was too early to say that this was actually a drop of Dragon
Blood.
It was at best a few alchemy formulas written with Dragon Blood Ink…
But it was already enough for Lin Yun.
These formulas were written with Dragon Blood Ink, which obviously
contained Dragon Blood. What Lin Yun needed to do now was to
reconstitute the Dragon Blood Ink from the alchemy formulas and then
extract the true Dragon Blood from the Dragon Blood Ink.
It sounded very simple on paper, but carrying it out was an extremely

complicated process.
First of all, there were no fewer than 37 formulas for making Dragon
Blood Ink. Even if Lin Yun already knew all the current 37 formulas, he
couldn’t find out in a short time which one had been used for the ink on
the two scrolls.
The only way was to do some testing.
This was a large project. The importance of Dragon Blood Ink lays in
using the power of the Dragon Blood to amplify the might of the arrays,
to the point that it could even replace the mana source. To some extent,
each drop of Dragon Blood Ink was like a miniature alchemy formula.
Thus, the formula of Dragon Blood Ink was famous for being
complicated.
During those ten hours, Lin Yun compounded almost a hundred bottles
of all kinds of reagents. He then used those reagents to various types of
testing, all the way until it was the afternoon of the next day. After a
whole 24 hours had passed, he had only eliminated two of the 37
formulas for sure.
By that point, Lin Yun was no longer able to keep going.

Analyzing the Dragon Blood Ink’s formulas wasn’t something that could
be completely solved with just the reagents. It relied more on the
alchemist himself, while the reagents were only the materials.
Analyzing the formulas would consume a great amount of energy and

mana. Ordinarily, it would take a group of a few alchemists, sometimes
even a dozen, working together to carry out something on the level of
the Dragon Blood Ink analysis that Lin Yun was doing. If word of his feat
spread out, it might frighten many people.
After eliminating two of the formulas, Lin Yun decided not to continue.
Otherwise, he might collapse before managing to extract the drop of
Dragon Blood.
He washed his face with cold water and then told the old butler that
unless he gave his authorization, no one was allowed to enter the Gilded
Rose’s alchemy laboratory. After doing that, Lin Yun returned to his
room to sleep for twenty hours straight.
For some time, Lin Yun stayed in the alchemy laboratory day and night,
analyzing the formulas, eventually eliminating twenty kinds. If nothing
unexpected happened, Lin Yun would be able to completely determine
what formula was used in at most half a month.
And at the same time, the business of the Gilded Rose also gradually
improved. It was the richest district of Thousand Sails City, after all, and
the golden signboard of the Flashing Gold chamber of commerce was
very good for drawing attention. Even if a fool was in charge of the place,
the business wouldn’t be too bad, and Lin Yun was no fool.
The potions crafted by Lin Yun had already run out of stock a week ago,
and the magic armors and magic weapons had been bought up at very
high prices in the first two days. Now, most of the items arranged on the
shelves of the Gilded Rose were various kinds of alchemy products that
the old butler had people import from outside. The price wasn’t nearly as
high, but they were practical.
From this, it could be seen that the alchemy business was indeed a
business that required daily work. Besides all the things that Lin Yun had
personally crafted on the first day, the rest was stuff that the Gilded Rose
acquired wholesale at a low price and was selling with some markup.
They could easily make a profit of over ten thousand gold in under a
month.
The old butler was even thinking about hiring some alchemists at a high
price once the business was back on track the next month. At that time,
he would contact the old mercenary groups to get a steady supply of
magic materials. His goal of restoring the Gilded Rose to its former
splendor was almost in reach.
Half a month soon passed. After Lin Yun finally found out which formula
had been used, he didn’t immediately leave the alchemy laboratory. He
busied himself inside for two more days before pushing the door open to
leave, feeling completely exhausted.
Chapter 21: 9th Rank Mage

After Lin Yun came out, he only did one thing, which was to hand out a
few dozen bottles of compounded potions to the old butler, before
returning to the alchemy laboratory.
As for the operation of the Gilded Rose, Lin Yun wasn’t the least bit
worried about it.
It was because the old butler was overseeing it. That person had
followed Locke Merlin for a few dozens of years, and he was very
talented at handling the business side of things. Despite being short on
funds, he still managed to tidy up the Gilded Rose in such little time. This
showed that there was nothing to worry about.
Besides, there were also those potions…
Indeed, those weren’t ordinary alchemy potions. When Lin Yun analyzed
the Dragon Blood Ink, he wrote down the recipe. Afterwards, he
discovered that even though he had insufficient materials to craft the
Mana Baptism, there would be no problems compounding some potions
that had some of the desired effects of that potion.
Although these similar potions didn’t have the effect of improving one’s
constitution as the Mana Baptism potion did, it would still be beneficial
for helping Magic Apprentices that were attempting their first mana
gathering. In other words, the customer base that this potion aimed at
was just the apprentices. Even a subpar apprentice would be able to
easily become a 9th Rank Magic Apprentice after using this potion.
Lin Yun felt that this kind of potion would have a lot of appeal to the huge
numbers of Magic Apprentices that were still struggling to advance. At
the very least, there would be no issue with the daily expenses of the
Gilded Rose.
With no worries left in mind, Lin Yun returned to the alchemy laboratory
and didn’t come out for three months.
Lin Yun spent all his time on magic studies.
It might be very hard for the mages of this era to understand why a
young, 20-year-old man who had just become a mage and was on the
level of a 5th Rank Mage would be so demanding toward himself. After
all, becoming a 5th Rank Mage was already an amazing achievement.
As long as nothing unexpected happened, he would definitely be able to
advance to become a Great Mage before the age of 30.
After that, he would still have time to try to break through to the High
Mage realm. And if he became a High Mage, he would be on the same
level as those three big shots of Sage Tower, one of the few at the top
overlooking Thousand Sails City.
How could he not be satisfied with such an achievement?
But Lin Yun was different. He had personally experienced that mana
exhausted era in the future. He had seen mage after mage leaving the
cover of the Shelter Tower just to have the chance to gather a bit more
mana from the void. Most of them never returned after leaving…
Lin Yun felt like this was heaven. Mana everywhere, abundant natural
resources, it felt like the most beautiful dream.
The few days after his transmigration, Lin Yun didn’t even dare to go to
bed. He had been afraid of waking up and finding out that the dream had
suddenly disappeared.
What Lin Yun felt when he was finally convinced that this wasn’t just an
ephemeral dream was something that couldn’t be understood by the
mages of this era, just as they couldn’t understand why Lin Yun was
being so hard on himself.
To Lin Yun, the freedom of being able to absorb mana, to be able to

study magic at will, this was a huge joy in itself.
This demanding attitude that ordinary people couldn’t comprehend,

along with knowledge far surpassing his era, allowed Lin Yun to walk a
path that would take most mages 10 years, in just a few months.
After three months, Lin Yun secretly reached the 9th Rank.
This was but a step away from the Great Mage realm.
To Lin Yun, only by becoming a Great Mage would he consider himself

to have mastered his own power in this body. There was only a one-
word difference between Mage and Great Mage, but they were two
entirely different things.
Once a Mage crushed his mana whirlpool, he would tread on the path of
growth as a Great Mage and would step into a completely new world.
Even the amount of mana gathered and expelled during meditation
would be a few dozen times higher than what a common mage would
process. Not to mention the appearance of all kinds of metamagics
following the breakthrough. Saying that a Great Mage could casually kill
ten normal mages in a fight without even breaking a sweat… this was no
exaggeration.
But Lin Yun couldn’t take that step.
The flaw of Mafa Merlin’s body was too serious. If he wanted to advance
the last step to become a Great Mage he only had one realistic solution,
which was the Mana Baptism.
He actually had the Dragon Blood, but he still was far from having all the
other materials gathered up. Raymond had yet to return from his travels,
so there might be no solution on that side.
“Seems like I have to find ways to get them from the Sage Tower…” Lin
Yun sighed and kept the Dragon Blood preserved in ice.
It was the most plausible place to find them. If there was any place in the
entire Thousand Sails City that could collect all the materials needed by
Lin Yun, then it would definitely be the Sage Tower.
Three High Mages, a dozen Great Mages, hundreds of Mages, as well

as countless Magic Apprentices… Heaps of magic materials were used
every day. Only such a place could satisfy Lin Yun’s needs.
‘It has also been a long time since I’ve been to the library,’ Lin Yun
thought. He tidied up a bit, planning to check out the library once more
and also ask Solon whether he could buy some materials from the Sage
Tower on the way.
“Boss, Boss!”
But when he came out, he was greeted by Remy, gasping as he ran

over.
“What?”
“Boss Pavey sent me to find you and ask you to return at once. He said,
that Fario brought people to surround your house!”
“Eh?” Lin Yun was honestly quite astounded when he heard that. ‘Do
you think that bullying me is easy? I already gave you the money, but
you still brought people over to surround my house? Looks like I need to
leave a stronger impression on you…’
“In that case, Remy, go to the Sage Tower for me. Look for a mage
named Solon and then give this to him…” Lin Yun fished out a slip of
paper from his bag, and on it was the list of materials that he still needed
to make the Mana Baptism. “Ask him if he is able to help me out by
finding those materials.”
“Yes, Boss!”
After sending Remy away, Lin Yun headed home.
Just outside the house, he saw many people surrounding the place,
headed by that cheap uncle, Fario. Perhaps it was due to the fact that he
was surrounded by a lot of people, but he seemed to be overwhelmingly
confident. He had his hands on his hips as he stood outside, bellowing
with his shockingly loud voice.
“The thief must be in that house, I saw him with my own eyes. So bold,
he dared to steal things from the Viper Nest! Everyone, search carefully
after going in. Make sure to find that damnable thief!”
That cheap uncle was getting greedier and greedier.
While getting down from the carriage, Lin Yun mumbled, ‘Trying to use
an escaped thief as an excuse… As if that would work. If this was really
the case, everyone would go to the Sage Tower or the Monchi’s manor
to search for thieves… <No thief, you say? No way, I saw it with my own
eyes! You must be an accomplice!>’
After getting down from the carriage, Lin Yun didn’t feel too worried as
he looked at Fario and his people from the distance. About thirty to forty
people with pretty good strength, especially that middle-aged man
wearing a grey gown. It seemed like there was actually a 9th Rank
Mage!
That was rather excessive. Someone at the 9th Rank would already be a
first-rate existence among most mages. Only one more step and he
could reach the Great Mage realm. To invite someone of that level, a few
thousand gold wouldn’t be enough.
‘How could Fario be brave enough to do something so bold?’ Lin Yun

frowned. This was very abnormal, why was Fario going so far?
At the start, he had come with an eight thousand gold debt. Lin Yun had
thought that this cheap uncle was only taking advantage of Locke
Merlin’s promise to try to stake his claim on the house. Thus, after
disabling Jimmy’s right hand for his actions, he didn’t make things too
difficult for that cheap uncle and even paid him the debt after the sale of
the Spectrum potion.
But now it seemed that it wasn’t that simple…
At that time, he had demanded the money quite shamelessly, but he did
indeed have the contract, which had its terms written in black and white.
But now, trying to use the pretext of a thief to enter the place… Way too
greedy. This was completely unreasonable, not to mention that he had
invited a 9th Rank Mage. Lin Yun believed that if there wasn’t a special
reason, Fario would never be willing to part with so much money to hire
someone like that.
‘Is there something about the house?’
The more Lin Yun thought, the more he felt that it was possible.
Otherwise, why would Fario specifically bring up taking the house to

repay the debt when he first came? And now, he also wanted to search
the house… If it wasn’t about the house, why would Fario come time and
time again for the house?
“Let’s go! Everyone follow me to look for the thief!”
Before Lin Yun could think further about what the issue with the house
was, Fario shouted loudly and led everyone to force their way in.
“It’s a bit too much…”

How could Lin Yun let them go ahead? It wasn’t a tavern where
everyone could enter.
“To dare steal the stuff of the Viper Nest, truly a bold and ambitious
person. You thought I couldn’t find you if you hide here?” Maybe it was
because he had a 9th Rank Mage behind him, but Fario seemed
especially excited today.
With such a powerful mage supporting him, Fario took the lead in an
awe-inspiring way. This was a 9th Rank Mage! Not that many of them
could be found in the entire Thousand Sails City. With such support,
what could he be scared of?
‘Aren’t you very powerful Mafa? Instantly disabling Jimmy’s right-hand

and treating me like a fly. Now I have a 9th Rank Mage with me. What
can you do if I force my way into your house to catch a thief?’
‘Strange… Why is the soil so soft…’
‘What’s going on? Isn’t this the entrance? Why does it feel like I’m
trudging through a swamp?’
Fario looked down at the ground.
Chapter 22: Metamagic

The agitation then turned into a blood-curdling screech.
‘Fuck, this really is a swamp!’
Fario was trapped inside the swamp. His fat body was desperately
struggling, but the more he flailed, the quicker he sank down. In a short
time, he was chest-deep in that black mud!
“Careful! This is a Rotten Swamp!” The 9th Rank Mage in the middle of
the group shouted a warning to the Viper Nest group while quickly
casting a spell.
Rotten Swamp was only a 3rd Rank spell, so it couldn’t enter the eyes of
a 9th Rank Mage. One Soil Petrifaction would easily solve it.
In fact, that 9th Rank Mage did just that. He quickly chanted his
incantation and that Soil Petrifaction spell quickly took shape. As long as
he controlled the spreading of the Rotten Swamp, they could easily take
their time to help Fario escape from it.
But, just when the 9th Rank Mage was about to cast the spell, a deathly
chill blanketed the area, and before he could react, the swamp was
already frozen over.
“This…” The 9th Rank Mage suppressed the Soil Petrifaction spell. It
wasn’t even a matter of whether he should cast it or not anymore. At this
moment, he felt a small backlash, and this pain was truly hard to bear
with. The swamp was already frozen, so his spell was simply
meaningless now. But he couldn’t just not do anything. Did he have to
helplessly watch as Fario was turned into an icicle? This was someone
that the chief had personally asked him to protect…
Fortunately, the 9th Rank Mage didn’t have to keep thinking for long.
Because Lin Yun had already approached.
“How come you are so free today, Uncle?” Lin Yun walked along a small
path, not getting close to the 9th Rank Mage, who was still
dumbfounded. He stopped at the edge of the frozen swamp and
squatted down and smiled as he looked at Fario.
“Re-re-release me!” Fario had never been in such an awkward situation

before, with more than half of his body frozen in the swamp. Under the
bitter chill, his teeth were chattering constantly. It felt as if countless
knives were cutting his body.
He couldn’t escape, but he wasn’t sinking either. After the swamp

completely froze over, it was as hard as steel. Not to mention Fario,
even a 10th Rank Warrior wouldn’t be able to struggle free.
“Sure, I can get you out without any problem. But… Uncle, there is
something I don’t understand. You brought so many people to my house
today, what for?”
“Cap-capturing a thief, ow…” Fario just started talking when he suddenly

felt emptiness open up below his feet. He sank down a bit more. Feeling
completely terrified, Fario waved his arms around wildly as he shouted,
“Qu-quick, grab me! Pull me up!”
“Uncle Fario, you are definitely dishonest.” Only when half of Fario’s face
was left above the swamp did Lin Yun casually grab Fario’s collar. “Are
you such a magnanimous person that you would muster such a large
force for a thief?”
“Ge-Get me out first!” Fario urged in a muffled voice, not saying any
more this time.
Thus, Lin Yun didn’t say anything else and simply loosened his grip.
“Ahhhhh!”
As Lin Yun let go, Fario let out a blood-curdling shriek. The two fat hands
flailed around chaotically, trying to clutch on to one last hope for survival.
After struggling, he barely managed to grab the corner of Lin Yun’s
gown. Fario held on as if his life depended on it. “Mafa, I am your uncle,
ge-get me out of here…”
“Enough, Fario shut up!” The 9th Rank Mage who had been watching
the play while completely dumbfounded finally shook himself out of his
stupor. He raised the staff in his hand and a vine suddenly appeared
beside the frozen swamp. Imbued with the surge of mana from the 9th
Rank Mage, this vine grew to have a length of a few meters and the
thickness of an arm.
Immediately afterwards, the vine swept over the struggling Fario and he
was pulled out from the frozen swamp steadily dropped on the ground.
“I wasn’t done questioning yet…” Lin Yun patted the dust from his gown
while grumbling, but he didn’t actually care that much.
He was quite sure that Fario was at most an errand boy. No matter how
much he questioned him about it, he wouldn’t learn much.
Moreover, there was still that 9th Rank Mage.
That mage had no idea that he had been silently marked as a target for
questioning. He was frowning, looking at the young mage causing
problems for him.
This young mage had to be the owner of the house, Mafa Merlin. He
seemed to be about 20 years old and wearing a brand new black gown,
so he shouldn’t have been a Mage for long. And judging from the two
spells he had cast, he was probably somewhere between 3rd and 6th
Rank.
This strength could be considered pretty good for a 20-year-old youth.

But it was just pretty good. As a someone at the peak of Mages, he
could easily crush such a young mage.
Thus, the 9th Rank Mage didn’t bother being wordy with the other side
and directly told him, “Mafa Merlin, hand over the deed and I’ll guarantee
that I’ll let you and the people living in the house go.”
“Let me think about it…” Lin Yun surprisingly didn’t refuse outright,
showing a complicated expression instead.
“You’d better consider it well… I rarely give such a chance to people. I’ll
give you ten seconds to choose whether you’ll die with the deed, or hand
it over to save your life.”
“I mean, I was thinking about whether I should let all of you off or not…”
The entire area went silent after Lin Yun’s words.
The 9th Rank Mage’s face was filled with shock. He didn’t dare to
believe what he had just heard. After being left speechless yet again for
a few seconds, he finally reacted. He hadn’t misheard, that young Mage
truly said that he was considering if he should let them off…
“You are courting death!” The 9th Rank Mage took a deep breath and
barely restrained his anger. When he spoke, his voice was cold and
sinister.
Cold and sinister voice, ashen expression… Even Fario, still shivering on
the side, could see that this 9th Rank Mage was truly infuriated.
This was a clear provocation. Putting aside the fact that he was a peak
existence among Mages, even if he had been less powerful, he definitely
wouldn’t have been able to put up with it.
“Kill him!” The infuriated 9th Rank Mage waved his hands, and the few
dozen subordinates, who were looking at Lin Yun like he was their prey,
simultaneously advanced toward him.
They were elites of the Viper Nest, with the weakest one having the
strength of a 3rd Rank, and the most powerful one already at the 7th
Rank. With a few dozen of them, that force was not inferior at all to most
average mercenary groups. To be able to casually send such a force,
besides the few peak powers, in the entire Thousand Sails City, only the
underworld’s Viper Nest could do so!
That group of elites from the Viper Nest was made up from three
different kind of classes: Archers, Warriors and Thieves. When the 9th
Rank Mage gave his order, the Warriors and Thieves unsheathed their
weapons and rushed ahead, the Archers took position on favorable
terrain in an instant while nocking their arrows, waiting for the fight to
start before piercing the target’s chest like vipers.
As they rushed out, some of them even cursed inwardly. For just a 20-
year-old mage, did they really need to use elites of the Viper Nest?
But soon, they didn’t dare to think that way anymore…
Because Lin Yun had already completed his first spell. Another Rotten
Swamp formed once again. Not even 10 meters from Lin Yun, more than
a dozen Warriors holding large swords had been rushing up at him,
before the ground beneath their feet suddenly softened. They felt as if
something was dragging them down, pulling them into the muck.
No one could have expected that Lin Yun would be able to cast a spell
this quickly. Rotten Swamp was a 3rd Rank spell. An ordinary Mage
would need at least 20 seconds to cast it. Even a 9th Rank Mage would
still need about 10 seconds.
But that Rotten Swamp had fully formed in less than five seconds.
What kind of concept was that?
This was almost an instant spell!
This was an inconceivably quick Rotten Swamp. It instantly broke the

rhythm of the group from the Viper Nest. Among the few dozens of
fighters from the Viper Nest, the few Thieves had yet to come around to
surround him, and the Archers had suddenly loosed their arrows in
panic, causing them to be lacking in accuracy. More than a dozen
arrows shot out, but some weren’t even close, and the rest seemed to
miss Lin Yun ever so slightly, not even touching his clothes.
The most frightening part was that Lin Yun had already readied another
spell!
This second spell was even faster than the first one.
It was completely instantaneous, with no incantation and no gesture,

only a sharp Icicle spell…
Only a whistling sound pierced through the air as the large icicle
ruthlessly flew forward, instantly piercing an Archer’s shoulder. This
didn’t slow the icicle’s momentum as it kept going and nailed itself to a
tree, along with the unlucky Archer. His “advantageous” terrain became
the most loathsome location for him.
The icicle was the size of an arm, and it had pierced straight through his
shoulder, pinning him to the tree. This kind of pain was hard to bear,
even for an elite of the Viper Nest. A mournful scream echoed, and all
those who heard it felt a chill.
“Metamagic?” The 9th Rank Mage froze as he recognized what had

happened.
Chapter 23: Questioning

He was a powerful 9th Rank Mage, so how could he not know the
casting time of these spells?
That Rotten Swamp was already very abnormal. A mere 5 seconds to

materialize this 3rd Rank spell, even as a 9th Rank Mage he couldn’t do
something like this. Not to mention that the following Icicle spell had
been cast without any incantation at all. This was definitely Instant Cast
or Quickened metamagic.
It was only metamagic, and for Mages that had reached the 5th Rank,
who didn’t have one or two metamagics? But it was just that they
normally couldn’t be used casually. Using metamagic with a spell greatly
increased the amount of mana consumed, and an ordinary mage
couldn’t support the cost, so they simply wouldn’t be used except at
critical moments.
Someone like Mafa Merlin who had used two metamagics so quickly
was definitely an inexperienced newbie in the eyes of the 9th Rank
Mage. If one used his trump card first and expended all their mana, what
could they use to turn the situation around?
Of course, he wasn’t going to warn this youngster about his bad habit.
He would just let this youth learn that the consequences of angering a
9th Rank Mage were too much for just anyone to handle.
He began chanting his incantation.

