Chapter 406 Pride and Fire
The anxious air gradually heated up and flowed quietly between the two magicians who were confronting each other.
Ophelia held her breath, and her eyes flashed with a different kind of brilliance as she looked at His Highness Colin, showing surprise, relief, and dependence in addition to admiration.
It was the first time she saw His Royal Highness the Prince with this expression.
Same thing with Ilana.
Including Hard and Bane who were standing next to them, none of them had expected to see the respected His Highness Colin in the maze.
Looking at Prince Colin standing calmly in front of the magic apprentices, Ariste suddenly smiled, and a magic wand appeared silently at his fingertips.
It's not worth his while to use his wand against a group of magic apprentices, but it's worth his while to use it against a platinum-level prince.
"It's really...unbelievable. I was wondering how the idiots from the Castellon family managed to get down to the third floor so quickly. It would make sense if you were secretly helping them."
According to his original plan, Lastina would become the "Arrogant One" chosen by him after opening the magic box, descend into this maze as the Chosen One of Chaos, become the ruler of the maze, and then carry out his plan.
To this end, he also did some tricks in the maze, clearing many obstacles that Lastina's team could not solve.
This is easy for a diamond-level magician, who can do it silently.
However, no one expected that Ophelia's early appearance disrupted his plan, directly frightening his puppet Lastina and making her lose the qualification to become the "Arrogant".
Ophelia, the only one qualified to be corrupted, was not affected, so he could only settle for the next best thing and choose a fat pig who was stupid enough from the vicinity of the Chaos Gate to act as his chosen one and carry out his plan.
Hearing Ariste mocking her family, a trace of anger appeared on Ophelia's pale face, but she was soon shocked by the more shocking facts he revealed.
Colin is helping himself?
But--
when?
Suddenly, she thought of the butterfly that she could never catch. It suddenly appeared in front of her when she was lost, and disappeared when she met Ilana again.
Speaking of which, when His Highness Colin appeared just now, it seemed that a butterfly also suddenly appeared in front of everyone!
Ophelia's thoughts suddenly opened up, and she looked at Colin in surprise, with a hint of confusion about "why" in her eyes.
As if he had guessed the confusion in her heart, His Highness Colin, with his back to her, slowly explained his purpose in a gentle tone.
"...I've always believed that a mentor should guide their apprentices with gentle guidance, rather than rudely interfering with their every decision. Someone should explain to them the color of the sky, what everything is made of, and the rules by which it operates. And in this colorful world, what choices they can make, and what responsibilities and consequences they will bear."
"In any case, the final choice should be in their hands. After all, we will all grow old one day, and sooner or later they will have to learn to solve their own problems."
If Ariste does not personally take action, he, as a mentor, will not appear in person after giving the necessary guidance.
However, since Ariste chose to give up his dignity, he would not