He didn’t use any metamagic, and he didn’t even further tax his mana
whirlpool to hasten the casting speed. He wanted to knock this fellow
down a few pegs with a display of strength, making him understand why
the magic world was so hierarchical. Just one rank of difference would
be a huge factor. It wasn’t something that could be bridged with just two
metamagics.
The 9th Rank Mage was chanting the incantation for the Thunderstorm
spell. It would take twenty seconds and a large amount of mana, making
Thunderstorm one of the most powerful spells below the Great Mage
realm.
As the 9th Rank Mage chanted, the originally clear sky became covered
with black clouds. Lightning started surging amidst the clouds and
gathering together, the fierce, fluctuating electricity letting out screeching
and crackling sounds.
Thunderstorm’s power was that frightening. Even if that spell had yet to
be completed, just the scene of it materializing was enough to make
people feel numb.
But it all seemed to have no effect on Lin Yun.
Lin Yun was still standing at the side of the Rotten Swamp with a relaxed
expression, as if he hadn’t noticed the sky being covered in black clouds.
He raised his hands and another Icicle flew out, just like before, no
incantation, no gesture, and another Archer was nailed to a tree.
‘How could he still have mana?’ The 9th Rank Mage couldn’t help
frowning as he continued with his spell.
‘Seems like I must hurry…’
The 9th Rank Mage silently urged his mana whirlpool to speed up the
completion of the spell.
But as he did so, that young Mage cast another Icicle.
Yet another Archer was pinned to a tree. This was already the third one.
At that time, the 9th Rank Mage was a little regretful. If he had known
earlier that this young mage had enough mana to support four uses of
his metamagic, he wouldn’t have cast his Thunderstorm normally. That
way, he could have at least saved the third Archer from his fate.
‘No good, have to be faster!’
But Lin Yun was faster than him…
Another Icicle followed…
Followed by one more, and another one, and another one…
The 9th Rank Mage’s Thunderstorm was still not ready when a rain of
Icicle spells pinned a dozen archers to trees or just the ground. Once
they were all immobilized, Lin Yun also cast a Frost spell, and just like
when he handled Fario, he froze all the Warriors in the Rotten Swamp.
“…”
He had finished preparing the mighty Thunderstorm, but the 9th Rank
Mage was staring at the scene foolishly, a blank expression on his face.
Shock could be seen in his eyes, as he stood there in a daze, feeling
alarm and dread as he looked at that young mage…
That young Mage let out about a dozen Instant Cast Icicles,
incapacitating all those Archers.
What kind of concept was that…
The 9th Rank Mage had considered himself quite powerful, and could
even cast a Thunderstorm in just 20 seconds… but Instant Casting a
dozen Icicles during that time, he didn’t even dare to think about it. This
was already something beyond what a Mage could do, whether it was
the use of metamagic or normal casting, it was impossible.
The 9th Rank Mage even felt that it was impossible for most Great
Mages. Perhaps only those who had advanced to that realm for a long
time, or those peak existences preparing to break through to the High
Mage realm could Instant Cast a dozen Icicles in 20 seconds.
But now, there was a young, 20-year-old mage that had managed to do
so in front of him.
He could feel that he had chosen to fight a battle that he never should
have.
For a mage with such powerful abilities, it would be really simple for him
to kill a 9th Rank Mage. And let alone himself, the entire Viper Nest
might not even be worth his time.
‘What should I do…’
The Thunderstorm was still ready and flickering with electricity. The
black clouds covered the sky and thunder surged. He only needed to
shout the last word and direct the spell to come down to raze everything
within ten meters.
But the mage held back that last word.
This foe’s display of magic had driven him to the edge of despair…
He didn’t even have the intention to struggle now, he just stood there in
a daze, fear and helplessness filling his thoughts. He wasn’t that
powerful Mage standing at the peak of his realm anymore, and instead
looked like a lamb ready for slaughter.
“Follow me inside.” After dealing with the dozen Archers, Lin Yun didn’t
continue to make things difficult and beckoned the 9th Rank Mage to
follow him into the building.
Of course, there was no need to make things difficult. At this point, they
were all scared out of their wits. The others weren’t fools or lunatics, and
they didn’t dare to make any trouble. Even the loudly yelling Fario was
now hiding on the side, not daring to even breathe.
Lin Yun went through the door with the 9th Rank Mage in tow, before
running into the anxious old butler.
“Young Master, Fario brought many people over this time, did they make
things difficult for you?”
Hearing the old butler’s question, the 9th Rank Mage’s heart nearly
stopped. ‘Grandpa, can’t you see? Those Warriors in the frozen swamp
outside, those Archers nailed to the trees, who is making things difficult
for who?’
“It’s alright, I sent them away. Oh right, Uncle Pave, can you get us
something to eat? I haven’t eaten since I woke up…”
“Of course, take a seat, I’ll send someone to get you something to eat.”
After sending the old butler away, Lin Yun led the 9th Rank Mage to his
study.
“Introduce yourself first.”
“Yes, yes…” The 9th Rank Mage stood in place trembling with fear,
afraid that he would somehow carelessly anger that powerful mage that
had such frightening abilities. With Lin Yun questioning him, how could
he dare to hide anything from him? “I am Larry, one of the four Vice-
Leaders of the Viper Nest, I’m 40 this year, I reached the 9th Rank two
years ago…”
“Okay, stop there…” Lin Yun didn’t have the time to listen to this guy
being so long-winded. After learning about his identity, he directly cut in
and asked, “So, Larry, you brought so many people to surround my
house, what was your intention?”
“This…”
“Oh right, don’t even mention something like capturing a thief.”
“I wouldn’t dare, I wouldn’t dare…” Larry was truly terrified. Those

Archers outside were still pinned down and perhaps dying. How could
Larry dare to still insist that he was there to capture a thief? After a slight
hesitation, he explained everything. “Boss Sossu sent us, mainly to
protect Fario…”
“Just protect?”
Seeing Lin Yun’s unpleasant expression, Larry suddenly heard his own
heart beating faster. “N-n-no, no, not just protection, Boss Sossu said
that if needed, we could also use force to get the house!”
“What does this Boss Sossu want to do with this house?”
“I… I’m not too sure…”
“You are not too sure?”
“Yes, I really don’t know!” Larry was very anxious. He was afraid that Lin
Yun would lose his patience and just punish him, so he blurted, “Boss
Sossu always worked like that, he rarely tells us the reason for anything.
This time too, he only told us that whatever happened, we must seize
this house.”
“Must seize this house…” Lin Yun nodded, but did not say anything else.
After making an example of the dozen Archers, Larry shouldn’t be lying

to him. In other words, he really didn’t know what the secret of the house
was. That answer somewhat surprised Lin Yun, as this 9th Rank Mage’s
position shouldn’t be considered low. As one of the four vice-leaders of
the Viper Nest, he should be considered a core member. If even he
didn’t know, this suggested one thing…
This house’s secret was very shocking, shocking to the point that even a
9th Rank Mage didn’t have the qualifications to know. Perhaps only
Great Mages or High Mages would be allowed to know about it.
It seemed that Mafa Merlin was far from knowing his father well enough.
In the young Merlin’s memories, Locke Merlin was only a simple

businessman, and although monopolizing the alchemy business had
earned him a huge amount of wealth, he hadn’t reached the point where
he could directly talk to a Great Mage or a High Mage.
But it now seemed that this wasn’t the case.
After Lin Yun thought for a bit, he waved his hand. “Okay, Mage Larry,
you are free to go.”
“Eh?” Since he hadn’t given a very good answer, Larry, who had been
on edge for a long time, had all kinds of thoughts haunting his mind,
wondering how that young mage would deal with him, maybe torture,
more interrogation, murder, and so on. Such thoughts had made him go
a bit weak in the knees.
Suddenly hearing that he was free to go, Larry almost felt like he had
misheard out of wishful thinking and fell into a daze for a long time,
blinking in disbelief. “Did you just say… That I was free to go?”
“Yes, Mage Larry, you can leave. Remember to clean up the entrance
on your way back.”
Chapter 24: Abyssal Magic Diamond

“Yes, yes, I swear I’ll clean up everything…” At this time, let alone the
entrance, even if Lin Yun asked him to clean the entire Thousand Sails
City, Larry would raise no objections and get straight to work.
Larry hadn’t dared to even think that this young mage would let him go
so easily. No torture, no killing, he even didn’t lose a single hair and was
able to walk away free. This was such good luck!
Thus, he quickly answered in the affirmative and then left the house.
Moreover, after he freed the others, he had everyone help him quickly
clean the entrance.
After sending away the interlopers, Lin Yun sat in the study for a bit,
waiting for his meal to be delivered. After casually finishing his meal, Lin
Yun closed the doors and instructed that no one was to disturb him. He
then started stirring his mana whirlpool to let out Mage Eyes one after
the other.
The Mage Eyes were condensed from mana, but they were different
from ordinary spells. That mana wouldn’t separate from the mage in
control. After coming out, it would still be linked to the mana whirlpool,
and thus, each Mage Eye would be like a pair of eyes for the caster, and
everything they saw would appear in the mage’s mind.
But the average mage could at most use three to five Mage Eyes, not
many could be like Lin Yun, releasing over a dozen Mage Eyes, and
apparently without feeling the slightest bit of strain.
Each Mage Eye needed extremely accurate control. That kind of control
was even more difficult than what was faced when forming the mana
whirlpool. Someone who had just advanced to become a mage wouldn’t
dare to try to control one, let alone many of them…
Lin Yun spent ten minutes to release over a dozen Mage Eyes and then
controlled them to squeeze their way into various corners of the house.
When Locke Merlin bought the house, he had spent more or less a
hundred thousand gold. It could be considered a huge expenditure to the
merchants of Thousand Sails City, and although it couldn’t compare with
the vast ten hectares of the Monchi manor, it still wasn’t something that
could be searched in a short amount of time.
A dozen Mage Eyes sounded like a lot, but inside such a big house, it
truly wasn’t very conspicuous.
Thus, Lin Yun closed the doors to his study and entered seclusion,
because he knew that this could take a very long time.
After the Mage Eyes flew out of the study, they all headed for various
parts of the house. Some went to the living room, some went to the
courtyard, some to the kitchen, some to the bedroom… Under Lin Yun’s
control, the dozen-plus Mage Eyes started thoroughly searching the
entire house.
Time slowly passed…
The great amount of mana consumed made Lin Yun slowly pale from
exertion. After an hour, Lin Yun picked up the first mana crystal and
quickly drew the mana from within before he continued controlling the
Mage Eyes. But this time, Lin Yun only lasted 40 minutes before he had
to use the second mana crystal.
Successively absorbing the mana from two mana crystals didn’t improve
Lin Yun’s complexion, making it even worse.
Mana crystals could indeed supply mana, but this kind of mana had
impurities. An ordinary mage wouldn’t dare to absorb it directly. Only Lin
Yun, who once absorbed mana from the Netherstorm, would dare to do
this.
But even Lin Yun couldn’t keep absorbing to continue his search. Lin
Yun estimated that he would be able to absorb mana from one more
mana crystal at most before he would have to stop the search and
meditate for a while. Otherwise, the amount of impurities entering his
body would cause some trouble for him.
After twenty minutes, when Lin Yun was just about to pick up the third
mana crystal, one of the Mage Eyes flew into the study on the 2nd floor,
before suddenly stopping as it saw something!
“It’s here!”
Lin Yun softly chanted and the dozen Mage Eyes instantly returned and
converted back into pure mana before blending into Lin Yun’s mana
whirlpool. At the same time, Lin Yun stood up and pushed open the door
that had been closed for about two hours, before heading for a staircase
that led to the 2nd floor.
The study on the 2nd floor was the place that Locke Merlin had used for
work. Because it involved many business secrets, he normally hadn’t
allowed anyone inside. Even his only son, Mafa Merlin, had only been
inside a sparse number of times.
He hadn’t thought much of it before, but now, he felt like there was most
likely something about this study…
After Lin Yun reached the study, he instantly glanced at the bookshelf in
the rear. He noticed the 6th book on the 3rd row. It seemed no different
from others at first glance, but to Lin Yun, who lived in a library for a long
time, there was a huge problem with that book.
There were a lot of books on the bookshelf, but this one book had a lot
more wear on its cover. Some people might assume that the damage
had come from the book being read too many times. Was Locke Merlin
not allowed to like books, and this one in particular? Indeed, this could
have been an acceptable explanation. The issue was that this book’s
pages were actually still brand new. How could Locke Merlin read a book
without opening the pages?
If Lin Yun couldn’t notice such a big problem while using magical
perception, then his life in the library could be considered to have failed
him here.
Lin Yun walked to the bookshelf and reached out to see if he could
manipulate that book. Sure enough, he heard a “kacha” echo out.
Something had been opened…
‘A secret door, as expected…’
Lin Yun tried pushing the bookshelf, and surprisingly, the bookshelf was
pushed back with a light touch, exposing a tunnel behind it.
Lin Yun looked inside and saw that it was very long and very dark. He
couldn’t tell where this tunnel led. Furthermore, there were some magic
fluctuations inside.
These kinds of fluctuations weren’t exactly strong, but they seemed

extremely heavy and had a powerful sealing nature. Lin Yun guessed
that this should be an alchemy array for suppressing or sealing
something.
As for the details, he would have to go and see first.
Lin Yun casually used a Light spell and made the bright and gentle ball
of light float half a meter in front of him. He followed it and entered the
dark tunnel.
Lin Yun walked for about five minutes in the gloomy tunnel before
reaching the end.
At the end of the tunnel was a tightly shut stone door, and the
fluctuations he felt before came from behind that door.
Lin Yun tried to push that stone door open, but it didn’t move at all. He
looked around, but there was nothing similar to the mechanism on the
bookshelf. Lin Yun couldn’t help scratching his head as he thought,
‘Don’t tell me a key is needed? That doesn’t seem right, there is not
even a small crack on that stone door, let alone a keyhole… Eh? This
is…’
Just as Lin Yun was considering whether or not he should just force his
way through, he suddenly noticed that there seemed to be some strange
veined patterns on top of the stone door.
Those patterns were quite faint and inconspicuous, especially in the

darkness of the tunnel. Lin Yun originally thought they were just
decorative designs on the door, but after looking at them carefully, he
found out that this wasn’t the case.
‘It’s actually the Nesser Language!’
Before Noscent’s 3rd era, there had been two huge dynasties. One was
the Yashan Dynasty that had already disappeared in the river of time. It
was said that this was a dynasty that had been established from Divine
Magic. Unfortunately, it was far too ancient an era, and the history
couldn’t be verified.
And what followed was the Nesser Dynasty…
The Nesser Dynasty was formed through the joint rule of the Dragons
and Elves. It was said that modern magic had been born in that era, and
the two powerful races ruled Noscent for several millennia. It then slowly
collapsed due to endless internal friction, to the point that for many years
since then, very few people were able to find vestiges of the Nesser
Dynasty.
But there had been one thing from then that was still passed down. The
Nesser Language. This was a mix of Draconic and Elvish. It was concise
and accurate, and many mages considered it the most perfect language
for magic.
Even countless years later, at the peak of the magic civilization, the
Nesser Language was one of the compulsory fields of knowledge that
mages had to learn. Many advanced spells had to be written in Nesser
Runes. Some profound fields of magic knowledge were even described
only with Nesser Runes because the descriptions would become long,
tedious, and very complicated. Even simple reading would be very
convoluted.
But the Nesser Language had been very widespread… Well, that was
after the plane colonies had been established. Those who mastered the
Nesser Language were the mages at the top, Archmages at least.
‘So, who left the Nesser Runes on the stone door?’
Lin Yun looked over the rest of the door for a while but didn’t find
anything else, so he started studying Nesser Runes on the door.
This was quite easy for Lin Yun, and he only needed ten minutes to
decipher the Nesser Runes on the stone door.
Simply put, it was a puzzle, a puzzle using Nesser Runes.
Everything was very simple after that. Lin Yun just spoke the answer to
the riddle in the Nesser Language. The shut door immediately confirmed
the answer and opened!
‘Damn…’ Lin Yun’s eyes were nearly blinded when the door opened.
Three red diamonds were embedded in the stone wall, emitting a

dazzling light that pierced into the darkness that had been surrounding
him, and they were filling the air with fierce magic fluctuations, making it
difficult to breathe.
Those were Abyssal Magic Diamonds. It was rumored that the eyes of a
Demon would transform into those after death. Each one had an
impressive amount of mana. Every mage would yearn for such a
valuable treasure. Even in this era that was so abundant in resources,
the Abyssal Magic Diamond could be described as a priceless treasure.
If one appeared on the market, it would make countless mages go crazy,
and even those High Mages would pay any price for them.
With huge amounts of pure mana and shocking mana conductivity, the
Abyssal Magic Diamond was one of the best mana sources, and one of
the easiest to use. Whether it was for direct mana absorption, or for
operating an alchemy array, it could remove the step transforming the
mana impurities. Because its mana was the purest, there was simply no
need to worry about impurities.
Chapter 25: Planar Path

And all this was just with a raw Abyssal Magic Diamond that had been
roughly treated…
If one fell into the hands of a Great Alchemist, the radiance of the
Abyssal Magic Diamond would really blossom. Those peak alchemists
could even use Abyssal Magic Diamonds to craft Spiritual Magic Tools!
Spiritual level, what kind of concept was that…
The best magic tools circulating on the market were mostly Superior
level, yet the cheapest of those would be bought for over ten thousand
gold. And above the Superior level, there were still the Excellent and
Inheritance levels. It was the Spiritual level that many Great Alchemists
spent their entire lives pursuing, the goal of creating a Spiritual Magic
Tool.
The Spiritual level, as the name implied, would give the items spirituality.
Those Magic Tools weren’t just pieces of equipment anymore, they were
connected with their owner’s blood, and their power could even be
compared to that of a High Mage.
In other words, having a Spiritual Magic Tool was equivalent to having a

High Mage aid you in battle!
And now, there were as many as three Abyssal Magic Diamonds in front
of Lin Yun…
This was simply unthinkable!
If these three Abyssal Magic Diamonds were brought out into the public
eye, all the alchemists of Thousand Sails City might go completely crazy!
‘Hold on, what’s that…’ Just as Lin Yun was getting dazzled by his find,
Lin Yun suddenly noticed some runes carved in between the three
Abyssal Magic Diamonds.
Lin Yun studied the stone wall for a bit and roughly understood what was
going on. This was an alchemy array built upon six runes. The specific
effect was to extract mana from the three Abyssal Magic Diamonds, but
things were more complicated when he followed those runes down.
There was another alchemy array under the three Abyssal Magic
Diamonds, but the structure of this array was a hundred times more
complicated than the previous one, and it was a hundred times more
expensive, too.
Each rune was written in Void Ink, while a few of the mana circuits even
used Soul Burning Ink, not to mention the over 20 magic nodes. Even
Lin Yun could barely distinguish them from one another. It seemed to
him that the effect of this alchemy array was to use the Abyssal Magic
Diamond’s mana to keep the space stable.
‘Space?’ Lin Yun looked back at those three Abyssal Magic Diamonds,
suddenly realizing something.
‘No wonder…’
The questions in Lin Yun’s mind got their answer upon recognizing this
alchemy array.
Lin Yun didn’t need to study the array any further to know that behind
these three Abyssal Magic Diamonds on the stone wall was a path.
A Planar Path!
The so-called Planar Path was a passage between planes. In fact, as

early as the 3rd dynasty, some people had suggested that Noscent
wasn’t the only world in the boundless universe. But those theories had
no physical evidence to back them up at the time.
That was the case up until the end of the 3rd era when some mages
brought it up again and tried to prove the existence of different planes. In
the last hundred years of the 3rd dynasty, the Crimson Tower finally
opened a Planar Path.
Afterwards…
There was nothing afterwards. The powerful group of mages from the
Crimson Tower set foot on the Planar Path, but they never returned. The
entire Crimson Tower fell apart overnight and finally died out due to
endless power struggles created by the void left behind.
After that, speaking of Planar Paths was a taboo topic for a long time.
Up until the current times, many years later.
All kinds of magic research would progress day after day, mages would
grow more powerful, and ambitions would keep rising, especially when
some lucky guy brought back all kinds of rare resources from another
plane. Plane colonization would become something the mages of this
era would jointly work on. Each plane hidden behind those Planar Paths
would become gold mines in the eyes of the mages.
But only a few Planar Paths were known, and they were mostly in the
hands of Noscent’s most powerful forces. Trying to gain control of one
would be courting death.
Thus, each time a new Planar Path appeared, countless forces would
fight over it because to them, a new Planar Path meant a new
opportunity for endless wealth. They were willing to pay an unimaginable
price for the sake of a new Planar Path.
At that time, why had Lin Yun agreed to take over the Flashing Gold
chamber of commerce when he figured out which era of Noscent’s
history he was in? It was because Lin Yun wanted to establish his own
Planar Path by taking advantage of the power of his Flashing Gold
Chamber of commerce. To a mage, there was nothing more enticing
than a private plane.
That wasn’t just an opportunity to get endless wealth.
Completely controlling a private plane would allow a mage’s starting

point to be elevated, letting them rise above all livings. It was the power
of an entire plane! This was also why, at the peak of Noscent’s magic
civilization, the mages close to being omnipotent would still endlessly
campaign for the chance to get a plane of their own!
And Lin Yun had ended up finding an unknown Planar Path hidden
inside his own house…
‘Seems like these three Abyssal Magic Diamonds can’t be moved…’

Despite this painful fact, compared to a whole plane, three Abyssal
Magic Diamonds couldn’t compare.
Lin Yun was almost certain that these three Abyssal Magic Diamonds
had been brought back from the other plane by Locke Merlin. In
Noscent, the value of the Abyssal Magic Diamonds was inestimable, but
they might be everywhere in some other plane.
Lin Yun stopped thinking about the Abyssal Magic Diamonds and started
focusing on the alchemy array on the stone wall. The level of that array
was very high. Lin Yun estimated that an average Great Alchemist would
be unable to reach this level of achievement. It was most likely the work
of a peak Great Alchemist, or even a Master Alchemist.
In the last twenty years, Lin Yun had mostly just tried to survive, while
the remaining time was spent on trying to improve his knowledge of
magic. He had only hastily read through the alchemy books, since
materials were so scarce. Besides filling his brains with alchemy
knowledge, the times he had actually crafted something from them could
be counted on his fingers.
Something like this Master level alchemy array was very difficult for Lin
Yun to decipher.
After about half an hour, Lin Yun’s gaze moved away from the stone
wall.
‘Sure enough, it really is a Master Alchemist…’ After analyzing the

structure of the alchemy array, Lin Yun was certain of it. That array was
definitely the work of a Master Alchemist.
But fortunately, that Master Alchemist didn’t place any obstacles on that
alchemy array to prevent others from analyzing it, maybe due to
confidence, or just on a whim.
Thus, given enough time Lin Yun managed to completely crack the
runes.
When Lin Yun whispered the opening Nesser Runes, the three Abyssal
Magic Diamonds suddenly blossomed with a dazzling radiance. In that
instant, the entire room shone red. And it could clearly be seen among
those red lights that the space around him was starting to distort. The
fierce magic fluctuations were raging in the hidden chamber. That kind of
berserk energy felt literally tangible, and even the air seemed to
shudder.
At the same time, the three Abyssal Magic Diamonds began to grow
ever more dazzling. The array was operating frantically, trying its best to
suppress these berserk magic fluctuations.
Opening a path to another plane was tantamount to ripping space apart.

If just a hint of power leaked out, it wasn’t something a small hidden
chamber like this could bear. If not for the Master level array suppressing
it, let alone the small room, even someone on the level of a 9th Rank
Mage like Lin Yun might be instantly destroyed.
With these two destructive forces fighting each other and mutually
suppressing each other, the surrounding space was distorted to the
extreme and a black crack appeared, gradually expanding.
This was a Planar Path!
Lin Yun didn’t hesitate and immediately rushed in!
Time was of the essence. Although the three Abyssal Magic Diamonds
were invaluable, they were far from enough to maintain a Planar Path
continuously. This was equivalent to forcibly connecting two different
planes, so the power requirement could only be described as frightening.
Lin Yun estimated that this Planar Path would last at most 30 minutes. If
he didn’t return within the thirty minutes, he would be stuck in that
unknown plane forever.
There was nothing he could do about it, as Lin Yun wasn’t one of those
mages at the peak of Noscent magic civilization. They could pass
through planes freely by that point, but Lin Yun didn’t have that skill.
When Lin Yun rushed into the Planar Path, he felt a blur before his eyes.
It was followed by the world changing right before his eyes.
His surroundings were no longer the narrow hidden chamber, instead

being replaced by a vast and endless black land. The sky was dark, and
besides a dark red crescent moon, there was not a single trace of light.
A thick, putrid smell filled the air, giving the feeling like the entire world
was rotten.
‘What is this place?’ Lin Yun was vigilantly checking his surroundings
while his brain was quickly sifting through his memories. He had heard of
such a plane before.
But before he could remember, a small sound came from his feet, like a
snake was moving through the grass.
Chapter 26: Bone Plane

‘What the…’ Lin Yun was startled when he heard that strange sound and
instantly moved back, a small, bright flame appearing at his fingertips.
As the flame lit up the area, Lin Yun saw that at the place he had been
standing, a skeleton was pushing its way out of the ground. The
skeleton’s body was covered in black mud and it was holding a rusted
scimitar, and two phosphorescent flames flickered within its empty
sockets.
‘An undead lifeform?’ Lin Yun was horrified by the revelation. This was
clearly a lowly Skeleton Warrior, the lowest lifeform amongst the undead.
‘How come my luck is so good? I casually found a Planar Path, but it
ended up leading to the famous Undead Plane?’
‘Such a cruel joke…’
Even at the peak of the magic civilization, mages wouldn’t rashly set foot
in the Undead Plane. That place was just too dangerous, and even
powerful mages could fall there.
Endless swarms of the undead… They had unlimited stamina and did
not fear death or destruction, making the Undead Plane one of the most
difficult planes to conquer.
Lin Yun once read a note clearly saying that during the entire length of
the Plane Colonization Era, only three people truly conquered the
Undead Plane!
The Plane Colonization Era lasted for ten thousand years, so who knew
how many outstanding mages appeared during that period? But only
three of them managed to conquer the Undead Plane.
‘What should I do?’ Lin Yun felt a bit faint. This wasn’t a joke, as the
renowned Undead Plane simply wasn’t a place that a 9th Rank Mage
like him could set foot in. Let alone a 9th Rank Mage, even a High Mage,
even an Archmage would be courting death by stepping into the Undead
Plane.
‘I have to quickly leave this place, if I wait until more of the undead are
alarmed, I won’t be able to leave even if I want to.’
With this in mind, Lin Yun chanted something, and the small flame at his
fingertip immediately turned into a blaze, which turned into a Fire Arrow
and flew at the Skeleton Warrior. At the same time, Lin Yun hurriedly
retreated and kept chanting line after line, matching these words with
various gestures. The mana fluctuations in the surroundings became
fiercer.
The Fire Arrow struck the Skeleton Warrior’s body, exploding with a
“bang!” and sending sparks and white bone fragments scattering from
the impact point. The entire left arm of the Skeleton Warrior had
exploded. That kind of injury would be enough to seriously harm any
ordinary combatant and seriously incapacitate them, but it was far from
enough for an undead.
After receiving the Fire Arrow attack, the Skeleton Warrior was only
staggered a bit. And then, as if it hadn’t been affected at all, it got up and
lifted its rusted scimitar once again before charging at the retreating Lin
Yun.
This was the frightening advantage of the undead: they were very
troublesome to kill. Losing a hand or a leg was a much less significant
loss for them. Besides reducing mobility and effectiveness, they still
would be able to fight.
But Lin Yun had already anticipated that. After shooting out the Fire
Arrow, he didn’t stop chanting, and just as the Skeleton Warrior was
raising its weapon, Lin Yun’s second spell was cast.
“Thunder Hammer!”
A large hammer with electricity surging all over it and made of flickering
gold light appeared out of nowhere in front of the Skeleton Warrior
before smashing down, emitting a clap of thunder.
A deep fracture appeared on the Skeleton Warrior’s sternum, followed

by a lot of low sounds that grew until a sharp “crack” rang out.
The Skeleton Warrior wasn’t able to scream, but the fires in those empty
eye sockets were raging as the scimitar in its hand still began to swing
down.
But what awaited it was a second Thunder Hammer.
Another “bang” echoed, and this Thunder Hammer completely smashed

the Skeleton Warrior’s skull, extinguishing the fires in the eye sockets in
that instant. The scimitar fell to the ground with a “clang” along with the
bones of the Skeleton Warrior.
“Pheew…” Lin Yun let out a sigh of relief. He skillfully rummaged through
the Skeleton Warrior’s skull while carefully checking his surroundings,
preparing to use the Planar Path to return to Noscent at any time.
Soon, Lin Yun found a black Undead Essence from the remains of the
Skeleton Warrior. This was what remained after the soul fire stopped
burning. It contained a large amount of death energy and was an
extremely good material to add to a Magic Weapon. It would add death
energy to each attack, causing the enemy to have all kinds of negative
thoughts, and against a foe with less resistance, these negative thoughts
could make the difference between victory and defeat.
This kind of Undead Essence could reach a price similar to that of an

Excellent Magic Tool if put on the market.
‘Not bad luck.’ The Skeleton Warrior’s soul fire was quite weak, so it was
very improbable for it to become an Undead Essence after it was
destroyed. It was truly lucky for Lin Yun to get one from this.
But even if his luck wasn’t bad here, Lin Yun was still in a terrible mood.
After all, each Planar Path gave the opportunity to attain endless wealth.
At the peak of the magic civilization, the powerful mages were mostly
relying on Planar Paths to make their marks on the world before setting
foot at the peak of Noscent.
Unfortunately, this Planar Path led to the famous Undead Plane.
But giving up completely was beyond Lin Yun.
Though, Lin Yun had no plans to consider profiting from this plane for a
long time.
He was lucky this time. He only met one Skeleton Warrior and got an
Undead Essence from it. But who would guarantee that he would be as
lucky next time, when he might run into ten thousand of them? What if
he met a Lich? That was a frightening existence on the level of an
Archmage. Moreover, such an existence wasn’t that rare in the Undead
Plane. In a plane where even Black Dragons could be found in a large
group, what were a few dozen or even a hundred Liches?
‘Hold on…’ After remembering all kinds of things about the Undead
Plane, Lin Yun suddenly thought of an issue.
‘So, why was there only one Skeleton Warrior? It’s rumored that the
Undead Plane is teeming with endless undead. There should be a sea of
Skeleton Warriors here. How could I have met just one Skeleton Warrior
after such a long time? This isn’t logical…’
‘Is it possible that this isn’t actually the Undead Plane?’ This possibility
made Lin Yun’s hand shake.
Yes or no, the difference was too huge. One side had the chance for
endless wealth while the other side had nothing but hardships. Lin Yun
made a risky decision for this. He interrupted his chant to activate the
runes that would let him return, and instead chanted the Mage Eye spell.
Three Mages Eyes blended into the night one after the other as they
stuck close to the ground while moving at a very fast speed.
From what the Mage Eyes showed him, Lin Yun could see that there
really weren’t any more undead creatures on the entire black wasteland.
This discovery made Lin Yun’s breathing quicken.
But after thinking about it, he still had some reservations, so he cast
Detect Undead.
This time, Lin Yun felt them. There truly weren’t any more of them across
the wasteland… but they were sleeping underground. If they weren’t
alarmed, they might not wake up for eight to ten years.
Lin Yun was still surprised to discover that among all the undead
lifeforms under the ground, the most powerful was only a Bone Devil.
It had to be known that the strength of a Bone Devil was at most

equivalent to a peak Great Mage.
This didn’t make much sense. Across such a huge, black wasteland,
how could the most powerful lifeform be a mere Bone Devil? After all, in
the Undead Plane, Banshees and Liches filled the place. A mere Bone
Devil, how could it occupy such a huge territory?
At this time, Lin Yun was almost certain that this place was most
definitely not the Undead Plane. There weren’t enough undead here for
that to be the case, and they were also too weak. Something as weak as
a Bone Devil was the strongest in this area.
In the Undead Plane, those mages of the peak era should not even be
mentioned. But it wasn’t the Undead Plane, so where was this?
The undead were here, there was a dark-red crescent moon, the air was
filled with death energy, and it had the same smell as the Undead Plane.
All these similarities…
‘The Bone Plane!’ With all these clues, Lin Yun patted his head before
finally remembering. ‘That’s right, this must be the Bone Plane, a plane
with characteristics very similar to those of the Undead Plane, but its
power was countless times lower.
This was too different for Lin Yun.
In that spacious decayed library, there had been countless documents

about the Plane Colonization Era, and Lin Yun had read some of those
when feeling bored, even the more insignificant ones.
The Bone Plane had been discovered somewhere in the middle of the
Plane Colonization Era. Three young Mages from the Ivory Tower had
accidentally obtained the coordinates of the Bone Plane during an
experiment, so they used the coordinates to create a brand new Planar
Path and then completely conquered the Bone Plane within three
months.
That’s right, just three months…
Chapter 27: Nether Iron

It was most likely the fastest and most cost-efficient plane to conquer in
the entire Plane Colonization Era. The young mages were using a worn-
out magic battleship, yet they only needed three months to conquer the
entire plane.
That wasn’t too surprising, since the level of the Bone Plane was really
too low. The most powerful creature there was only a Bone Dragon. The
worn-out magic battleship had erased the Bone Dragon from existence
with just one salvo.
The three young mages had relied on their miraculous conquest of that
plane to obtain the favor of the higher-ups of the Ivory Tower and truly
become core mages of that powerful force. After several decades of
efforts, they successfully entered the council of the Ivory Tower and
became major figures there.
There were plenty of such stories in that era, but what happened after
the story was the most important part. Lin Yun remembered that after the
Ivory Tower obtained the Bone Plane, it truly rose as one of the seven
major forces of Noscent. It not only controlled the Dark Highland for a
millennium, but one Heaven Rank Mage came from it, Bane.
Moreover, Bane also had an extraordinary Magic Tool, the renowned

Book of Death.
Despite the fact that the Ivory Tower never revealed the reason for their
sudden rise, astute observers could guess that the sudden emergence
of the Ivory Tower, which had been suppressed by the Caucasus
Council for several millennia, was definitely related to the discovery of
the Bone Plane by the three young mages. It was a public secret at the
time.
Following the rise of the Ivory Tower, the bounty of the Bone Plane
gradually spread throughout Noscent. Countless people were eyeing
that fertile, black land. The Ivory Tower left a mage corps there and
would execute large numbers of trespassers every day, but under the
temptation of the possibility for attaining great profits, there would still be
countless waves of such people intruding all the time. This situation
continued up until Noscent’s mana was exhausted, the powerful mages
fell one after the other, and the rising Ivory Tower vanished. As for that
fertile, black land, it finally welcomed a long-lost calm.
But all of this had yet to happen.
The three young mages stumbled upon the coordinates of this plane
over ten thousand years later. But Lin Yun had already set foot on this
fertile plane through Locke Merlin’s Planar Path, which meant that
perhaps the Ivory Tower would not rule the Dark Highland for over a
millennium, and Heaven Mage Bane wouldn’t have the extraordinary
Magic Tool, the Book of Death.
But for Lin Yun, finding the Bone Plane so early in the timeline came with
a serious problem.
The conquest would be extremely difficult…
When those three mages from the Ivory Tower had discovered the Bone
Plane, they had only been able to conquer it within three months
because they had a magic battleship.
Even if it was worn-out, it was still a magic battleship.
By relying on its power, the three young mages were able to easily
conquer the Bone Plane, taking out the most powerful inhabitant in just
one salvo. But Lin Yun couldn’t do so, as the plane colonization era had
just started, and although the magic battleships had already been
created, they were far from having their future destructive power.
Besides, the current magic battleships were only in the hands of a few of
the most powerful forces. Moreover, even if these battleships were as
strong now as they eventually would be in the future, they wouldn’t fall
into Lin Yun’s hands.
Lin Yun could only rely on himself…
But the good news was that Lin Yun had a lot of time.
If everything followed the original course of history, then it would only be

over ten thousand years later that the young mages of the Ivory Tower
would incidentally find the coordinates of the Bone Plane. Lin Yun should
still have enough time to increase his strength. When Lin Yun reached
the point of being able to contend against a Bone Dragon, the conquest
of the Bone Plane would naturally follow.
And before becoming strong enough, Lin Yun could only maintain a low
profile.
The Bone Plane wasn’t something that was impossible for him to
explore, but once there, he would have to always remain vigilant. This
fertile land was quite fraught with danger for the current Lin Yun.
If more than ten Skeleton Warriors appeared at the same time, Lin Yun
would struggle to keep up, not to mention the sleeping Bone Devil. That
was an existence that approached the High Mage level. For someone
like Lin Yun who had the power of a 9th Rank Mage, if he bumped into it,
his only option would be to flee.
Thus, even if the black soil beneath his feet seemed boundless, the area
that Lin Yun could explore was only that small plot beside the Planar
Path. Only there would he still be mostly safe. If he found something that
he couldn’t deal with, he could quickly flee.
Lin Yun was exploring this very area at the moment. In a dozen minutes
or so, Lin Yun dealt with over twenty Skeleton Warriors, which brought
him four undead essences.
‘Tsk tsk tsk, it truly is a fertile land…’ Finding four undead essences was
tantamount to having four Excellent Magic Tools, and it only took him a
bit over ten minutes to get them.
Lin Yun’s time was already running out. The three Abyssal Magic
Diamonds making up the alchemy array could maintain the Planar Path
for about half an hour. After dealing with those Skeleton Warriors, Lin
Yun felt like he should head back, as he wanted to have a safety margin.
He could only wait for next time if he wanted to do this again.
Lin Yun didn’t delay and put four Undead Essences into his pocket and
started chanting the incantation to leave, but he suddenly saw a bright
flash one hundred meters away from him.
“Eh?”
Lin Yun’s curiosity was immediately piqued. This was the Bone Plane, a
world made of black soil and ghastly bones, it was definitely unusual for
a light to flare out like that…
Lin Yun immediately cancelled the incantation to open the exit and sent
a Mage Eye over, keeping it close to the black soil.
Lin Yun became stupefied.
Through the Mage Eye, Lin Yun could clearly see numerous Skeleton
Warriors surrounding that flicker, hundreds of them at the very least.
Numerous flaming eyes, and a forest of bones… It gave them an even
more ghastly feeling.
And the thing that they were all surrounding was a vein of Nether Iron
that was several hundred meters long. At first glance, it looked like a
giant, hibernating black python emitting a dense aura of death. There
was a layer of hazy fog covering it, which covered the bloody moonlight
as well as Lin Yun’s line of sight, to the point that even when he was only
a few hundred meters away, Lin Yun hadn’t seen the vein of Nether Iron.
Up until now, when Lin Yun accidentally saw that bit of flickering light,
leaving him completely shocked.
A Nether Iron vein that was several hundred meters long and completely
exposed to the surface. No one would believe it if word of this got out.
Normally, a Nether Iron vein could only be found several dozen meters
below the ground, and even then, there would only be a few pieces here
and there. Lin Yun had never heard of a vein that was hundreds of
meters long.
This was too frightening…
After all, Magic Weapons forged with Nether Iron would naturally have
the Death Frost power. If one was put on the market, it would sell for
tens of thousands of gold. Moreover, Nether Iron would often be
accompanied by all kinds of precious magic gems. These magic gems
were worth even more than the Nether Iron itself. The Abyssal Magic
Diamond was one of those.
‘Such a long Nether Iron vein, it should be enough to gear up ten

thousand people.’
After seeing everything through the Mage Eye, Lin Yun wasn’t in a hurry
to approach. He instead crept close to a rock and carefully concealed
himself. There were a couple hundred Skeleton Warriors next to the Iron
Vein. If he alarmed them, he wouldn’t even know how he died. Not to
mention the dormant Bone Devil, which definitely wouldn’t be very
hospitable.
Pushing through directly was out of the question. Hundreds of Skeleton

Warriors and a Bone Devil that could wake up at any time… He would
need the strength of a High Mage at the very least before fighting them,
but he was just a 9th Rank Mage. Going in would simply be throwing his
life away.
But, of course, it didn’t mean that there was nothing he could do.
Lin Yun hid behind the rock and thought about it while letting out another
Mage Eye. But this time, after this Mage Eye flew near the Nether Iron
Vein, Lin Yun not only gave up control of it, but he also poured a large
amount of mana into it, making that Mage Eye quite strange.
It had definitely been separated from Lin Yun’s direct control, but thanks
to the support of the residual mana, it could stay there for a long time.
Of course, this kind of existence didn’t have much meaning, because Lin
Yun could no longer look through the Mage Eye, as their connection had
been severed. The Mage Eye floating above the Nether Iron Mine was
actually a target.
Its only effect was to use its faint light for positioning.
But this was exactly what Lin Yun needed.

After planting the Mage Eye, Lin Yun got in front of the rock and started
casting a long and tedious incantation. As his mana whirlpool rotated, a
Fireball left Lin Yun’s hand and flew out.
The Fireball left a long, flaming trail as it flew several hundred meters
forward before arriving above that vein of Nether Iron in a blink. At
almost the same time, Lin Yun chanted a final word.
A “bang” followed, echoing loudly, as the huge Fireball exploded above

the Nether Iron Vein, creating a blazing inferno in the sky.
In an instant, the area below turned into a sea of fire.
Chapter 28: Elemental Incarnation

The rain of fire fell onto the black soil. It felt as if a pan of oil had caught
fire, and in a few moments, that sea of fire spread for a hundred meters,
waking all of the slumbering Skeleton Warriors. Their soul fires were
throbbing blankly as they ran around through the inferno in complete
confusion.
This was the 9th Rank spell, Fire Rain. Among the Mage rank spells, it
was only a bit inferior to Thunderstorm, but it was a lot more effective
than Thunderstorm against the undead. The large group of Skeleton
Warriors was just instinctively running around, so how could they
manage to avoid this vast sea of fire?
In a short time, dozens of Skeletons fell, charred to cinders.
If it had been earlier, Lin Yun would be feeling very happy. Burning up
more than a dozen Skeleton Warriors meant that he would get several
Undead Essences.
But Lin Yun wasn’t happy right now…
He hadn’t dared to use a spell like Fire Rain before because he was
worried that it would create too big of a commotion and lead to him being
surrounded by the undead that were drawn to the ruckus. But Lin Yun
couldn’t hold off at this time. A vein of Nether Iron that was several
hundred meters long… Even the most powerful forces at the peak of the
magic civilization some ten thousand years later would covet.
Let alone now…
Putting aside whether Lin Yun could mine anything from it now, as long
as he was able to take advantage of the chaos to grab some magic
gems from the vein, it would be worth it.
As for whether he would alarm a lot of Skeleton Warriors, or even the

Bone Devil that was sleeping underground, Lin Yun no more cared about
it.
With such a shocking Nether Iron Vein spread in front of him, if he didn’t
grab himself a souvenir, Lin Yun wouldn’t be able to forgive himself.
Even if it was only a Magic Gem, its value would be no less than a
hundred thousand gold. That would push the development of the Gilded
Rose to a whole new level, at the very least equal to how it had been
back when the old butler was really busy taking care of it, half a year
ago. It would be even better if he got a good one, like an Abyssal Magic
Diamond.
If he had another Abyssal Magic Diamond, Lin Yun would be able to

transform that Master rank alchemy array, letting him keep the Planar
Path open for at least an hour at a time!
Increasing the time he could stay in the Bone Plane by half an hour
wouldn’t just increase the amount of Undead Essence that he could
gather. It meant that Lin Yun could expand his range of activities and
head for the depths of the Bone Plane to hunt higher level Undeads and
obtain all kinds of precious natural resources.
All this was built upon the amount of time that he could remain here.
‘Have to be fast!’
Casting the Mage Eye and the Fire Rain took him about one minute, but
Lin Yun’s remaining time in the Bone Plane was already lacking.
Moreover, as that sea of fire frantically spread, Lin Yun could feel the
earth under his feet trembling, and a deep roar could be heard from the
depths of the black wasteland.
Lin Yun guessed that the Bone Devil had most likely been roused by the
commotion. He had to act before the Bone Devil appeared, or else he
would have to face an opponent with power on the level of a High Mage
ahead of time.
At the same time that the deep roar echoed, Lin Yun clung close to the
rock. He didn’t chant or cast any spells. He only urged his mana
whirlpool and continuously moved it at extreme speed, constantly
pushing it towards the limit. In a short ten seconds, Lin Yun’s mana was
in a boiling state.
Immediately after, the only thing that could be seen was a bright and
fierce flame.
Lin Yun’s body burst into flame and instantly flew several hundred
meters before reaching the center of the sea of fire.
When a Mage shattered their mana whirlpool, they would reach Great
Mage Realm and gain the ability to completely fuse with their mana.
Moreover, their power would increase tenfold and they would be able to
cast spells as they pleased. And most importantly, upon becoming a
Great Mage, they could potentially grasp a frightening magical ability
known as Elemental Incarnation. It would completely transform their
body into a particular element, making them immune to almost all
physical attacks and gaining the properties of the element that they
embodied.
But that powerful ability could only be sustained for a short time. Even a
peak Great Mage would only be able to sustain it for a minute.
And Lin Yun’s time was much shorter…
Lin Yun was still not a Great Mage right now, so what he was displaying
wasn’t a genuine Elemental Incarnation. That bright mass of fire had
been created by using Lin Yun’s mana control that transcended the limits
of the era to forcibly imitate the mana circulation used during Elemental
Incarnation. This would be practically impossible for anyone else of this
time.
This was a spell that surpassed the limits, and the duration of the spell
would be even shorter than what an average Great Mage could sustain.
Lin Yun estimated that he could last ten seconds at most.
If he couldn’t accomplish everything within ten seconds, then after the

Elemental Incarnation disappeared, he would not only have to face a
furious Bone Devil, but would also have to face the weakness that would
ensue due to overdrafting his mana.
Thus, when Lin Yun was about to reach the center of the sea of fire, he
consecutively cast five Flame Bursts.
The Elemental Incarnation came with instant fire system spells. Lin Yun
cast these Flame Bursts one by one with no interruption in between.
Only successive explosions could be heard echoing. A hole over a
dozen meters long appeared in the Nether Iron Vein.
Pieces of ores carrying a faint, black light scattered around, and each of
them was of high quality and could sell for several thousand gold coins.
But Lin Yun didn’t even look at them, instead pouncing on a few
flickering lights.
His speed while having Elemental Incarnation active was unfathomably

high, and since Lin Yun was forcibly rotating his mana, he was even
faster. A dazzling flame could be seen speeding through the sea of fire.
The lights that had yet to fall had already been collected by Lin Yun.
At the same time, the earth shook fiercely under his feet.
It was followed by a deafening roar as a frightening, bony monster came
out of the ground. It was four to five meters tall and was surrounded by
countless faint phosphorescent lights, and in the center of its skull was a
raging soul fire the size of a fist.
Power strong enough to contend against that of a High Mage was

emitted, and the countless Skeleton Warriors within the sea of fire
lowered their heads. Even if they were burnt to ashes in the inferno,
none of the Skeleton Warriors dared to move. The chaotic scene
instantly stabilized when the Bone Devil appeared.
After settling the disturbance of the Skeleton Warriors, the Bone Devil let
out another deep roar and after a fierce mana fluctuation, a few brilliant
beams shot out.
The target was Lin Yun, who was grabbing those few flickering lights…
The Bone Devil’s Dark Fire Bullet was something that even a High Mage
would be wary of. How could Lin Yun dare to take it head on even if he
had Elemental Incarnation active? Just as the Bone Devil shot those
spells, Lin Yun had already let off a Flame Flash.
This time, the importance of the Fire Rain was shown. The sea of fire,
which had already spread to several hundred meters, had already
become Lin Yun’s best escape tool. Lin Yun seemed like a fish in water
as he used Flame Flash. Before the Dark Fire Bullets had even arrived,
Lin Yun had already used Flame Flash three times and escaped to the
edge of the sea of fire.
It was immediately followed by Lin Yun using the earlier incantation,

making the Planar Path to Noscent appear once again.
Lin Yun took two steps onto the Planar Path and looked back at the
black wasteland from within the distorted space. The next trip here would
be a month later at the very least.
Proceeding along the path, Lin Yun stepped once more into Noscent.
The three Abyssal Magic Diamond became dark after exhausting their
mana. They looked like three stones no longer had any of the radiance
associated with Abyssal Magic Diamonds. The basement had fallen into
darkness once more.
‘Three is too few…’ Lin Yun shook his head. The amount of mana
needed for a Master rank alchemy array was huge. Three Abyssal Magic
Diamonds could only be considered the lowest number that would work.
Each time the mana was exhausted, the array would need at least a
month to recover.
In other words, Lin Yun would be able to enter the Bone Plane again
after a month, but he would only be able to stay there for half an hour.
‘Too annoying.’
Thirty minutes really wasn’t long enough for Lin Yun. This wasn’t just a
matter of profit; this related to Lin Yun’s plan. If this matter could be
settled, then Lin Yun might very possibly obtain an Extraordinary Magic
Tool!
That’s right, Heaven Rank Mage Bane’s Extraordinary Magic Tool, the
Book of Death!
He only needed time…
Thirty minutes was far from enough, and Lin Yun estimated that if he
wanted to settle this matter, he would need at least three days. And that
was if nothing at all went wrong, so he had to set aside four days to be
safe. Such a long time definitely wasn’t something that a small handful of
Abyssal Magic Diamonds could satisfy.
Without hundreds of Abyssal Magic Diamonds, it would be just a

dream…
‘The difference is too great…’ Lin Yun felt what was in his pocket. In
addition to the ten Undead Essences, there were six magic gems that he
had snatched from the Nether Iron Vein.
The ten Undead Essences were set aside by Lin Yun. The only use for
those was to add them to Magic Weapons. Their price wouldn’t change
too much, so it would be appropriate to let the old butler deal with them.
Then, Lin Yun took out the six magic gems one after the other.
“Eh!” Lin Yun was already pleasantly surprised when he pulled out the
first magic gem.
This was a high-quality Dark Fire Gem. It had the properties of fire and
poison. It was typically used in embedding, whether it was on a weapon
or a piece of jewelry. Once embedded, the Dark Fire Gem would have
shocking destructive power that didn’t depend on the strength of the
user. Even in the hands of a 3-year-old child, it could kill ten strong,
robust men like Jimmy.
The price of the Dark Fire Gem was definitely going to be very high…
Chapter 29: No Hurry

But the power within the Dark Fire Gem was limited, and even a brilliant
Alchemist couldn’t make it reach Spiritual level. It seemed inferior to the
Abyssal Magic Diamond, but if these two were put on the market at the
same time, the Dark Fire Gem would ultimately get a higher price.
This was a certainty…
There was no requirement for the user, making it way too overpowered
at lower levels. Every major family would spare nothing to nurture their
own heirs. Mason of the Monchi family was a good example of that. In
order to let him become a true Mage, the Monchi family had spent
several hundred thousand gold.
If they spent several hundred thousand gold just to make him into a
Mage, how much would the Monchi family be willing to pay for an
Excellent Magic Tool that completely lacked usage requirements?
After all, a Mage wielding an Excellent Magic Tool could face some
weaker Great Mages…
‘Good luck.’ Lin Yun smiled happily. With just this one Dark Fire Gem,
this trip could be considered a great success.
Although it couldn’t be used to improve the Planar Path, putting it on the

market wasn’t bad either. He should earn at least five hundred thousand
gold from its sale, and that was a conservative estimate. Even if he used
the profits to buy an Abyssal Magic Diamond, it would leave him plenty
of money.
Lin Yun put the Dark Fire Gem on the table and fished out three more
magic gems from his pocket.
But there wasn’t any pleasant surprise this time. Despite them being
magic gems of fairly high quality, there was still a huge gap compared to
the price of the Dark Fire Gem. The best of those was an Elemental
Amber, which contained a very small amount of mana itself. But it still
was one of the best mana vessels, and it could store a large amount of
mana from external sources. It could even store a High Mage spell.
After thinking for a bit, Lin Yun put the other two magic gems with the
Dark Fire Gem and kept the Elemental Amber.
Now, it was time for the last magic gem.
“Eh!” When Lin Yun put his hand back in his pocket, his expression
suddenly changed. Lin Yun clearly felt that the last magic gem carried a
bone-chilling feeling.
Because the Bone Devil’s power had been too great and Lin Yun
needed to escape, he hadn’t paid attention to what magic gems he had
found, but now that he had returned to Noscent and checked his loot, Lin
Yun finally noticed that this last thing in his pocket didn’t seem to be a
magic gem at all.
But even if that wasn’t a magic gem, it might be more precious than all
the magic gems he had together.
‘Sure enough…’ Lin Yun had a cautious expression as he took the object
out from his pocket. It was the size of a dove’s egg, a sparkling pure-
black, with a glimmer flashing from time to time. It carried a breathtaking
power.
‘Sure enough, it’s the Frost Lich Heart…’
In the legends, it materialized after a Lich’s soul fire was extinguished. A

Lich was a frightening existence able to contend with a High Mage, and
its strength wasn’t inferior to that of the Bone Dragon ruling the Bone
Plane. Even if its soul fire was extinguished, it would still possess world-
shaking power.
Although Lin Yun had never seen a real Frost Lich Heart, the Frost Lich
had been mentioned several times among the books of the decaying
library. Even at the peak of the magic era, the Frost Lich Heart had its
importance.
Thus, there was no need to mention its importance in the current era.
This Frost Lich Heart was worth at least ten Abyssal Magic Diamonds,
and if used to maintain the Planar Path, Lin Yun would be able to stay at
least five hours in the Bone Plane next time!
He had won that gamble.
Even if the Elemental Incarnation had exhausted all of Lin Yun’s mana,
even if the Bone Devil’s Dark Fire Bullet had almost hit Lin Yun, this
didn’t matter in front of the Frost Lich Heart.
With this Frost Lich Heart, Lin Yun would be able to gradually nibble
away at that Nether Iron Vein.
But before that, he had to advance to Great Mage. A 9th Rank Mage
would seem very weak in front of a large amount of Skeleton Warriors,
let alone the existence behind them, a Bone Devil that could contend
against High Mages.
But to advance to become a Great Mage, Lin Yun would have to carry
out his plan.
After checking his loot, Lin Yun took another hour to transform that
Master rank alchemy array with the recently obtained Frost Lich Heart.
After completing this task, Lin Yun put the magic gems and Undead
Essences into his pocket and left the secret passage.
Remy had already been walking around outside for a long time when Lin
Yun walked out from the study.
Remy brought two pieces of news, a bad one and a good one.
The bad news was that Solon had rummaged through the Sage Tower
and only found three of the materials needed for the Mana Baptism,
meaning that Lin Yun still needed more than half of the seven items
required.
The good news was that even if Solon didn’t find the other four
materials, he had given Lin Yun a place where he could find them, the
Black Horn Auction House that had its events every three months.
This matter had actually come up coincidentally. Solon had received an

invitation to the Black Horn Auction House two days ago, and it had
come with a list of articles that would be sold there. On it were the four
materials Lin Yun needed.
The good news was really good, but the problem was that Lin Yun had
no money he could immediately use.
He truly had nothing at the moment. The Spectrum Potion had brought in
thirty thousand gold, but it had already been invested in the Gilded Rose,
Lin Yun had no more than 50 gold to his name. He hadn’t been out for
the past two months, so he hadn’t thought about it, but now that he
suddenly had four materials to buy, Lin Yun felt a bit put out to discover
that he simply couldn’t pay.
‘What should I do…’

The old butler couldn’t help. Although the business of the Gilded Rose
was pretty good these past few months, since he wanted to thoroughly
revive the Flashing Gold chamber of commerce, all the money earned
was invested back to help the store grow more.
The cheapest amongst the four was estimated at five thousand gold,
while the most expensive could even reach thirty thousand gold, and that
was just the starting price. If he was unlucky and met a foolish
competitor that was overflowing with gold, Lin Yun might not even get it
with a hundred thousand.
‘What if I sold the Undead Essences?’
‘But those few pieces of Undead Essences are worth ten thousand gold,
what should I do if I don’t have enough? Do I really have to sell the Dark
Fire Gem? That should be used to raise the status of the Gilded Rose…’
‘Seems like I can only sell the two potions I refined…’ Lin Yun reached
inside one of his pockets. Inside were two potions he had crafted a while
ago. He had thought that he might use them in the Bone Plane if he met
something dangerous, but he had ended up not needing them. He
supposed that he could just sell them now.
Lin Yun changed into his clean black gown and greeted the old butler
before leaving for the Black Horn Auction House.
The Black Horn Auction House was on the Victorious Return main street.
It was a thousand meters away from the Gilded Rose, which was on the
other side of the main street, and it occupied a large swathe of the
street. An astronomical amount of gold flowed in and out of this place
every day.
Since it had been set up in Thousand Sails City fifty years ago, the Black
Horn Auction House had always been rather low-key. It never
participated in the struggles of Thousand Sails City and always kept a
favorable attitude toward every force.
At the same time, there was no force that would provoke the Black Horn
Auction House. Everyone knew that although the Black Horn Auction
House wasn’t revealing its real strength, behind it stood the Black Horn
chamber of commerce, which could be considered a first-rate force in all
of Noscent.
As time passed, the Black Horn Auction House became truly

unconventional, keeping a good relationship with all the forces while also
keeping them at a suitable distance, as if it lived outside of the social
network of Thousand Sails City.
But it was because of this unconventional attitude that the Black Horn
Auction House’s business would get better day by day. Fifty years ago,
Thousand Sails City had many auction houses, but only the Black Horn
Auction House still was going strong after fifty years. Because it kept all
forces equally distant, people didn’t have to worry about being schemed
against, even if they couldn’t get any consideration.
The various forces entangled in Thousand Sails City needed an

absolutely neutral place like this.
And that was the current Black Horn Auction House.
Now, Lin Yun was standing outside the Black Horn Auction House. After
explaining why he had come, someone quickly led him inside. The Black
Horn Auction House took up a whole section of a street, and sure
enough, its interior was simply like a labyrinth. Lin Yun followed that
person for about ten minutes before arriving in a small reception room.
The one receiving Lin Yun was a young man that looked a bit over
twenty. He was wearing a black gown, with a little stain on the cuff. Lin
Yun took a glance and thought, ‘That must be Rainbow Sand Solution,
he should be a fairly decent Alchemist.’ Rainbow Sand was very
expensive, so if an Alchemist hadn’t reached a certain level, he wouldn’t
dare to handle such an expensive material so rashly.
But it seemed that this Alchemist wasn’t in a good mood. After seeing
Lin Yun coming through the door, he slightly nodded, “Take a seat.”
Lin Yun scratched his nose and sat in front of the young Alchemist.
Just as he was about to explain why he had come, the young Alchemist
waved his hand and impatiently said, “Okay, you can leave me the
potion you want to sell and leave, I’ll appraise it and then sell it at its
proper price. You can come and get your money in a few days.”
Lin Yun felt a bit uncomfortable with this. ‘I’m counting on these two
potions to change my fate, how could I let you appraise them? Moreover,
even if I was willing to let you appraise them, seeing how you handle
Rainbow Sand Solution, do you even have the ability?’
“I’m in no hurry.”
It could be seen from these words that Lin Yun was improving.
If it was Lin Yun from a few months ago, he would have already Tornado
Whipped this guy in the face.
Chapter 30: Black Horn Auction

But the young Alchemist clearly had no idea that he had narrowly
avoided a calamity. After hearing Lin Yun’s refusal, his face turned
unsightly. “Are you afraid of me tricking you? Truly laughable, I have
compounded more potions than you would ever see in your lifetime, how
could your two potions be worthy of me scheming against you?”
“I truly am in no hurry…” Lin Yun took a deep breath and just repeated
what he had said.
“Good then…” Seeing Lin Yun persist, the young Alchemist could only
nod angrily. “But I don’t have much time. I still have an important
experiment waiting for me, so I can only give you three minutes.”
Lin Yun smiled and put the two potions on the table.
The two potions were green, and they carried a dense, irritating smell.
After just one whiff, the young Alchemist couldn’t help frowning.
“Two inferior Healing Potions, valued at 300 gold.” It took only thirty
seconds for the young Alchemist to issue his appraisal. When he put the
two potions back on the table, he muttered under his breath, “Trash…”
This time, Lin Yun didn’t say anything and picked up the two potions as
he turned to leave. ‘Such a joke, you appraised my Ghost Potion and my
Volcano Potion as Healing Potions, and with an estimated value of only
300 gold. Do you think I’m a fool?’
But just as Lin Yun was heading for the exit, the door to the reception
room was pushed open from the other side.
The person coming in was an old man. He was easily over sixty, with
wrinkles, white hair and a white beard. He was wearing a wrinkled, gray
gown and was panting as he came in, as if he had run the whole way
over.
“Did Mage Merlin come in?”
“You are…?” Lin Yun stopped as he looked at the old man, feeling
puzzled. Whether it was in his own memories or Mafa Merlin’s
memories, there was no memory of that person at all. Why did this
person seem to recognize him?
“You are Mage Merlin?” The old man looked at Lin Yun and immediately
smiled cordially. “Welcome, Mage Merlin. Let me introduce myself, I am
Cadgar, Black Horn Auction House’s Chief Appraiser.”
“Greetings…” Lin Yun politely greeted him while pondering what he

knew about this person. He had actually heard the name of Black Horn
Auction House’s Chief Appraiser, Cadgar, quite a few times.
He could even be considered a person worthy of being on the same

level as Sage Tower’s Thorpe, as he was also a High Mage and a Great
Alchemist. But like the rest of the Black Horn Auction House, he had
always been low-key, to the point that many people knew of Thorpe, but
not of Cadgar.
“Oh right, I heard someone outside saying that Mage Merlin came today
to have two potions taken care of.”
“That originally was the case, but I just changed my plans…”
“Eh?” Cadgar looked at Lin Yun in surprise, and then he glanced at the
young Alchemist sitting on the other side of the table, considering their
expressions and the circumstances. ‘Could it be that Mage Merlin was
offended by this fellow?’
Judging that this might be the case, Cadgar’s expression grew unsightly
as he looked at the young Alchemist…
This wasn’t some minor matter… Last time, a bottle of Spectrum Potion
was delivered to the Black Horn Auction House and even Master
Wilhelm couldn’t stop praising it, saying that this was the most
imaginative potion he had ever seen and that some of the techniques
used on it were simply unheard of.
Before Master Wilhelm left Thousand Sails City, he kept reminding

Cadgar that he absolutely had to find the Alchemist who had
compounded this potion.
Although the Black Horn Auction House hadn’t been in contact with Lin
Yun for the past few months, it had secretly been making countless
investigations. After all, the Black Horn Auction House was supported by
a first-rate force, the Black Horn chamber of commerce. Its formidable
information-gathering abilities surpassed the other forces of Thousand
Sails City by far. It could be said that as long as the Black Horn Auction
House wanted, anything happening in Thousand Sails City couldn’t be
hidden from them.
This, of course, included information on the true Alchemist behind the

Spectrum Potion.
Naturally, the process of the investigation wasn’t that simple, and this
was with the Black Horn Auction House putting large portions of their
forces into the search, toward Locke Merlin, toward the Gilded Rose,
toward the Flashing Gold chamber of commerce, and toward all of the
related clues. Everything had undergone a detailed investigation.
Ultimately, they came to a shocking conclusion.
That Spectrum Potion that received high praise from Master Wilhelm
was most likely compounded by a young Alchemist in his twenties.
That young Alchemist’s name was Mafa Merlin.
Cadgar was relatively proud of this conclusion. Compared to the Sage

Tower, which was known to be the number one power of Thousand Sails
City, even though they both got the Spectrum Potion at the same time,
Solomon and his people still believed that a mysterious Great Alchemist
stood behind this young Mage, while the Black Horn Auction House
chose to believe in the conclusions drawn by their investigators.
Thinking of this, Cadgar smiled.
After all, Mage Merlin even stayed in the Sage Tower’s library for a very
long time. During that time, the Sage Tower had many chances to get in
touch with him. But unfortunately, these countless opportunities had
been missed by the Sage Tower.
Cadgar thought that Solomon was probably still having a headache,

trying to figure out how to get in touch with the mysterious Alchemist
behind that young Mage.
But the current situation that he had just walked in on…
What had happened while he was on his way?
“Don’t worry, Mage Merlin, our Black Horn Auction House sincerely
wishes to cooperate with you. How about you listen to our offer first
before making your decision?”
“That’s fine, let’s talk about it.” For someone of Cadgar’s status to speak
like this, he definitely meant his words, so Lin Yun wouldn’t refuse him.
Moreover, if it hadn’t been for the young Alchemist’s trash talk, Lin Yun
would indeed have sold the two potions in the Black Horn Auction
House.
Thus, due Cadgar’s request, Lin Yun took the opportunity offered.
As he listened to the discussion between the two of them, the lifeless

young Alchemist gulped with some difficulty. Ever since Cadgar
appeared in the reception room, the young Alchemist had suspected that
he was dreaming. Otherwise, how could this situation be explained?
This was too frightening…
The Chief Appraiser of the Black Horn Auction House, Cadgar, was
actually being so welcoming to a twenty-year-old Mage!
That’s right, very welcoming!
The young Alchemist had worked for ten years in the Black Horn Auction
House and had never seen Cadgar being so polite. Regardless of
whether he was facing Solomon of the Sage Tower or Monchi of the
Twin Moons chamber of commerce, Cadgar had never been as polite as
he was today.
‘Who is this young Mage…’
Thinking about it, the young Alchemist couldn’t help swallowing

nervously again. At this time, his throat felt terribly dry, as if there was
something stuck inside.
After all, he hadn’t really had a good attitude earlier, and he had
muttered audibly that the two potions were trash. He couldn’t have
thought that something like this would ensue. On one hand, he truly was
very busy and didn’t have much time to spend here, and on the other
hand, he disliked the attitude of this young mage, who had visibly shown
that he felt uneasy with the interaction.
Thus, when evaluating those two potions, he skimped on the work.
Normally, nothing would come of it, but now, the problem was far too
grave…
This was a person that even Chief Appraiser Cadgar was treating very
politely, and he had recklessly offended him. He even felt like dying now,
considering how much importance Cadgar was paying the two potions,
even assuring that the Black Horn Auction House sincerely wanted to
cooperate.
‘What is this…’
From the young Alchemist’s understanding of Cadgar, how could he not

understand what these words meant? Cadgar had already decided that
he would spare nothing to get the two potions into the Black Horn
Auction House’s possession.
With this realization, the young Alchemist couldn’t help becoming pale.
But fortunately for him, neither Lin Yun nor Cadgar paid any attention to
the deathly pale Alchemist on the side.
When Lin Yun changed his mind, Cadgar immediately felt happy. He
hurried to explain his offer. “Mage Merlin, I wonder if you’ve heard that
the Black Horn Auction House holds an auction every three months?”
“I have, of course,” Lin Yun replied as he nodded. The Black Horn

Auction was a grand occasion in the whole eastern part of the kingdom,
and that was the reason that Lin Yun had come today.
“Then, Mage Merlin, if you are willing, I hope that you are willing to bring
your two potions to the Black Horn Auction that will happen in a few
hours, what do you think?”
Cadgar didn’t brag much about the Black Horn Auction and also didn’t
explain what kind of benefits such an auction would bring because he
believed that the young mage certainly wouldn’t refuse such an offer.
Even a Great Mage couldn’t easily climb on to the stage of the Black
Horn Auction. After all, it was a grand event of the whole eastern part of
the kingdom. To be able to climb on that stage was like receiving the
recognition of the entire east. Even a Great Alchemist wouldn’t be able
to resist such a temptation.
Thus, Cadgar hadn’t elaborated on his offer, only squinting his eyes to
see the young mage’s reaction.
“This…” He hadn’t expected that the originally relaxed Lin Yun would
suddenly have an awkward expression after hearing the offer.
Cadgar froze and didn’t manage to react for a long time. He even
wondered if his words hadn’t been clear enough.
In fact, let alone Cadgar, even the young Alchemist, who had previously
inwardly collapsed due to his previous interaction with Lin Yun, couldn’t
help cursing to himself. ‘You are kidding, this is an event that is attended
by the greatest powers of the whole eastern part of the kingdom, any
Alchemist getting on that stage would have their social status increase a
hundredfold. Even if you aren’t moved by the offer, how could it feel
awkward to you?’
“I’m very sorry. High Mage Cadgar, I think I won’t be able to leave these
two potions to the Black Horn Auction House.”
“…”
After Lin Yun said this, the reception room went dead silent.
Chapter 31: Volcano and Ghost

Cadgar still had his eyes narrowed, and no one knew what he was
thinking. The young Alchemist on the side was wide-eyed, looking at Lin
Yun in disbelief as he wondered, ‘How could someone refuse such an
opportunity, he is crazy…’
At this time, the young Alchemist truly wished to change places with this
fellow. It would be so great if a potion that he had refined could appear in
the Black Horn Auction.
“Because I need money immediately. There are four things that I fancy in
the Black Horn Auction, so I would need money right now in order to
compete for these things.” Lin Yun decided to explain his reasoning
since Cadgar had been so courteous with him while Lin Yun had
rejected him twice already, which could be considered quite impolite.
When he heard Lin Yun’s explanation, the squinting Cadgar suddenly

smiled. “Mage Merlin, this is an easy matter to deal with. I can appraise
your two potions right away. However much they are initially valued at is
how much credit we’ll front you to use in the auction. Moreover, I can
guarantee that their eventual price will exceed my estimation.”
“That should be good…” Lin Yun nodded and took out the two potions
from his pocket.
Cadgar glanced at them for a moment before an expression of

amazement appeared on his face. He promptly grabbed the two potions
and frowned as he carefully analyzed them. After a long time, he nodded
gently as he turned back and asked uncertainly, “Volcano Potion?”
“Indeed, a Volcano Potion.”
Lin Yun’s calm answer made Cadgar hold his breath, “My god…”
And the young Alchemist who had wished to be in Lin Yun’s shoes
suddenly felt everything turning black around him when he heard those
words.
‘Volcano Potion, it’s actually a Volcano Potion…’
Even if no one paid attention to him, the young Alchemist still

subconsciously bowed. He was hoping for a hole to appear so he could
jump inside.
It was the rumored Volcano Potion that could make one’s mana burst
like a volcano and let a Great Mage break through the High Mage
boundary… It had appeared in front of him, and he had valued it at just
300 gold coins and treated it as trash…
That potion was the mark of a Great Alchemist. Being able to compound
a Volcano Potion meant that one was surely qualified to enter the ranks
of the Great Alchemists.
‘This young mage… he is a Great Alchemist…’
Someone that could stand shoulder to shoulder with Cadgar and Thorpe.
The young Alchemist was in disbelief. He had offended a Great
Alchemist, and one that was only 20 years old!
“This potion…” In contrast, Cadgar was a lot calmer. After the initial
surprise, he had already recovered and was looking suspiciously at the
other potion. “Sorry, it might be due to my age, but I cannot recognize
the other potion.”
“This is a Ghost Potion.” Lin Yun smiled.
“…”
This time, Cadgar was stunned in silence.
If the compounding of a Volcano Potion was the sign of a Great

Alchemist, then the Ghost Potion was the sign of a pinnacle Great
Alchemist. It was the potion that required skills closest to the Master
rank. For a Great Alchemist to be able to refine a Ghost Potion meant
that he had already reached the summit of Potioneering. As long as he
had enough experience and time, he would be able to enter the Master
level at any time…
Cadgar had studied Potioneering for dozens of years and was now stuck
in the Great Alchemist realm. He didn’t know how long it would take for
him to reach the Master level.
Even Master Wilhelm had been praising this young Mage endlessly,
despite not knowing who exactly the Alchemist was at the time. When
Cadgar had seen him present the Volcano Potion, he had thought that it
was surely the pinnacle of this young Alchemist’s achievements. He
never could have guessed that the second potion was actually the one
that was closest to Master level, the Ghost Potion!
Originally, Cadgar had made a lot of preparations: how to appraise these
two potions, how to convince the other side to cooperate with the Black
Horn Auction House, how to lure this Young Mage with a boundless
future, and so on…
But when Cadgar realized that this was a Ghost Potion, he found out
that all his preparations had been for nothing.
That’s right, absolutely nothing…
Luring a Great Alchemist that could become a Master anytime… Even if

Cadgar was shameless, he couldn’t say anything. Let alone the Black
Horn Auction House, even the Black Horn chamber of commerce behind
him would have to send the higher-ups to negotiate with such a figure.
As for persuasion or favors, there was no need to bring those up. In front
of a future Master Alchemist, those little tricks had no meaning.
“Mage Merlin, this…” Cadgar wanted to say something, but after starting
his sentence, he found out that he didn’t know what he should say at this
point.
“You seem to have forgotten the appraisal, High Mage Cadgar.”
“Right right right, appraisal, appraisal…” With Lin Yun’s reminder,

Cadgar recalled that he had promised to appraise the potions so that Lin
Yun could use that money during the auction. But after studying the two
potions for a long time, Cadgar awkwardly felt that the originally simple
appraisal was incomparably difficult.
Cadgar thought about it for a moment and clenched his teeth as he
appeased, “Mage Merlin, I feel embarrassed. I cannot help you appraise
the exact value of these two potions. I can only let you know that if you
are willing to cooperate with the Black Horn Auction House, we will use
these two potions as the last lot of the auction. As for the bidding over
the four materials you need in the auction, I’ll guarantee on the behalf of
the Black Horn Auction House that you’ll obtain our full support!”
Even Lin Yun was shocked when he heard Cadgar’s words.
The Black Horn Auction House’s full support, what kind of concept was
that? It meant that as long as he was determined to have these four
materials, he could use nearly unlimited funds!
“Good then. Thank you for your trust. These two potions shall be left in
your hands.”
“You are too polite.” Originally, Cadgar only wanted to use this
opportunity to rope in that Young Mage with boundless prospects, but he
hadn’t expected that this young Mage would actually bring such nice
surprises. At the same time, Cadgar didn’t forget to remain polite and do
his best to keep this young prodigy happy.
A Volcano Potion and a Ghost Potion completely threw the original plans
for the auction into chaos. Cadgar had to hurry up and amend the
original arrangements before the auction started. The sudden
appearance of the two potions would have amazing results.
“Then, Mage Merlin, I’ll go off first.”
After Cadgar politely said a few more words, he hurriedly bade farewell.
But before going out, he called out to that young Alchemist. “Faleau,
help Mage Merlin, you must carefully take care of him. If you neglect to
keep Mage Merlin satisfied, you can pack your things and return to
Okland.”
“Yes, yes….” In fact, there was no need for Cadgar’s warning. After
seeing everything with his own eyes, Faleau had been frightened out of
his wits. How could he dare slight Lin Yun now?
Chapter 32: Slap
Cadgar departed, leaving only Lin Yun and Faleau in the reception room.
Lin Yun didn’t make a fuss about his earlier actions, making Faleau feel
a bit guilty…
Up till now, Faleau still hadn’t figured out how the situation had escalated
to this point.
It had originated from Faleau being busy and estimating that Lin Yun
was only an Apprentice Alchemist due to his age, so he hadn’t been very
polite.
In fact, Faleau would receive many such Apprentice Alchemists every

day. They all had merely stepped onto the path of alchemy, yet they
thought that it was a good use of time to bring a few of their products to
try their luck at the Black Horn Auction House.
Most of the time, Faleau would make them leave their things behind and
have them come back to get their money once their things sold. As for
those that didn’t sell, they would be put in a corner. If someone wanted
to get them back, they would have to look for them there.
This might seem a bit unfair, but he was just taking care of the most
common case in the most efficient manner.
But the Black Horn Auction House was so big and there were so many
deals happening every day that no one would pay attention to Faleau’s
actions. And those Apprentice Alchemists mostly came here to try their
luck, so if it didn’t sell, it didn’t sell. It wasn’t worth offending Faleau for it.
Thus, for so many years, Faleau had never met any troubles from this.
But his luck hadn’t held out this time…

It was as if he had gotten up on the wrong side of the bed this morning.
Who would have thought that a 20-year-old Mage would alarm Cadgar,
who would believe that the two potions he casually took out were the
Volcano Potion and the Ghost Potion? Who could believe that…
In any case, by this point, he couldn’t not believe it…
When he thought of Cadgar’s warning before leaving, Faleau felt his legs
weaken. If he didn’t take good care of Mage Merlin, he would have to
pack up and return to Okland. But his earlier actions had gone far
beyond just neglecting him. Once his earlier behavior was mentioned to
Cadgar, he really would be finished; his job, his future, everything would
be over…
Faleau thought about it and paled in dread.
But Faleau had indeed been able to become an Alchemist at such a

young age, and he had the qualifications to work at a place like the Black
Horn Auction House. This definitely hadn’t been due to just luck.
Knowing how bad the situation was, the young Alchemist immediately bit
his lip and suddenly grovelled under Lin Yun’s feet.
“Mage Merlin, I made a mistake, a huge mistake, I failed to recognize

your greatness. I…”
Lin Yun looked stunned, and his jaw almost dropped down. ‘Wh-what
kind of scene is this?’
“Mage Merlin, I trust that you are a magnanimous person, please let me
off. I truly cannot afford to lose this job…” Faleau went all-in. He could
lose his face, but he definitely couldn’t lose this job.
Moreover, no one but this Great Alchemist would see his pitiable state…
And Faleau thought that even if someone else did see, he could just say
that he was pleading a future Master Alchemist for leniency, and that
they likely would never have an opportunity to even interact with one.
“…” Lin Yun was shocked for a long time. It would definitely be a lie to
say that Lin Yun wasn’t having some thoughts about this fellow. He had
remained silent after Cadgar left to see what this young Alchemist would
say.
But…
Lin Yun had guessed what would happen, but not that it would be to
such an extent.
That young Alchemist was indeed bowing, but the way he bowed was
truly unconventional.
An Alchemist in his twenties was hugging his thigh while weeping… was
he trying to re-enact a scene from a play?
Lin Yun took a deep breath and used the calmest voice he could bring
out to say, “First, stand up.”
Faleau shamelessly wailed, “No, Mage Merlin, if you don’t agree to let
me off, I won’t get up…”
“Won’t get up?”
“Won’t get up?”
Faleau shuddered.
“Move, you don’t need to act so pathetic, didn’t Cadgar ask you to take
care of me and lead me to check out the auction?”
“No, I can’t…” Faleau started to speak, but after seeing Lin Yun’s
expression, which didn’t seem too angry or displeased, he promptly
explained, “It’s like this, Mage Merlin, the Black Horn Auction is only
semi-open to the public. Only the VIPs who received an invitation can
participate directly…”
“Ah?” Lin Yun froze when he heard that. ‘There was such a thing with
the Black Horn Auction?’
Before Lin Yun could finish, Faleau already carried a fawning smile as
he said, “But it doesn’t matter, Mage Merlin. You are High Mage
Cadgar’s guest, it is tantamount to being a VIP of the Black Horn Auction
House. I’ll bring you to deal with the formalities, and you can take part in
the auction after you are done with those.”
“Not bad…”
After leaving the reception room, Faleau quickly helped Lin Yun with
what he needed. During that time, Lin Yun got a whole new
understanding of the young Alchemist.
He had to admit that this young Alchemist truly was capable. He was
able to handle matters quickly and efficiently, and he had reached the
pinnacle at using others’ reputations to settle problems.
He relied on Cadgar’s name to help Lin Yun cut through the red tape.
When meeting some fool, Faleau would simply use the Cadgar move:
“This is the Chief Appraiser’s guest, what are you doing? You don’t want
to do it?”
Who would make things difficult for the Chief Appraiser’s guest?
In this manner, they were able to breeze through the required

procedures and in a short half an hour, Faleau brought Lin Yun an
invitation letter to a luxurious private room. This was one of the auction
house’s best rooms, and there were only a total of seven of these rooms.
In the past, they were set aside for each major force’s leader. Only the
peak powers of the eastern side of the kingdom could have their own
seat. In Thousand Sails City, only the Sage Tower’s Solomon, and the
Twin Moons chamber of commerce’s Monchi were able to have one of
the seven private rooms. Someone like Sossu of the Viper Nest could
only sit on the outer floor.
After they were done with the formalities, the two arrived at the site of
the auction, the entire top floor of the Black Horn Auction House. It was a
huge place that could hold a thousand people. When the two arrived,
they could see many important guests sitting in the large area.
Cadgar had just said that the Black Horn Auction was a huge event in
the entire eastern part of the kingdom, and these weren’t empty words.
When Lin Yun looked in from the entrance, he found out that nearly all of
Thousand Sails City’s top figures had come. The Sage Tower’s
Solomon, the Twin Moons chamber of commerce’s Monchi, the Viper
Nest’s Sossu, Silvermoon Mercenary Group’s Sasu, and others…
The VIP boxes were on the second floor, and they were the best seats in
the entire auction floor. Faleau led the way while Lin Yun followed,
looking around in curiosity. The two of them quickly reached the last
private room on the first floor.
Just as they were about to go up, they were stopped by someone.
“Hey, Young Master Merlin, this isn’t a place for you…” The one who
stopped the two young men was the butler of the Monchi family,
Jonathan. He was in his fifties and had a short stature with grizzled hair.
He was always blunt and unkind to people of lower status.
But before Lin Yun even answered, Faleau stepped forward.
“Who are you? What are you trying to pull by blocking this path?” Faleau
certainly wasn’t polite.
The young Alchemist originally wasn’t a polite person. After all, before
Cadgar arrived, he had been trash talking Lin Yun. How could a mere
butler be worth his attention… Moreover, Faleau was still backed up by
Cadgar. This was tantamount to representing the entire Black Horn
Auction House, so he wouldn’t have any problem being unscrupulous
now.
“I am the butler of the Monchi family, Jonathan. This is Master’s box.

How could you rush through this area as you please, disturbing my
master’s rest? Are you able to handle the consequences?” Jonathan
wasn’t easy to deal with either. In Thousand Sails City, the Monchi family
definitely had great power. Besides holding the Sage Tower in high
regards, it didn’t attach much importance to the other forces, let alone
two kids…
Jonathan didn’t think that he would meet someone even more

unreasonable this time. This young fellow surprisingly didn’t back down
when facing the butler of the Monchis. Even more surprisingly, Faleau
stepped forward and slapped him. A loud sound echoed, and the
surroundings went silent. Jonathan covered one of his cheeks while
pointing at Faleau with a trembling finger, his eyes filled with disbelief.
He was the butler of the Monchi family, one of the most trusted
subordinates of his master. Even the leaders of each major force in
Thousand Sails City would be polite to him. ‘Did this kid go crazy?’
“Yo-you… You dare slap me?” he forced out, as he looked at Faleau in

consternation.
“Why wouldn’t I dare?” After Faleau slapped him, he seemed as if he

was up for more. “Creating trouble in the Black Horn Auction House, it
seems to me that you don’t want to live.”
To be honest, Jonathan really had bad luck…
Normally, Jonathan should have been inside the box accompanying

Monchi. As the trusted butler of the Monchi family, he definitely didn’t
need to stand outside the box as a guard.
But somehow, Jonathan had noticed Lin Yun coming over.
This was a happy coincidence…
Lin Yun had previously humiliated Mason and many people of the
Monchi family, including Jonathan, knew about it. Seeing Lin Yun
walking over, Jonathan suddenly felt like showing off in front of his two
young masters.
It seemed like an extremely good opportunity for him.

His master had come in person today, and there were so many elite
mercenaries guarding the family. Even if that Mafa Merlin was extremely
bold, how could he dare stir up trouble here?
As long as Mafa Merlin didn’t dare to retaliate, he would be able to

humiliate him and help Young Master Mason get back at him, and later
on, Young Master Mason would definitely treat him favorably. He might
even compliment him in front of Monchi himself.
But ultimately, things didn’t go quite as planned for Jonathan.
Chapter 33: Styx Water

Lin Yun indeed didn’t do anything.
Because the one who made a move was Faleau, and he didn’t even ask
any questions as he directly slapped Jonathan senseless.
He didn’t care if this old man was a butler of the Monchi family. All he
had been worried about was atoning for his earlier crime and mending
his relations with the future Master Alchemist. When Jonathan came
over with such an attitude, after getting Cadgar’s instructions, how could
Faleau pay any heed to a mere butler? He just went straight over and
slapped him.
“Mage Merlin, let’s go and sit, don’t let this trivial matter ruin your
mood…” After bad-mouthing Jonathan, Faleau’s sneer was replaced
with a smile. The speed at which his expression changed was rather
shocking.
“Sure, let’s go…”
“You can’t go, you definitely aren’t allowed to go in!” Hearing that the two
wanted to enter, Jonathan immediately jumped up. “You still dare to act
up after slapping me? Guards, capture these two for me!”
“Shut up!” Just as Jonathan was calling out, the door of a box above
opened and Monchi himself came out. “Get inside, don’t embarrass me.”
After Monchi’s words came out, the first floor was silent once again.
Jonathan’s animated voice suddenly came to a halt, and as he gave the

two young men a hateful glance, he escaped into Monchi’s box.
“Sorry about that, President Monchi, I didn’t control my strength,” Faleau

shouted as Jonathan was climbing the stairs, making the latter suddenly
stagger and almost fall down.
“Look at what you have done for me!” After the box was closed, Monchi’s
expression was quite unsightly. “You provoked that Faleau? He’s a
young Alchemist that even Cadgar thinks highly of and you made things
difficult for him, are you crazy?”
“I… I’m not… Master, I only saw that kid of the Merlin family…”
“Shut up! Are you done causing trouble for me?” After berating
Jonathan, Monchi couldn’t help feeling puzzled. “However, how could
that Merlin kid stand together with Faleau? And it even seemed like they
had a good relationship…”
“They should have gotten acquainted by chance,” Mason interjected on

the side, fuming. “That Mafa Merlin’s luck is very good. It was the same
last time in the Sage Tower, I don’t know how he got into Solon’s good
books and had me kicked out of the library.”
Being born in the Monchi clan, the number of times Mason had publicly
suffered a loss could be counted on his fingers. He didn’t know why
things had played out like that. First, he was kicked out from the Sage
Tower’s library, and when he went to look for trouble at the Gilded Rose,
he was instead forced to eat a glass bottle.
How could Mason be fine with this!?
Mason had constantly been looking for an opportunity to retaliate since

he came back from the Gilded Rose. But he didn’t expect that after his
father and elder brother discussed it, they would forbid him from
returning to the Gilded Rose. Since Lin Yun had shown up in the Black
Horn Auction House today, Mason immediately started plotting his
revenge.
“You still dare to mention the matter of the Sage Tower?” Monchi looked
at Mason unhappily, but he strangely didn’t deny Mason’s guess.
Because Monchi himself felt that these two young men should have met
by accident and ended up hitting it off for some reason, perhaps due to
having the same hobby. In any case, they had met and formed a
favorable relationship.
Otherwise, Faleau wouldn’t have stepped in to help Mafa Merlin, let

alone stealthily preparing a special box for him. After all, these boxes
were set aside for the leaders of the local major forces. Even if only a
few came to this auction, they wouldn’t casually let others use the
unoccupied ones. If Cadgar found out, he would certainly reprimand and
punish Faleau. For Faleau to take this risk was proof that the friendship
between them was quite solid.
But regardless of how good it was, it was just a new friendship, so it

wouldn’t have too big of an influence. If not for his butler being involved,
Monchi wouldn’t even have spared a thought for the matter.
After coming to this conclusion, Monchi decided to just leave this

problem be. He only said to Jonathan, “You don’t need to look so pitiful,
wait until the auction is over and I’ll seek out Cadgar. The butler of my
Monchi family isn’t someone that can be slapped on a whim.”
“Thank you Master, thank you…” Jonathan promptly bowed and
expressed his gratitude, his mind already crafting a plot. ‘After the
auction is over, if Master steps in personally, Cadgar most likely won’t
interfere. How should those two be humiliated… Well, there is still a lot
of time to think about this.’
Jonathan definitely didn’t know that there was another person in the
neighboring box thinking about the same thing.
‘That Jonathan is too daring, he dared to disrespect Mage Merlin. Just

wait until the auction is over, I’ll show him!’ As Faleau led Lin Yun to his
seat while beaming, he kept the unlucky butler in mind.
To Faleau, this was like an opportunity delivering itself to him. He had

been worried that there was nothing he could do to curry favor with this
future Master Alchemist, but then that Jonathan suddenly arrived with his
high and mighty attitude. This really made Faleau not know what to say
for a moment, it was so lucky. Moreover, he could also act overbearing
by relying on Cadgar’s reputation. Dealing with a small butler in the
Black Horn Auction House was too easy!
Such an easy way to curry favor with a future Master Alchemist, was
there something more profitable?
This time, Faleau was already planning meticulously. He had to go all-

out to deal with Jonathan so that he could show Mage Merlin how
sincere and determined he was to make up for his previous mistake.
Mage Merlin might be cheerful enough to pardon him for his past
behavior and maybe even give him a few Alchemy pointers. Those
would be pointers from a Master Alchemist, which might even make him
break through!
Faleau became more and more cheerful. He simply wished that the
auction could finish up so that he could deal with that Jonathan fellow
next door…
“Okay, Faleau, focus on the auction first.” While Faleau was wishing for
the auction to already be over, Lin Yun was of a far different mindset. He
still didn’t have any of the four materials he needed for the Mana
Baptism.
“Yes, yes, of course. Focus on the auction first…” Faleau was

completely in character now. He didn’t need Cadgar’s instructions. The
words of this future Master Alchemist were the law, if he said to focus on
the auction, he would focus on the auction.
While the two were chatting, the auction officially began.
The auction was personally hosted by Cadgar. The first item to come up
was a magic dagger from Oddrock City. It was called Tornado Tooth.
“Tornado Tooth, the masterpiece of Oddrock City’s Great Alchemist

André. Three Wind Rocks were embedded in the weapon, forming a
Wind Blessing. Not only can it raise the wielder’s movement speed
substantially, but it can also automatically fire a Wind Spell under the 5th
Rank every minute. It is a rare, high-quality piece among Excellent
Magic Tools. The starting price is 5000 gold, and the minimum bid
increment is 500 gold.”
Cadgar was worthy of being the Black Horn Auction’s Chief Auctioneer.
He only needed a few sentences to clearly introduce this Excellent
Magic Tool.
“5500 gold.” As the first item of the auction, the price for the item was
quite good, so just as Cadgar finished introducing the item, someone
raised their paddle.”
“6000 gold!”
“6500!”
“7500!”
Naturally, there were a few people who had their eyes on it, and in a
short time, Tornado Tooth’s price went over ten thousand gold before
finally being bought by a rich and powerful person from Oddrock City for
thirteen thousand gold. He apparently had indicated that he intended to
use it to pay respect to Great Alchemist André.
After Tornado Tooth was won, Cadgar quickly auctioned two magic tools
with fairly good quality. Even Lin Yun was slightly tempted by one of the
items, but he managed to check himself. Magic tools were useless to the
current Lin Yun. As long as he advanced to become a Great Mage, with
that Nether Iron vein of several hundred meters, he could have countless
Excellent Magic Tools, and those Excellent Magic Tools would have Lin
Yun’s name signed on them.
But LIn Yun didn’t have to wait for long. The fourth auctioned item soon
appeared, and it was one of the four materials Lin Yun needed for the
Mana Baptism, the Styx Water.
“The next item is a bottle of water from the River Styx of Ghost City.
There are many Alchemists here, so I’m sure everyone is aware of the
value of this bottle of Styx Water. The starting price of the Styx Water is
ten thousand and the minimum bid increment is one thousand.”
“Eleven thousand gold.”
“Thirteen thousand.”
“Fourteen thousand.”
“Seventeen thousand gold!”
Just as Cadgar finished speaking, voices echoed here and there in the
audience. A bottle of Styx Water with a starting price of ten thousand
gold soon reached twice that amount.
But Lin Yun wasn’t anxious, because he noticed that after reaching
twenty thousand, the price was increasing much more slowly. In other
words, most people felt that this bottle was only worth about this much,
so it would be unprofitable to chase the price much higher.
In this era, Lin Yun was perhaps the only one who knew the true value of
the Styx Water. The current state of Alchemy was far from being
developed enough to unearth this reagent’s true value. After all, Mana
Baptisms wouldn’t come to pass until a thousand years later, let alone
those even more powerful formulas.
Lin Yun just waited for the bidding to die down.

Chapter 34: Hell Destroyer
When the price reached thirty-seven thousand gold, the venue went
silent. Most of the people who had participated in the bidding were
shaking their heads, wearing smiles that carried a hint of ridicule. A
bottle of Styx Water reaching such a price… To them, this was already a
foolish waste of money.
Clearly, even if Styx Water was rare, it didn’t have a wide range of use in
alchemy. There were no more than ten kinds of potions that used Styx
Water, and most of them could use other materials as a substitute. To
bid such a high price on a bottle of Styx Water wasn’t something a
rational alchemist would do.
“Thirty-seven thousand gold, going once… Going twice… Thirty-seven

thousand gold, if there are no higher bids…”
“Fifty thousand gold.”
Just as Cadgar was about to announce the deal, a voice came from a
box on the 2nd floor.
Lin Yun’s bid of fifty thousand gold made the originally quiet venue
become rather lively. The people who had participated in the bidding for
the item couldn’t help turning to look at the box on the 2nd floor, wanting
to see what the spendthrift looked like. Bidding fifty thousand gold for a
bottle of Styx Water… This already surpassed something that could be
described as foolish…
After all, Tornado Tooth, an Excellent Magic Tool, was only able to go a
bit over ten thousand gold. So that bottle of Styx Water was worth a few
Tornado Tooths…
Why waste your money like that?
Unfortunately, no one was able to see who it was.

The one who walked out of the box was actually Faleau of the Black
Horn Auction House.
“It’s that Merlin kid.” Out of all the people in the venue, only those in the
box of the Monchi Family knew who that profligate spender was.
“How could he have so much money?” Monchi frowned. There was

nothing wrong with the bottle of Styx Water, but the appearance of fifty
thousand gold was a huge variable.
Even in the Monchi family, only two or three people knew that Monchi
had been targeting the house left behind by Locke Merlin!
At first, after Locke Merlin’s shipwreck, Monchi felt that getting that
house should be easy, so he looked for Fario and used the eight
thousand gold promised in the contract in his hands to drive Mafa Merlin
out of there.
But unexpectedly, just as he was about to get hold of the house, Mafa
Merlin became a Mage out of nowhere and had the necessary gold,
making Monchi lose his chance.
Monchi didn’t lose hope, though, and he went to look for Sossu.
For the Viper Nest to be able to rise to the top in just over a decade and
sit on the throne of the underground forces, this was inevitably linked to
the support of the Monchi family.
This was an open secret among the major forces of Thousand Sails City.
With Monchi’s incentives, Sossu sent a 9th Rank Mage. Normally,

sending a 9th Rank Mage to deal with a young fellow who had recently
been a mere apprentice and a butler who was getting old would be
making a big fuss over nothing.
But ultimately, that 9th Rank Mage was defeated.

And the few dozen subordinates had been scared silly. A few days after
returning to the Viper Nest, they found an excuse to leave Thousand
Sails City and hadn’t appeared again ever since.
But even these two failures only made Monchi frown a bit, as he still
didn’t put much stock in that Mafa Merlin.
In Monchi’s eyes, he was a young Mage with no background and no
power. How could he defeat a 9th Rank Mage? In the entire Thousand
Sails City, the only person that could decide everything through strength
was Solomon. Even if others were powerful, they couldn’t rely on their
personal power to contend against the Monchi family.
The fifty thousand gold today though… this made Monchi feel a bit
worried.
Although the amount itself wasn’t much, this was a variable that he didn’t
know about, because Monchi couldn’t figure out where this gold had
come from.
‘Who gave this gold to Mafa Merlin? Could there be another force
looking into that house? If that’s the case, that will make the matter very
troublesome…’
The Black Tower wanted ownership of that house. If he couldn’t manage

that matter properly, the entire Monchi family would be in trouble.
‘Who leaked the news…’ Monchi wondered, considering the possibilities.

‘It might be Faleau lending him some money. That Merlin kid has always
been lucky. Last time in the Sage Tower he relied on Solon, and this
time in the Black Horn Auction he is using his relationship with Faleau.
I’ll have a look and see whether he’ll still have Faleau behind him after
leaving the Black Horn Auction.’
That glass bottle in the Gilded Rose was the stain on Mason’s life.
Although he was still in the auction, his thoughts weren’t there anymore.
Mason’s mind was filled with thoughts of tormenting and humiliating that
wretch, and he kept muttering under his breath.
“Shut up!” Monchi glanced unhappily at his son. It would be great if it

was this simple. Faleau’s status in the Black Horn Auction House wasn’t
low, but such an amount of gold wasn’t something that he could easily
take out.
But Monchi knew that reasoning with Mason was useless now. That kid
was completely fixated on getting revenge, so how could he listen to
something else right now?
Thinking of this, Monchi urged him, “Oh right, I have to let you know. I
don’t care if you want to deal with that kid, but the conflict with the Sage
Tower and Solon last time already left the family in a bad situation. If you
cause trouble this time, then don’t even think of leaving the house
afterwards.”
“Okay okay, I got it…”
While this father-son pair was talking, Faleau had already carried that
bottle of Styx Water back to the box.
“Mage Merlin, this… Is this really worth so much gold?” After Faleau
gave the Styx Water to Lin Yun, he couldn’t help asking after hesitating
for a long time.
This was someone that was destined to become a Master Alchemist! If it

had been anyone else that used so much money to buy a bottle of Styx
Water, Faleau would have already mocked them. Wasn’t this a complete
waste? How could Styx Water be worth so much? Even new alchemist
would be clear about it, spending fifty thousand gold to buy a bottle of
Styx Water was truly foolish.
But that bottle of Styx Water was bought by Lin Yun, so Faleau didn’t
dare to comment…
As a future Master Alchemist, this young man’s insight and experience

was something he couldn’t compare with. Even Cadgar wasn’t on that
level. There was definitely a reason for him to buy a bottle of Styx Water.
He couldn’t understand only because he didn’t have enough experience
and insight.
“Indeed.” Lin Yun opened the lid of the bottle. It was very pure Styx
Water, even better than he had imagined. At the peak of the Magic Era,
such a bottle could easily be exchanged for a dozen Abyssal Magic
Diamonds.
Only paying fifty thousand gold for such a precious material, Lin Yun
couldn’t help feeling great about it. And the auction house had
guaranteed that it would let him pay any price for the items he wanted,
anyways. Facing Faleau’s question, he even said a few more things.
“Wait until the auction is over and try replacing Troll Blood with Styx
Water when compounding an Abyss Potion, it should increase the
quality.”
“Thank you, Mage Merlin, thank you very much…” Faleau froze before a
pleasant expression appeared on his face.
‘It came! It came! Advice from a future Master Alchemist! I wasn’t wrong,
as long as I acknowledge my mistake and show that I’m completely
sincere, someone of such lofty stature wouldn’t hold a grudge! And not
only did he let the matter of my past slights drop, but he even gave me a
pointer!’
This was the pointer of a future Master Alchemist. Thinking of this,

Faleau was so excited that he didn’t know what to say. He repeatedly
expressed his thanks while feeling bewildered. After some time, he
fished out a slip of paper from his pocket and recorded Mage Merlin’s
suggestion.
Lin Yun smiled before focusing his attention back on the auction.
As for Faleau’s scribbling, Lin Yun didn’t need to look at it. In fact, using
Styx Water to replace Troll blood when compounding the Abyss Potion
wouldn’t make its quality just “a bit” better. It would increase the quality
by several times, giving the Abyss Potion a qualitative change.
Moreover, this was just a superficial use of Styx Water…
Styx Water’s true value far surpassed fifty thousand gold.
Lin Yun estimated that if he used it sparingly, that bottle of Styx Water
would be enough to compound 10 potions on the same level as the
Ghost Potion once he used what he needed for the Mana Baptism.
The auction was still ongoing, and although Lin Yun’s extravagant
expenditure led to a few heated debates, most people only considered it
a funny topic, and once they were done jeering about it, they put it out of
their minds. After all, those who had participated in the auction of the
Styx Water weren’t planning to get it at all costs. It would be good if they
could get it at a low cost, but not getting it wouldn’t result in a loss.
Getting a funny joke for free was good too.
Afterwards, two more items were auctioned, and with Cadgar overseeing
the auction, they sold at a decent price.
“The next auctioned item is a badly damaged spell.”
Cadgar’s introduction puzzled many people. Magic had developed for so

many years. The inheritance of spells had already been refined
thoroughly, so there would very rarely be a badly damaged spell.
And if a spell really was so badly damaged, the value of the incantation
would be zero, even if it had shocking might. As long as one character
was lacking, it meant that the spell was already a piece of scrap.
Regardless of how powerful a mage was, one couldn’t use an
incomplete incantation to cast a spell, let alone reproduce the power of
the proper spell.
So why did Cadgar take out this badly damaged spell?
“I believe that everyone present has heard the name of this spell before.
The 3rd Era’s last Heaven Rank Mage, Rudolph, once used this spell to
destroy an entire army of Demons. That’s right, this spell is Hell
Destroyer!”
Chapter 35: Spiritual Augment
Cadgar had just finished speaking when the entire venue suddenly
became quiet. This strange silence stretched on interminably, before
finally bursting into a huge commotion!
“…Hell Destroyer!”
“Did I mishear? Is it really Hell Destroyer?”
Hell Destroyer was rumored to be the spell created by the last Heaven
Mage of the 3rd Dynasty when faced with an army of Demons. This spell
was referred to as the only Extraordinary Spell. In that era, it nearly
overturned the ideas of the entire magic system.
But after the 3rd Dynasty, that spell had completely disappeared.
Rudolph fell at the end of the battle and the inner workings of the only
Extraordinary Spell were buried along with him. After over a thousand
years, even with countless mages working hard at it, they weren’t able to
reconstruct this extremely powerful spell.
No one could have thought that it would appear today in the Black Horn
Auction…
Indeed, the Extraordinary Spell was already badly damaged, and like it
was mentioned before, no matter how powerful a mage was, they
wouldn’t be able to rely on this incomplete incantation to cast the spell.
But this didn’t matter to everyone present. Even a complete version of
Hell Destroyer, an Extraordinary Spell, wasn’t something that ordinary
people could grasp.
What was important was the knowledge that could be contained within.
That was the legacy left behind by a Heaven Mage, even one simple
character would contain countless secrets.
“The bidding for this badly damaged Hell Destroyer Spell will start at fifty
thousand gold. The minimum bid increment is five thousand gold.”
The starting price was set at the same amount that Lin Yun had paid for
the bottle of Styx Water, but the only difference was that Lin Yun had
been ridiculed by the entire venue for his purchase, while the auction of
the Hell Destroyer spell immediately set off a wave of bids.
“Sixty thousand gold!”
“Seventy thousand!”
“One hundred thousand!”
Less than a minute passed and the current bid for the damaged
incantation had already reached a hundred thousand gold.
And it seemed that this was just the beginning.
That price was quickly overtaken by the following bids, and by the time it
reached 250 000, it suddenly stopped, letting people gasp for breath.
But it was followed by another round of competition. Crazy bids were

announced one after the other. A damaged incantation somehow
managed to reach the incredible price of half a million gold.
What kind of concept was that much gold? When Locke Merlin opened
the Gilded Rose on the Victorious Return Main Street, from buying
magic materials to hiring an alchemist, it cost him a total of one hundred
thousand gold. In other words, Hell Destroyer’s damaged incantation
was currently worth five of Locke Merlin’s fledgling business…
The mages in the venue were practically going crazy over this badly
damaged incantation. There were more than a hundred Mages, a few
dozen Great Mages, and even a few High Mages in attendance at this
Black Horn Auction. Their thirst for the Hell Destroyer was something
that those unacquainted with magic couldn’t understand. This was the
legacy of a Heaven Mage, an unfathomable treasure to every mage.
Among all those mages, Lin Yun was probably the only one that wasn’t
moved…
To him, the value of the Hell Destroyer spell was really small. There
were no fewer than ten spells in his mind with the same power, and they
were all complete. Lin Yun’s problem right now wasn’t mastering these
spells, but rather reaching a high enough rank to cast them.
In other words, the four materials for the Mana Baptism were a lot more
valuable than the Hell Destroyer, at least to Lin Yun.
Thus, Lin Yun was completely at ease as he watched the play, with all
these people fighting over items and spending their money so that they
wouldn’t be able to compete with him over the remaining three materials
that he wanted.
And the numerous mages at the auction didn’t fail to live up to Lin Yun’s
expectations. The previous bid of five hundred thousand gold only
managed to shock the venue for a short moment before a voice came
out from one of the boxes.
“600 000 gold.”
This was the bid of the Sage Tower. Solomon, who had been silent for a
long time, finally made his bid.
The venue became silent once more after this bid was announced, and it
lasted a lot longer than the previous time.
This was already an extremely high price, not to mention that the one
who bid was Solomon. The three big shots of the Sage Tower were
already considered legends in the kingdom. Even major forces couldn’t
neglect those three High Mages. When Solomon declared his bid some
of the mages who had wanted to bid had to reconsider…
Of course, not all the mages would think twice about bidding against
him.
“650 000 gold.” Another voice came out from another box, raising the
price of the Hell Destroyer Incantation by another bump. Furthermore,
after announcing the bid, that voice added with a hint of provocation, “I’m
really sorry, Solomon, our Ash Tower is also interested in the Hell
Destroyer incantation.”
A fierce cough came out as an answer, as well as an even higher bid.

“700 000.”
“800 000!” Perhaps it was in order to keep provoking Solomon, or

perhaps because he was irritated by the attitude of his counterpart, the
mage from the Ash Tower instantly raised the price yet again right after
Solomon bid.
A short silence came over the box of the Sage Tower before Solomon
called a new bid, “830 000 gold.”
But the mage from the Ash Tower quickly raised the stakes. “900 000!”
A violent cough came out from the Sage Tower’s box, but no new bid
appeared.
Lin Yun couldn’t help shaking his head when seeing this scene. It
seemed that this badly damaged Hell Destroyer incantation would end
up in the hands of the Ash Tower. Although the Sage Tower stood at the
peak of Thousand Sails City, they weren’t as prosperous as some
people would assume on the financial side. A large number of mages
would need financing for their many experiments and other
expenditures, so suddenly taking out a million wasn’t that easy.
But that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. The price was truly already too
high. It would be fine if they were bidding on a complete incantation, but
this incantation was obviously badly damaged. Even if he managed to
reproduce the spell, it would never possess the might of that time. The
only thing it would do now was to allow one to take a glimpse into the
wisdom of a Heaven Mage.
And considering his resources, Lin Yun felt that this really wasn’t worth
it…
‘Wait, what’s that…’ Just as Lin Yun shook his head, something about
the badly damaged scroll caught his eye, and he felt a jolt of shock.
The mana fluctuations emitted by that scroll seemed a bit abnormal…
Lin Yun frowned as he thought about this. He stared at the incantation

scroll, studying it. The first thing that Lin Yun noticed was the trace of a
burn at the bottom of the scroll. That should be the real cause of the
damage. At the same time, Lin Yun noticed that after a millennium of
wear and tear, the characters on the scroll were still incomparably clear,
without the slightest trace of becoming blurry.
Based on this, Lin Yun was sure of one thing… That scroll had definitely
been written with Eternal Ink, because only Eternal Ink could resist the
corrosion of time to this extent. Regardless of how many years passed,
the characters wouldn’t change.
But the mana fluctuations of Eternal Ink definitely didn’t look like that.
The scroll itself didn’t have any magical power, and the mana
fluctuations were extremely weak. An ordinary mage wouldn’t be able to
notice those minute differences. But Lin Yun was different. He had read
so many books written in Eternal Ink in the decaying library, as what
other books would be able to survive the ravages of time? The unique
mana fluctuation was already deeply engraved in his mind, so once he
focused on the scroll, it took but an instant for him to notice that this
wasn’t actually the mana fluctuation of Eternal Ink.
But, if it wasn’t the mana fluctuations of Eternal Ink, what was it?
These mana fluctuations were very special, giving him a feeling of

liveliness, and Lin Yun had only ever seen these kinds of mana
fluctuations on a Spiritual Magic Tool.
‘Oh, right, a Spiritual Magic Tool!’

This time, Lin Yun didn’t dare to neglect it as he chanted in a low voice,
secretly casting Detect Life.
That’s right, there was a faint aura of life in the surroundings of the scroll.
Although it was a bit weak, that kind of lively feeling couldn’t be kept
hidden from someone that suspected it was there. Lin Yun was a
hundred percent sure that this scroll had a spiritual aura.
But it wasn’t actually a Spiritual Magic Tool! Rather, it should be a

rumored Spiritual Augment!
Spiritual Augments were similar to Spiritual Magic Tools, as both had

spirituality.
But the difference was that a Spiritual Magic Tool’s spirituality was
bestowed by the alchemist. From the day of its creation, it was already
finalized, stable and powerful. But it wouldn’t grow. A Spiritual Augment
was completely different. Its spirituality couldn’t exist by itself. It would
have to attach to another Magic Tool, and the stronger the Magic Tool,
the faster it would grow. There had been several famous Spiritual
Augments in Noscent’s history, and when they grew to their limits, their
power was not inferior to that of an Extraordinary Magic Tool.
Chapter 36: Deal

Just by itself, a Spiritual Magic Tool was more useful than a Spiritual
Augment, since after all, a Spiritual Magic Tool had the fighting strength
of a High Mage while a Spiritual Augment could even be considered
useless if it was not attached to a magic tool.
But once a Spiritual Augment was added to a sufficiently powerful magic

tool, this would be reversed. Especially after the Spiritual Augment
completely matured, the two couldn’t even be compared anymore.
This was why a Spiritual Augment with no inherent fighting power was
still far more valuable than a Spiritual Magic Tool with the strength of a
High Mage.
When Lin Yun realized that the item in front of his eyes was actually a
Spiritual Augment, eagerness filled his face.
“Faleau,” he called out, after thinking for a short moment.
Faleau had been using this time to theorize on how the revised formula
of the Abyss Potion would work. So far, assuming that his lines of
thought were valid, the resulting improvements could only be described
as “crazy” because the quality would increase by several times. This
kind of potion couldn’t even be called an Abyss Potion anymore!
Faced with this incredible outcome, Faleau was stunned. He had been
leaning on the table and staring at the papers filled with all kinds of
formulas, re-checking them over and over to see whether he had made a
mistake. Second check, no mistakes, third check, no mistakes, ninth,
tenth… He still didn’t find any mistakes. In other words, the outcome of
his calculations should definitely be true. The moment he put down those
papers, Faleau felt as if a door to a whole new world had been opened in
front of him.
Such great happiness was something that only a true alchemist could
understand, researching day after day, experimenting year after year…
Not being able to take one more step forward in one’s alchemy for a long
time, when suddenly, that last step would be easily bridged. That sudden
happiness even made Faleau wonder whether or not he was in a dream.
“Faleau?” Lin Yun called him twice without getting a reaction, and thus
raised his voice impatiently.
“Yes, yes, Mage Merlin, what can I do for you?” When he noticed Lin
Yun calling him with a raised voice, Faleau was woken from his dream,
and he looked at Lin Yun once more. Apart from the bit of remaining
dread in his eyes, there was only yearning and worship. That was
yearning for knowledge and worship of wisdom.
“Go to the Sage Tower box on my behalf and let High Mage Solomon
know that I can help him pay for half of this Hell Destroyer scroll, and
after winning it, the Sage Tower can have it for a month first. During that
month, the Sage Tower can copy the scroll and research the incantation
as they wish as long as they don’t destroy the scroll. And for providing
half of the funds to buy it, I will get to keep it permanently after that
month.”
“Yes, I will take care of this.” If it had been in the past, Faleau would still
question whether Solomon would accept such unfair conditions. But after
checking the theory behind the revised version of the Abyss Potion,
Faleau wouldn’t do something so stupid. He would have to be crazy to
question such a talented future Master Alchemist…
After Faleau left, Lin Yun remained standing as he eyed the scroll on
stage while thinking about the Bone Plane…
The Extraordinary Book of Death that Bane used most likely came from
the Bone Plane, because an Extraordinary Magic Tool like the Book of
Death could only be born in a place like that black wasteland, which was
shrouded in death. If everything went smoothly, he had planned to
expand toward the depths of the Bone Plane after he grasped that
Nether Iron Vein. At that time, the Flashing Gold chamber of commerce
should have recovered some strength, giving him the power and
resources needed to organize a planar expedition.
As long as he had the strength to survive in the Bone Plane, he would be

able to find a way to locate the rumored shortcut and get the Book of
Death that had once belonged to Bane.
With the Book of Death and a Spiritual Augment, let alone a High Mage,
even an Archmage would have to turn back if he opposed them.
While Lin Yun was immersed in the thoughts of his plans for the future,
the box door opened once again. This time, Faleau was accompanied by
Solon. When he discovered that the owner of the box was actually Lin
Yun, Solon clearly froze for a moment. But he quickly smiled cordially
and greeted, “I didn’t expect it to be you, Mage Merlin. Teacher Solomon
would like to invite you to sit with him, are you free?”
“Of course, it would be my honor.” When he saw that Solon had entered,
Lin Yun was smiling because he knew that the Spiritual Augment was
likely already in his hands.
When the group of three entered the Sage Tower box, Lin Yun found
that this time, only Solomon of the Sage Tower’s big three had come to
the auction. The old man was thin and emaciated. He was sitting in a
corner of the box, his thin body somewhat twisted as he burst into a
coughing fit from time to time. No matter how one looked at it, he was an
old man with one foot in the grave. If not for his reputation, who would
know that this was the person who had stood at the peak of Thousand
Sails City for over twenty years and held back numerous forces?
“Hello, High Mage Solomon.” Lin Yun greeted him courteously, but he
couldn’t help frowning slightly. The High Mage seemed even less healthy
than the Sage Tower was suggesting to the public…
That violent cough was clearly a sign of mana collapse, as each of his
coughs was letting out an unstable mana fluctuation.
In this era, there was no solution for mana collapse. For any mage, once
they suffered a mana collapse, it meant that their life’s efforts had come
to an end. For Solomon to still manage to keep his power as a High
Mage despite the mana collapse could only be described as a miracle.
But that miracle was probably coming to an end.
Lin Yun estimated that this High Mage who had shaken Thousand Sails
City for over twenty years would only live another five years at most.
From his cough, Lin Yun could guess that the berserk mana was already
destroying his internal organs. Maybe three years, maybe five, but all
that was certain was that this powerful High Mage didn’t have long to
live.
In fact, his grooming of Solon to become the next leader these past few
years was already a sign.
“Mage Merlin’s insight is much better than I imagined.” Solomon was

sitting in the corner and did not get up to welcome him. This was quite
normal based on his age, as there were few people older than him in all
of Thousand Sails City. But when he saw Lin Yun’s slight frown, he
nodded in understanding.
Because Solomon knew that this young Mage had already seen it…
“You are overpraising me,” Lin Yun modestly answered. He didn’t

exchange too much pleasantry as he was led to his seat by Solon, and
he directly went to the core of the matter. “I wonder whether High Mage
Solomon has considered my proposal?”
“I have two questions.” Solomon displayed two bony fingers while

looking at Lin Yun with a faint smile. “First, several hundred thousand
gold isn’t a small amount. The current Flashing Gold chamber of
commerce doesn’t seem to be able to come up with this amount.
Second, if the Sage Tower also pays for half, why can’t the scroll remain
with the Sage Tower?”
“Before replying to your first question, I need to introduce Alchemist

Faleau to you.” Lin Yun called Faleau over and said, “Alchemist Faleau
of the Black Horn Auction House. I believe he can give you a satisfactory
answer to your first question.”
“Indeed, High Mage Solomon, I can guarantee that in this auction, Mage
Merlin obtained the Black Horn Auction House’s full support. He can win
any item he wants.”
“Cadgar’s insight is pretty good…” After Solomon heard this, he only

shook his head with a smile, not inquiring further about it.
“As for your second question…” Lin Yun stopped here and glanced
outside the box, before cryptically continuing, “I think it’s mostly because
you dislike the Ash Tower more than I do.”
“Haha…” This answer made Solomon stare at Lin Yun for a long time,
and when he saw that Lin Yun was unwavering, the old man stood up
and extended his withered right hand. “In that case, Mage Merlin, I wish
us a pleasant cooperation.”
“To a pleasant cooperation.”

After Lin Yun reached an agreement with the Sage Tower, the auction
suddenly reached its climax. Upon hearing Lin Yun’s offer, Solomon had
continued to place some spaced out bids to keep the auction going
because he really didn’t want to lose to the Ash Tower, even though they
had ridiculed him for having such “lousy bid increments”.
Sage Tower, Ash Tower, these two major forces fought over the Hell
Destroyer spell, and the bid reached 1 300 000 gold. This price made
everyone wonder whether these two forces were going crazy. This was
the highest price reached in all the auctions so far. Paying such a
shocking amount for a badly damaged incantation… Was it really worth
it?
“1 400 000 gold.”
When Solomon suddenly raised the price by a hundred thousand again,

the entire venue was shrouded in silence. Apart from a cold snort from
the Ash Tower’s box, no other bid came out. After waiting a few
moments, Cadgar slowly asked if there were any higher bids three times
before the badly damaged incantation was awarded to High Mage
Solomon of the Sage Tower.
Thus, Lin Yun would have to pay 700 000 gold for this scroll.
The scroll was quickly brought to Solomon’s box, and after Lin Yun
glanced at it, he passed it to Solomon. For Lin Yun, the incomplete
incantation inscribed on it was insignificant. The important part was the
scroll itself. In any case, the scroll would be his one month hence, so it
didn’t matter whether he had time to inspect it now.
After winning the Hell Destroyer incantation, Lin Yun had been intending
to take his leave, but he hadn’t expected that this High Mage who always
remained alone would actually urge him so resolutely to stay. Lin Yun
thought it would be rather awkward to insist on leaving in this situation,
so ultimately, he had no choice but to stay.
Chapter 37: Red Flame Fish Oil

The next several items auctioned weren’t any of the materials that Lin
Yun needed, and Solomon’s attention didn’t seem to be on the auction at
all. The two began an idle chat, and the subject matter quickly turned to
magic. Normally, a Mage and a High Mage wouldn’t have much in
common, since the difference between their realms was too wide.
But on one hand, Lin Yun wasn’t an ordinary Mage, and on the other
hand, Solomon deliberately showed consideration. Even if he
spontaneously brought up a topic, it would be mostly within the realm of
what Mages would know about, and even if it was occasionally in the
Great Mage realm, he wouldn’t go too far or dwell on it.
Both of them had very deep knowledge of magic, and the discussion
was very interesting and harmonious.
But unfortunately, this harmonious conversation didn’t continue for long.
Because an uninvited guest arrived at the box.
“High Mage Solomon, I am Mason of the Monchi Family. Could you do

me the honor of allowing me inside?” Mason stood at the door of the
box, fixing his appearance while taking a deep breath.
Mason, who wasn’t seen in a good light in the Monchi family these days,
finally got the opportunity to represent his whole family. It was easy to
imagine what kind of mood he was in.
While standing in front of the door, Mason was thinking that he had to
make a proper performance and let Solomon see his outstanding
magical talent. And if the revered High Mage was in a cheerful mood, he
might even decide to give him a few pointers. He had to make a proper
impression to let his father, his older brother, and everyone in Thousand
Sails City know that the Monchi clan didn’t only have Ryan to represent
them.
“Come in.” Solomon helplessly shook his head and smiled apologetically
to Lin Yun.
“Greetings, High Mage Solomon, I am here on behalf of my father,
who…” Mason entered the box with a dignified expression, but just as he
was about to repeat the words told to him by his father, he realized that
there were two unexpected people here.
Faleau and Mafa!
‘Such good luck!’ Mason was pleasantly surprised to see the brat here.
He had been still thinking of waiting for the auction to be over before
dealing with that annoyance. He never thought that his luck would be so
good that he would find him in Solomon’s box before the auction was
even halfway through.
‘Solomon’s box isn’t a place that just anyone can enter as they please!
Even I was warned repeatedly by Father to be polite and respectful. Yet
this Mafa Merlin dared to appear here, how arrogant is he?’ Mason
thought. ‘That’s right, that guy definitely heard that High Mage Solomon
was here, so he came over to try his luck and see whether High Mage
Solomon would take pity on him and give him the opportunity to learn in
the Sage Tower.’
‘A trick like this won’t escape my notice!’ Mason was rather proud of how
well he had learned to detect intrigue. ‘But this is good. I was worried
about not finding you, but you actually delivered yourself to me and even
gave me the opportunity to show my intelligence and wisdom before
High Mage Solomon!’
Mason took a deep breath and calmed his mood before pointing his
finger at Lin Yun and chastising with an expression full of righteousness,
“Mafa Merlin, what are you doing here? Why aren’t you hurrying out, is
this a place you can be in? Can you afford to bother High Mage
Solomon’s rest?”
As Mason’s words trailed off, the box became silent.
Lin Yun and Solomon didn’t react at all…
But the look that Faleau had as he stared at Mason… He was

completely dumbstruck. ‘Wh-what is he even talking about? Is the
second son of the Monchi family completely brainless or what? Does he
not know that the person he is pointing at is a future Master Alchemist?
This is a person that Cadgar personally welcomed and treated politely.
To point at him so carelessly and say something like that, he doesn’t
want to keep his hand, right?’
His attitude could hardly be further from how it had been when he first
met Lin Yun.
‘Moreover, asking if this is a place he can be in… Damn, if it wasn’t for

Solomon urging Merlin to stay, we would have already gone back to our
box. No wonder half of Monchi’s hair already turned white before he
turned fifty. It was all due to this idiot son. Truly pathetic. If I had such a
stupid son, I would be so ashamed to have to admit our relationship…’
“What? Still not getting out?” Mason didn’t seem to notice anyone else’s
reactions. As he stood there, righteously calling Mafa out, everyone
looked at him in silence. He felt that his aura was very mighty at this
moment, making him feel quite pleased.
“I’m telling you, you’d better get out immediately. Don’t say I’m not giving
you any respect, wait until someone throws you out, and you’ll
understand what it’s like to feel really pathetic.”
“That’s enough, Mason.” Seeing that this guy was getting more and
more unreasonable, Solomon, who had been enjoying the scene,
ultimately put a stop to it. After coughing a few times, he explained,
“Mage Merlin is my guest. You’ve said what your father sent you over
for, right?”
“Eh?” Mason was suddenly stunned when he heard that. What kind of
situation was this, why was it different from what he expected? He didn’t
even get to accomplish his task and he had already been dismissed…
‘When did that Mafa Merlin become High Mage Solomon’s guest? Did
High Mage Solomon pity him and deliberately give him a way out? This
won’t do! I finally got a chance, I can’t let him trick High Mage Solomon
like this.’ Mason quickly said, “That’s not it, High Mage Solomon, listen to
me, this Mafa Merlin likes to act pathetic to trick people, don’t be tricked!”
“Solon, see to the young Monchi.” This time, Solomon just ignored
Mason’s words and directly asked Solon to send him out.
“Young Master Monchi, please follow me.”
“High Mage Solomon, listen to me…”
Mason was still struggling to make his case, but unfortunately, Solon
was already taking him out of the box. No one really cared what else he
had to say. As far as Lin Yun and Solomon were concerned, this was
only a minor interlude. Neither of them was concerned about the antics
of this second young master of the Monchi Family.
The atmosphere in the box became harmonious once again after

Mason’s departure. The auction also carried on, and after about half an
hour, Lin Yun finally got two of the remaining materials that he needed
for the Mana Baptism.
Compared to the previous bidding on the Styx Water, these two

purchases went a lot smoother, not attracting the attention of many
others. He got them for less than ten thousand gold apiece.
Three of the four materials were already in his hands, and Lin Yun was
quite relaxed as he continued to chat idly with Solomon, waiting for the
last of the required materials to appear.
While they were talking, knocking sounds could be heard at the door of
the box.
This time, it was Monchi himself, followed by a dejected Mason. The

young lad had probably been properly taught a lesson by Monchi after
his return. Although he still looked at Lin Yun with indignation, he didn’t
dare to open his mouth.
“I am truly sorry, High Mage Solomon, I failed to discipline my son
Mason and he offended you and your guest. I’m here to apologize on his
behalf.”
Monchi had his head lowered as he entered. Even though Solomon

didn’t put much weight to the matter, as he sympathized with the woes of
parenting, even if he cared, he wouldn’t make things awkward for
Monchi now, especially since Mafa hadn’t seemed to mind the raving.
“A trivial matter, President Monchi didn’t need to come here personally

for that.” Solomon smiled politely while shaking his head. As if just
remembering, he brought up another subject. “Oh right, President
Monchi, Mason said you needed something, I wonder what it is?”
“Haha, it is also a trivial matter…” Monchi let out a dry laugh, inwardly
cursing to himself that the old geezer Solomon was clearly playing
dumb. ‘I clearly looked for you for an important matter. Otherwise, how
could I let Mason pass a message instead of waiting for the end of the
auction? But that old geezer is good, he asked me about it in front of so
many people. Damn, it’s not like I can ask whether he wants to conspire
against the remains of the Merlin house while we’re in front of so many
people…’
But even though Monchi was inwardly cursing, a smile was still plastered
on his face. “Oh right, High Mage Solomon, I haven’t congratulated you
yet for managing to obtain that Hell Destroyer scroll. I believe that the
achievements of the Sage Tower will rise another step with this scroll.
It’s truly worth celebrating.”
“Haha, it’s only a badly damaged Hell Destroyer incantation. If not for the
fact that the people from the Ash Tower were determined to get it, I
might not have gotten so heated in the bidding.”
Hearing the two old foxes putting on their acts, Lin Yun was getting
somewhat annoyed, but it felt too awkward to say that he wanted to
leave, so he could only sit there and endure, longing for his last
acquisition to appear on the stage. Once he got it, he would take his
leave from the box.
Fortunately, Lin Yun didn’t have to wait long.
A few minutes after, the fourth reagent that he needed for the Mana
Baptism appeared.
“Next item, a bottle of Red Flame Fish Oil.”
Chapter 38: Million

After Cadgar announced that the next item was the Red Flame Fish Oil,
Lin Yun suddenly became lively. In fact, it wasn’t just Lin Yun; the eyes
of the numerous alchemists of the venue instantly fell upon that small
glass bottle. The bottle on the auction stand was the size of a person’s
thumb and was filled with a red liquid. This was the rumored Red Flame
Fish Oil.
The Red Flame Fish Oil didn’t add any special effects, but it could
neutralize the negative reactions between all kinds of materials. This
was something of incalculable value to any alchemist. A peak Alchemist
could rely on a bottle of Red Flame Fish Oil to compound a potion of the
Great Alchemist rank, while a peak Great Alchemist could even touch
the realm of a Master Alchemist with a bottle of Red Flame Fish Oil.
This was like raising the best potion one could make by an entire rank!
Moreover, Red Flame Fish Oil was extremely rare on the market. Even
an event like the Black Horn Auction hadn’t seen the slightest shadow of
Red Flame Fish Oil for several years.
Nothing could be done about it, as Red Flame Fish could only be found
in the sea neighboring Spark Island. This wasn’t a place one could
casually visit, as there would frequently be King Level Sea Beasts
roaming the place. If an ordinary mercenary group entered that part of
the sea, they would probably be swallowed by a frightening Sea Beast
within a few minutes. Without one or two powerful High Mages to keep
watch, they simply couldn’t go there, and if insisted on going anyways,
they would be throwing their lives away.
Furthermore, the Red Flame Fish wasn’t easy to handle either. They had
no fighting strength, but they naturally had extremely high temperatures
and always moved in groups, often numbering in the thousands. When
they swam together, the entire area around them would be constantly
boiling and even many frightening King Level Sea Beasts weren’t willing
to appear in front of them.
A group of Red Flame Fish swimming through the vast sea, causing the
water to boil wherever they went… No matter how powerful a fleet was,
in front of this terrifying power, they might have trouble just surviving.
The one who procured this small bottle of Red Flame Fish Oil had likely
suffered great difficulties in procuring it.
The alchemists in the venue instantly sank into a fanatical state once this
bottle of Red Flame Fish Oil appeared in the auction.
Cadgar had yet to declare the starting price when a middle-aged

alchemist called out his bid of one hundred thousand gold.
“Hey, Alchemist Mana, you are a bit too anxious…” Cadgar rubbed his
forehead, not knowing whether to laugh or cry at the alchemist’s
reaction.
“I can’t do anything about it, all my liquid assets add up to a total of a

hundred thousand gold. I can’t compete with others, so I might as well
call the first price to get over it…” This middle-aged man named Mana
had a pretty good attitude, and following Cadgar’s teasing, he actually
pointed at the rest of the venue and smiled bitterly, somewhat easing the
tension brought by the Red Flame Fish Oil.
“Haha, very well. Since Alchemist Mana already made an offer, then the
starting price of this bottle of Red Flame Fish Oil will be one hundred
thousand gold, and the minimum bid increment will be ten thousand.”
“One hundred fifty thousand gold.”
“One hundred seventy thousand.”

“Two hundred thousand gold…”
Cadgar had barely finished his sentence when voices began calling out
their bids. The relatively poor Alchemist Mana truly didn’t have the
chance to bid.
Lin Yun knew that he wouldn’t get this one without spending a large
amount.
“Three hundred thousand gold.” Just as Lin Yun was hesitating on

whether he should bid early or wait, Monchi announced a new price.
Lin Yun closed his mouth.
‘Good, even the Monchi Family wants this item. It seems that this Red
Flame Fish Oil truly won’t be sold for a low price.’
Lin Yun’s guess was right. Monchi’s bid couldn’t quell the fervor of the
many alchemists, as it was immediately followed by a bid of four
hundred fifty thousand. The jump in price was crazily high.
“700 000 gold.”
When Monchi increased the price to 700 000, the enthusiasm of the
alchemists began to cool down. That price was truly a bit too high, and
many of the alchemists who had just wanted to try putting in a bid were
eliminated at this point. The only ones left that could participate were a
few Great Alchemists.
Because the average alchemist couldn’t afford this kind of money, even
if this bottle of Red Flame Fish Oil could let them compound a potion that
exceeded their level, it would only be a Great Alchemist level potion.
Such a potion wouldn’t sell for enough to warrant such a high price.
But if it was for a Master level potion, this bottle of Red Flame Fish
Potion could still be considered a decent investment at its current price.
Obviously, Monchi was very pleased with the price he had quoted. After
the venue calmed down, Monchi slowly sat down at his seat, faintly
leaning toward the back of his chair and smiling as if everything was
going as planned.
But that smile didn’t last long as the young Mage sitting not far from him
stood up.
“800 000 gold.”
The smile on Monchi’s face became strange.
Monchi had considered many possible turns that the bidding war could
have taken, such as the Great Alchemist of the Silver Moon Mercenaries
bidding against him, or Solomon deciding to join in, or Thorpe wishing to
acquire it. He’d even considered the possibility that Cadgar would
personally try to bid, but Monchi definitely hadn’t thought that after his
bid of 700 000 gold, the young Merlin would place the next bid.
This was 800 000 gold after all, not 80 000 gold or 8000 gold!
A few months ago, that young Merlin couldn’t even pay the debt to his
uncle and had almost been forced to give up his house. How could he
suddenly place a bid of 800 000 gold now?
‘What’s going on?’
Monchi couldn’t make sense of this. ‘Did I guess wrong? Was that Merlin
brat not backed up by Faleau of the Black Horn Auction? It might really
be the case…’
He glanced around the box again and noted, ‘Mafa Merlin is clearly
sitting next to Solomon while Faleau was sitting with Solon. This
obviously shows his status relative to the others here. In this box,
Solomon and Merlin have far higher status than Solon and Faleau.’
‘What’s more, even if Faleau is thought highly of by Cadgar, he definitely
can’t take out a huge sum of 800 000 gold. This Mafa Merlin definitely
has another source of funding.’
‘But if it’s not Faleau, who is it? Solomon?’
At this point, Monchi gave Solomon a suspicious glance.
Solomon grinned as he noticed the strange look, but simply turned a

blind eye.
This time, Solomon’s mood was actually quite good, especially when he
saw Monchi’s puzzled expression.
“850 000 gold.” Monchi was thinking, but unfortunately, the auction
wouldn’t wait, so he had no choice but to make a new bid after some
hesitation.
This was a price that was already painful to Monchi. The Twin Moons
chamber of commerce was extremely rich in Thousand Sails City, and
their wealth couldn’t be easily challenged. But paying so much for a
bottle of Red Flame Fish Oil couldn’t but make him feel bad.
And without giving him any time to feel better, that wretched Merlin’s
voice echoed again.
“900 000 gold.”
Monchi frowned and stared at Lin Yun for a while before asking in a cold
voice, “It seems that Mage Merlin is quite interested in this bottle of Red
Flame Fish Oil?”
“It’s not bad,” Lin Yun calmly said while thinking, ‘You two old foxes have
been acting for a while, shouldn’t it be my turn now?’
When he heard Lin Yun’s nonchalant answer, Monchi frowned, and a

twitching vein could be seen on his forehead.
But regardless of what happened, the competition for the Red Flame
Fish Oil would continue, as this was something that the Great Alchemist
of his family wanted.
“950 000 gold,” Monchi bid. Every syllable gave him the urge to spit
blood.
“1 000 000 gold.”
But immediately, another bid was made. And it still came from the young
Mage next to him. Monchi couldn’t accept this. Monchi very much
wanted to ask, ‘Isn’t your Flashing Gold chamber of commerce nearly
bankrupt, how could you act so improper at an auction? It would be fine
if it was others, but how could you do this to me, the family head of the
Monchi Family!’
“1 100 000 golds!” Monchi clenched his teeth and added another
hundred thousand gold to the bid, hoping that it would scare away that
wretched Mafa Merlin.
But…
“1 200 000 gold.”
“…” Monchi’s face was already pale. He looked at Lin Yun with murder in
his eyes. His next words didn’t contain the slightest hint of hypocritical
courtesy, only dripping unconcealed hostility. “Mage Merlin, going
against the Monchi Family isn’t a wise decision.”
“Haha, the weather is pretty good today.”
“Good, good, good…” Monchi muttered three times in a row and

suddenly stood up, before taking Mason and leaving the Sage Tower’s
box. He didn’t even bid farewell to Solomon on his way out.
“President Monchi’s poise is truly…” Looking at Monchi’s retreating back,

Lin Yun made a sneering comment but trailed off.
“Haha…” Solomon smiled, not denying his words, yet not agreeing.
In fact, the doubt in Solomon’s heart wasn’t inferior to Monchi’s.
Chapter 39: Finale

Although the two had never been in contact, Solomon had started paying
attention to this young Mage a few months ago. At that time, that young
Mage had sent a bottle of Spectrum Potion to the Sage Tower and came
out with a pass with the highest privileges. He then used it to stay in the
library for about two months.
During these two months, although Solomon didn’t visit the library, Solon
had brought him information about the young man every day: what kind
of book Mage Merlin had read that day, notes on what Mage Merlin did
the next day, what kind of opinion Mage Merlin shared the day after
that…
Solomon even remembered some things that Lin Yun didn’t necessarily
remember.
Because Solomon knew that this young Mage was very remarkable, far
more remarkable than anyone thought.
Solon didn’t even know that that first day, when he brought Lin Yun’s
opinion on the Fanrusen Formula, Solomon had returned to his study to
write a letter to Star Sage Jouyi.
There were four pieces of data in this letter and it quickly led to an
upsurge of discussion in the circles of mages across the kingdom. It
wasn’t only Star Sage Jouyi, it wasn’t just the Cloud Tower… Many
powerful mages interested in the Fanrusen Formula began participating
in this discussion though letters, and even more mages started
acknowledging that these four pieces of data might very well fix the
errors of the Fanrusen Formula. Many had sent their congratulations to
Solomon because they felt that the information he had shared
constituted a major discovery that would be recorded in the annals of
magic.
Reading these congratulatory messages, Solomon could only force a
smile…
Only Solomon himself knew that these four pieces of data didn’t belong
to him, but rather, to a young Mage that was only 20 years old…
But Solomon wasn’t sure whether that young Mage had calculated and
analyzed these four pieces of data himself or if he had heard about it
from someone else.
Thus, for the moment, Solomon could only urge him to stay and try to
bring up the topic of magic during their idle chat, trying to probe him and
see whether this young Mage’s magic knowledge was really deep
enough to clearly understand the mistakes in the Fanrusen Formula.
It was hard to say for the time being, but one thing was certain: that
young Mage was definitely much better acquainted with magic theory
than his peers.
He was even sure that it surpassed the Great Mage realm, because in
the discussion just now, Solomon felt that this young Mage was definitely
holding back and not fully showing off what he knew and understood.
But even this much was frightening enough.
A 20-year-old with the knowledge of a Great Mage…
And given time, let alone his disciple Solon, even Ryan of the Monchi
Family might be left in the dust.
Right now, this young Mage was frantically competing over alchemy
materials, just as some incredible potions appeared.
What did this mean…
Solomon had already been having some suspicions about whether the
Great Alchemist backing the young Merlin actually existed… Could the
alchemist actually be Mafa Merlin himself?
Two months ago, Solomon would never have believed this. The reason
was very simple: everyone knew that a good mage wasn’t necessarily a
good alchemist, but a good alchemist was definitely a good mage. This
might sound weird, but it was well-backed by history.
Alchemy originally came from magic, and the deeper the alchemy, the
deeper the magic knowledge needed to be. Many theories, many
conclusions couldn’t be understood without enough magic knowledge,
and some fields of alchemy required enough mana to conduct them.
Choosing a very simple example, one of the Sage Tower’s three big
shots, Thorpe. Before advancing to become a High Mage, Thorpe had
been stuck at the peak of the Alchemist level for ten years. But when he
became a High Mage, his alchemy suddenly advanced by leaps and
bounds, and in a month, he was also a Great Alchemist.
Mafa Merlin had just become a Mage, so how could he have the level of
a Great Alchemist?
But now, Solomon was really doubtful.
A Mage with the knowledge of a Great Mage… in theory, he should

already have the ability to craft the Spectrum Potion.
Moreover, he was now going all-out bidding on a few alchemy

materials…
Solomon was sitting in the corner of the box, bursting into a violent
cough from time to time. Finally, his eyes, which had been so filled with
hesitation, suddenly became resolute.
The bidding on the Red Flame Fish Oil had already come to an end, and
Lin Yun had used 1 200 000 gold to get the last material needed for his
Mana Baptism.
Once he got hold of the Red Flame Fish Oil, the auction was already
over for Lin Yun. But to many people, it had just begun.
Because the last item would be the grand finale.
This was a tradition of the Black Horn Auction. The most precious and
shocking items would be auctioned at the end, both as a way to increase
the suspense, and a way to express respect. It was like how in a story,
the most important character would always appear last to save the day.
“The next lot is the finale of the auction,” Cadgar said while lifting the silk
cloth that was on the pedestal, exposing a red potion and a black potion.
“I introduce to everyone, the Volcano Potion and the Ghost Potion.”
“Oh my god…”
“Is that really a Volcano Potion and a Ghost Potion?”
“How could these appear in Thousand Sails City!”
Cadgar had yet to finish when the entire venue broke into a commotion.
If one could say that the auction of the Hell Destroyer incantation and the
Red Flame Fish Oil had created a stir, then what these two potions
brought was an explosive shock.
Most of the people who attended the Black Horn Auction were very
knowledgeable, so how could they not know of the famous Volcano
Potion and Ghost Potion?
In fact, this wasn’t as simple as hearing about it…
These two potions approaching the Master Alchemist Level had already
become legendary existences in the hearts of these people. Able to
make mana burst like a volcano, the Volcano Potion that could let a
Great Mage instantaneously reach the High Mage realm… Able to turn
the body into nothingness, the Ghost Potion that made one immune to
injuries… These two potions could be said to be at the peak of the Great
Alchemist realm. Any Great Alchemist that mastered these two potions
would be able to tread on the path to become a Master Alchemist.
Moreover, a Great Alchemist that reached this level wouldn’t compound

these potions rashly, firstly because the materials were prohibitively
expensive, preventing many Great Alchemists from being able to afford
it, and secondly because these two potions required a lot of time and
effort to create. It would usually take somewhere from a dozen days to a
month to compound one. If anything went wrong, the time and money
invested would be wasted.
The appearance of either of these two potions would attract countless

forces, and they wouldn’t hesitate to empty their coffers to obtain them.
And now, the two potions appeared at the same time.
Could there suddenly be two Great Alchemists with the potential to

become Master Alchemists that appeared at the same time in Thousand
Sails City? Or was it the same person?
“I think that everyone must feel strange… Since there are two potions,
why are they being auctioned together?” Cadgar said this before
shamelessly stopping there to build suspense. He waited for everyone to
be on the edge of their seat before he unhurriedly said, “The reason is
simply that these two potions were compounded by the same person.”
The same person!
The shock caused by this answer was no less than the initial shock of
seeing the two potions themselves. Compounding one such potion was
already a very formidable feat, and yet someone had actually
compounded both of them together? What was that? Was this person
just deliberately trying to shock people?
“But I can let everyone know that this future Master is very very young, a
lot younger than you imagine…”
Cadgar explained up to this point before stopping. No matter how much

people asked, he wouldn’t agree to leak another word about it. An old
fox like Cadgar knew what he should say and what he shouldn’t.
Saying that the same person made both potions was fine, and teasing
their young age was fine too. It was only to raise the price of the potions,
giving them a certain flavor. He would run into issues if he said any
more. He managed to get closer to Mage Merlin before the Sage Tower
with great difficulty, but before he established a solid relationship,
Cadgar wouldn’t put this future Master Alchemist in the limelight. That
would be counterproductive…
Cadgar’s flashy and merciless introduction piqued everyone’s interest…
Two potions infinitely close to the Master Alchemist realm and

compounded by the same person, Cadgar had actually come up with
such a fierce finale for this auction!
Cadgar himself was a Great Alchemist brimming with talent. He was only
40 years old when he stepped into the Great Alchemist realm, and now,
Cadgar even used the words “younger than you imagine” to describe the
mysterious alchemist… Just how young was the alchemist who
compounded these potions?
35 years old? Maybe even 30 years old? Younger still?
Just thinking that this might be the case made everyone in the venue
feel numb.
All these people sitting in the auction room weren’t simple characters.
There was no lack of leaders from major forces here. They had many
alchemists themselves, so how could they not know how hard it was to
nurture a talented alchemist?
Chapter 40: Sky-High Price

Regardless of how talented an Apprentice Alchemist was, they needed

time to mature. The abstruse and unfathomable alchemy theories and
the boundless sea of alchemy formulas both needed a lot of time to
digest and understand. Many Apprentice Alchemists failed to ever
become full-fledged Alchemists.
It could be said that a 30-year-old Alchemist was a rare talent.

As for someone like Cadgar that had become a Great Alchemist at the
age of forty, he was unique in Thousand Sails City.
But now, Cadgar himself had described this Great Alchemist that had
compounded a Ghost Potion and a Volcano Potion as “younger than
they could imagine”…
Although Cadgar didn’t say how young the person was, everyone here
could more or less guess that the age was younger than 35, or else
Cadgar wouldn’t have exaggerated so much.
The Black Horn Auction House had already taken root in Thousand Sails
City for twenty years, so everyone present knew of the character of the
Chief Auctioneer. This Chief Auctioneer had always been rigorous, and
even during an auction, Cadgar had never excessively exaggerated the
introduction of an item being auctioned.
When Cadgar said that there was only one of some item, even if you
searched all of Noscent, you definitely wouldn’t find a second identical
item.
It was the same now.
Cadgar had said that this was a Great Alchemist younger than they’d
imagine, so this Great Alchemist was definitely no older than 35.
Thinking about it, a Great Alchemist that was younger than 35 and could
enter the realm of a Master anytime, such a crazy possibility made
everyone in the audience feel feverish. They all made guesses and
discussed the possibilities. The interest that these forces held toward
this future Master Alchemist even surpassed the value of the two potions
themselves.
In just a few minutes, there were at least seven or eight major figures
that had called for their most trusted and capable subordinates,
whispering them some orders.
In short, before bidding even started on the final lot, it had already
caused a huge commotion across the entire venue.
“The following two potions will start at the low price of three hundred
thousand gold, and the minimum bid increment is thirty thousand gold.”
Seeing that he had reached the effect he wanted to achieve, Cadgar

officially called for bids on the final lot with a pleased smile.
“1 000 000 gold.” Cadgar’s words had just finished when a voice came
out from a box on the second floor. “These two potions will belong to our
Ash Tower.”
The voice that announced the bid was the one who had bid against
Solomon for the Hell Destroyer incantation.
The hatred and hostility between the Sage Tower and Ash Tower could
be traced back to the distant 3rd Dynasty. These two forces residing in
the eastern part of the kingdom were constantly fighting each other.
They fought over everything, natural resources, talents, knowledge,
equipment, they were completely unscrupulous in their attempts to
suppress each other.
As early as several hundred years ago, there was a large-scale war

which resulted in many mages losing their lives. It also planted the seeds
of hatred in the hearts of the survivors. Although there had been no open
conflicts for the next hundred-plus years, the battles in the dark were
even more intense than they had been before the great war.
Since the Ash Tower had placed a bid, the Sage Tower would naturally
follow, unwilling to fall behind.
Although the Hell Destroyer incantation had cost 1 400 000 gold, half of
it had been covered by Lin Yun, so Solomon still had enough funds to
put up a fight for something of this caliber.
“You said these potions would belong to the Ash Tower?” Cadgar had
yet to say anything when Solomon’s coughing voice came out of the
Sage Tower box. “1 100 000 gold.”
This clear provocation was a challenge to the Ash Tower’s reputation, so
how could the Ash Tower allow that? A cold snort came out before
another bid followed.
“1 300 000 gold.”
“1 400 000 gold.”
“1 500 000 gold.”
“1 600 000 gold.”
“1 700 000 gold.”
The two men kept outbidding each other, and in no time at all, the price
had reached 1 700 000 gold without anyone else getting involved. This
was such a big venue with so many forces, yet no one else had placed a
bid.
Who didn’t know that these two eastern forces were irreconcilable
adversaries? It seemed that they were fighting over two potions right
now, but they were mainly suppressing each other.
This auction was akin to a battle between two major magic forces.
But it wasn’t as if everyone was scared of these two forces. All those
sitting here today were great and influential figures. If they found
something that they felt was worth it and was highly beneficial to them,
they would go for it even if they risked offending another power.
The problem was that they hadn’t reached that stage yet.
The ownership of the two potions had yet to be decided, so offending

two forces at once wasn’t such a good idea.
It was better to wait.
Wait until the outcome of their battle was decided, and it wouldn’t be too
late to bid afterwards. No matter how overbearing the two forces were, it
wouldn’t stop others from participating, right? Even if they could threaten
them, could they threaten the Black Horn Auction House too?
Thus, everyone waited for one of the sides to drop out of the bidding
war.
Fortunately, it didn’t last long.
Once the price reached 1 700 000 gold, Solomon couldn’t keep bidding.
There was nothing he could do about it, as even if Lin Yun shared half of
the expenses of the Hell Destroyer, he still had to pay 700 000 gold for it.
This wasn’t a small amount. Spending another 2 000 000 gold on two
potions wasn’t something that the Sage Tower could handle.
Of course, even if they couldn’t handle it, Solomon definitely wouldn’t

just directly admit defeat.
“Forget it, the Sage Tower doesn’t lack those two potions, I shall take
pity on your Ash Tower and let you have them…”
And the High Mage from the Ash Tower only sneered back.
This bidding war between the two forces definitely ended up as a win for
the Ash Tower.
But the win of the Ash Tower didn’t mean that the auction for the two
potions had ended. On the contrary, the true auction could finally begin.
Just as expected, Solomon’s withdrawal was followed by a new bid.
“1 800 000 gold.”
Lin Yun glanced toward the source of the voice and saw that the bid had
come from a middle-aged man that seemed to be about 40 years old
with a tall stature and a stern gaze. He was carrying a dark greatsword
on his back. A thick, bloody smell came from the greatsword. He was
definitely a powerful person that had been through an abundance of
slaughter, as only such a person could handle the murderous weapon on
his back.
“That is Sasu, Silver Moon Mercenary Group’s Leader.” The blow of

losing the auction to the Ash Tower didn’t seem as great as many would
imagine. Solomon was smiling. When he saw a bit of puzzlement in Lin
Yun’s face, he patiently explained, “During your father’s time, he
cooperated a lot with them. The Silver Moon Mercenary Group’s wealth
isn’t ordinary. Watch, the Ash Tower will quickly end up crying…”
“2 000 000 gold.”
The middle-aged High Mage felt like weeping. When he placed the bid,
his voice was hoarse. Although he had defeated Solomon, the Ash
Tower couldn’t keep going. 2 000 000 gold wasn’t a small amount at all.
Even a major force like the Ash Tower would take a large hit if they had
to pay out so much money.
“2 500 000 gold.”
“…”
When the price reached 2 500 000 gold, there was a long pause, during
which the Ash Tower seemed to be struggling, before they placed a bid
of 2 600 000 gold.
But right as they bid…
“3 000 000 gold.”
This time, the Ash Tower box was completely silent.
It wasn’t just the Ash Tower…
The entire venue was silent. Everyone was looking at Sasu with shock
and disbelief. Before the bidding had begun no one would have
expected such a shocking number. This was 3 000 000 gold, if invested
in any industry of Thousand Sails City, it would be enough to cause an
earthquake.
That’s right, the two potions on the pedestal could be described as

valuable, it could even be said that they were some of the finest items
ever auctioned at the Black Horn Auction House, but no matter how
valuable or how great they were, were they worth such a huge amount?
3 000 000 gold was enough to invite a real Master Alchemist…
If someone else did this, many of those in the venue might think that
person was a lunatic, but this was Sasu. Sasu’s insight had been famous
in Thousand Sails City. In over a dozen years, none of his decisions had
turned out to be mistakes, including investing in the Flashing Gold
chamber of commerce and having a good relationship with the Sage
Tower. In one matter after another, people felt like he had made a crazy
choice, but afterwards, they saw that the vision of the leader of the Silver
Moon Mercenaries was far-reaching.
Could it be that it was the same for these two potions?
Thinking of this, a few people who still had the means to compete
couldn’t help but be swayed…
But even if they were swayed, this was 3 000 000 gold, after all. Their
spirit of competitiveness just rose up for a bit before falling again.
3 000 000 gold was a bid that scared everyone.
“Leader Sasu of the Silver Moon Mercenaries has placed a bid for 3 000
000 gold, is there anyone willing to bid higher?” At this time, Cadgar had
a slightly flushed face on stage, and his voice was a bit louder than
usual.
Although the Black Horn Auction House had made quite a few huge
sales in these past few years, to have an auction that would have bid
increments of hundreds of thousands before finally reaching 3 000 000
gold, it was the first time even for Cadgar himself.
Chapter 41: Objective
With this, Mage Merlin would definitely be pleased.
Most importantly, with this favorable cooperation as a start, this future

Master Alchemist would most likely consider the Black Horn Auction first
for future endeavors. This was the true reason for Cadgar’s cheerful
mood. Cooperating with a Great Alchemist that would soon step on the
path of a Master Alchemist was something that every auction house
yearned for, and it seemed that this could be the start of a very friendly
relationship.
A friendly relationship with a future Master Alchemist…
The endless possibilities made Cadgar feel cheerful just thinking about
it, as he slowly raised the auction hammer in his hand.
“In that case, 3 000 000 gold going once, 3 000 000 gold going twice…”
“High Mage Cadgar, please wait!” Just as Cadgar was about to seal the
deal, a young mage entered the venue in a hurry.
The newcomer was Ryan, the eldest son of the Monchi Family, the one
who was known for becoming a Great Mage before the age of 30.
“Alright then, it seems that the Monchi Family needs a little bit of time…”
When Cadgar heard this, his eyes were shining. How could he not
agree? He watched Ryan entering the box on one side while making
some jokes.
Cadgar knew that Ryan’s arrival definitely meant a new bid.
Sure enough, the bid was quickly announced.
“4 000 000 gold, our Monchi Family is willing to buy these two potions for
4 000 000 gold.”
“…”
When this price was announced, the venue went silent once again. They
had been shocked time and time again tonight. This auction was so
different from any they had seen before. Disbelief was plastered on the
faces of all the guests and some even pinched themselves to make sure
they weren’t dreaming.
4 000 000 gold, this couldn’t be described as only extremely expensive

anymore. In the history of the Black Horn Auction House, such a
shocking price had never appeared. And also, this had already far
surpassed the proper value for these potions. Even just spending this
money to get close to a genuine Master Alchemist wouldn’t be worth this
much.
The box of the Monchi Family was tightly shut, but everyone’s eyes were
fixated on that place, staring as if they wanted to see through the wall.
Why would Monchi, who hadn’t bid before, suddenly bid 4 000 000 after
Ryan’s arrival?
Crazy, this was really crazy.
Faced with such a crazy price, even the Silver Moon Mercenary Group
of Thousand Sails City couldn’t fight it. Sasu stood there stupefied,
almost raising his hand several times, but he ultimately lowered it and
said with a regretful face, “I give up.”
“Then, 4 000 000 gold going once, 4 000 000 gold going twice, 4 000
000 going three times, sold! Congratulations, President Monchi of the
Twin Moons chamber of commerce. You have won a Volcano Potion
and a Ghost Potion for 4 000 000 gold.”
The hammer in Cadgar’s hand fell down as he announced the end of the
auction.
But at this point, no one cared about that. They were all wondering if
there was something wrong with Monchi… Why would he bid so much
just for these two potions?
Even some people inside the Monchi family’s box were thinking that
way.
“No way… 4 000 000 gold just for two potions?” Mason was sitting there,
staring at the two potions delivered by the Black Horn Auction House, his
mouth wide open from shock. 4 000 000 gold, that was 4 000 000 gold…
If the one sitting in front of him wasn’t his father, Mason might have gone
over to check whether he had a fever or not…
“What do you know?” Due to being in a good mood after successfully

getting the two potions, Monchi surprisingly didn’t get angry at Mason’s
question. He only glanced at his younger son and said, “This is what
your uncle wants.”
“Uncle?” The fearless Mason turned deathly pale when he heard that
word.
Any outsiders might think that the most important person of the Monchi
Family was the one in charge of the Twin Moons chamber of commerce,
or perhaps Ryan, the future High Mage that the Monchi family would rely
on in the future.
But the three members of the Monchi Family inside the box knew that
the true support of the Monchi Family was neither Monchi nor Ryan. It
was actually Monchi’s younger brother, who was part of the Black
Tower.
Apart from a limited few members of the Monchi family, nobody in

Thousand Sails City knew that Monchi had a younger brother called
Solan Monchi. But he had been taken away by a mage of the Black
Tower when he was born, and he didn’t even return when their father
died. He had been forgotten by most over the course of almost 50 years.
This matter was the biggest secret of the Monchi family.
A dozen years ago, Solan came back to Thousand Sails City one time,
and after having a long talk with Monchi, he took Ryan away with him for
the next dozen years. When Ryan came back, he became a Great Mage
that was not yet thirty.
Monchi’s feelings toward his younger brother were very complicated. He

felt some unfamiliarity, some respect, and even some dread, because he
had power that Monchi couldn’t even imagine.
But Monchi knew that even if the whole Monchi family was burnt to the
ground one day, as long as Solan was still there, the family could be
rebuilt overnight.
Monchi never doubted Solan’s words. Even when Solan told Monchi to
find a way to get the house that Locke Merlin left behind, he immediately
sought out Fario. Now, Solan urged him to get the two potions, so he
immediately bid 4 000 000 gold for them.
“Uncle… What did Uncle say?”
“You shouldn’t ask what you shouldn’t ask.”
“Yes…”
After giving Mason an unhappy glare, Monchi slowly sat down and
looked at the two potions…
Locke Merlin had already died, and the Flashing Gold chamber of
commerce had already collapsed.
It was time for the Monchi family to get involved in the alchemy business.
This was the true reason that Monchi spent 4 000 000 gold to win these
two potions.
The Monchi Family wanted to take over the alchemy market of

Thousand Sails City. It wasn’t a new goal. At first, the Monchis couldn’t
get much of the market share because of Locke Merlin and his Flashing
Gold chamber of commerce. But ever since the death of Locke Merlin
and the fall of the Flashing Gold chamber of commerce, the Monchi
Family’s desire to annex the alchemy market was getting stronger every
day.
For this reason, Monchi had already written a few dozen letters to Solan,
wanting to get some support from the Black Tower. But unfortunately,
Solan also had his own things to deal with and had never given Monchi
an answer in the affirmative.
Until now.
The sudden appearance of the two potions made Monchi realize that this
might be an opportunity, and thus, he immediately sent someone to
notify Ryan and have him contact Solan to inform him of the existence of
the potions. And just as expected, after hearing Ryan’s explanation, the
two potions immediately caught the attention of the higher-ups of the
Black Tower.
Immediately afterwards, Ryan brought Solan’s words back to Monchi at

the venue, and the price of these two potions went up to 4 000 000 gold.
To Monchi, the support of the Black Tower was far more important. In
contrast, what was 4 000 000 gold to him? As long as he was able to
take over the alchemy market left behind by the Flashing Gold chamber
of commerce, let alone spending 4 000 000 gold, he would even be
willing to go bankrupt.
The potential profits of an alchemy business… Monchi was very clear

about this.
“Oh right, Ryan…” Monchi suddenly remembered that the Gilded Rose
was also still in the alchemy market, so he told his older son, “Pay
attention to the movements of the Gilded Rose, I keep having a feeling
that there is something wrong with that Merlin kid.”
In fact, Monchi didn’t pay much attention to Merlin at the start. Even if he
brought about the recovery of the Gilded Rose, even if he made the 9th
Rank Mage go home with his tail between his legs, in Monchi’s eyes,
these things weren’t too alarming. A small Gilded Rose, a newly
advanced Mage, Monchi could have him crushed like an ant just by
raising his hand.
But today, Monchi suddenly felt some uncertainty…
At the start, that kid won the Styx Water with fifty thousand gold. Monchi
had been worried about whether another force was getting involved,
which might make it difficult for him to get his hands on that old house,
but afterwards, Lin Yun fought him for the Red Flame Fish Oil, and
surprisingly used 1 200 000 gold. There was no mistake there, he bid 1
200 000 gold and then received the item. Even when Locke Merlin was
alive, getting such a large amount wasn’t easy, not to mention the fact
that a few months ago, Mafa Merlin couldn’t even produce eight
thousand gold to pay his debt.
Monchi was sure that this time, there was definitely a problem with Mafa
Merlin.
This time, Monchi was completely on guard, he hadn’t paid attention to

the small Gilded Rose before, but he couldn’t continue like that. No one
could be clearer about the shipwreck of Locke Merlin than Monchi. If he
ignored the Gilded Rose and let Mafa Merlin grow, he would regret it
sooner or later.
Fortunately, there should still be time…
After Monchi gave instructions to Ryan, he looked back at the two

potions. ‘Since your Gilded Rose is in the alchemy business, when those
two Great Alchemists arrive, your Gilded Rose will be completely
uprooted.’
Monchi sank into contemplation while Mason was growing very anxious.
The auction had been over for a while, so why did his father look as if he
had no plans to leave? ‘What should I do? If I waste time, that Merlin kid
will definitely get away, I might not have such a good opportunity next
time.’
Mason was jittery and restless for a long time before he finally found a
reason to slip away.
Of course, this wasn’t because Mason was quick-witted and managed to
find an exceptionally good reason; it was because Monchi’s mind was
filled with thoughts of how to deal with the Gilded Rose. He had no time
to spend on that kid, that’s all.

End of The Magic Era 1 41

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Chapter 7: Screwed

Such a miscalculation! If he had thought about it earlier, he definitely

Raymond used a few words to comfort himself before chanting the

‘There won’t be anything unexpected this time,’ Raymond thought

But the result was…

Before Raymond even finished casting, a sharp whistling sound

Raymond landed on the ground a few meters away.

But recognizing it didn’t mean that he understood. In fact, after he

But the situation quickly changed…

‘That’s not it…’

Raymond lay on the ground once again, in a state of complete

‘No way, is it…’

As he gradually gathered his thoughts, Raymond raised his face and

No, not a 9th Rank Magic Apprentice…

“How could you have become a mage!”

“What do you mean?” Raymond froze when he heard that.

But Lin Yun didn’t plan to answer.

“Oh right, come help me.”

Since the birth of alchemy, it had been linked in countless ways to

Without enough knowledge of magic, one wouldn’t be able to understand

Raymond’s achievements in alchemy couldn’t be considered very high,

‘Eh? What’s that smell?’

While Raymond was lost in his thoughts, a strongly irritating smell

Feeling the horrible mana fluctuations, Raymond closed his eyes,

“What are you doing?”

right after I entered the afterlife?’

should have been buried in a magic explosion already, was standing

there as if nothing had happened. He was still holding that frightening

tube at all. Instead, he was wondering why there hadn’t been an

temperature, so how could it remain completely unagitated within the

Raymond’s mind was in a total mess, as if it was melting. No problems

temperature, which was something that Raymond couldn’t accept. This

was simply like shaming Raymond’s knowledge of alchemy. And

shouldn’t be dissolved into a solution no matter what, let alone having it

come into contact with high temperatures.

If he had to choose between this being his own misunderstanding or his

professors making such a huge mistake, he would rather believe that

everything he had just seen was only a figment of his imagination.

filled with the red coral solution.

“You… Don’t come!” Raymond jumped back in fear. He subconsciously

tone, “I’ll bring them to you…”

Raymond felt a bit regretful after saying that…

bring it to them afterwards… This was losing one’s pride!

bottles to that scoundrel.

Lin Yun, feeling rather angry but not daring to speak.

process, Raymond’s eyelids couldn’t help twitching.

organizing them. He then ground some dried thousand knot flowers,

spread a bit of moonlight sand on a white sheet of paper. After a few

simple incantations, the scattered sand began shining gently.

irritating smell slowly disappeared.

loss of pride before, he slowly opened his mouth wide, a sluggish

expression appearing on his face. He was completely stunned as he

‘H-h-how could this be a Colorful potion!’

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enter Okland’s laboratory to study for a week as a reward. There, he

learning center of the kingdom. There were two Archmages as well as

existences made Okland’s laboratory a holy land in the hearts of

When Raymond visited, he had really felt like he was making a

even getting to hear them discuss their work if he was lucky.

Furthermore, he occasionally was able to watch their research… To

There weren’t many people that could get an opportunity like

Raymond’s. Whether it was an Archmage or a Great Alchemist, they

somewhat already separated from the commonfolk, and they could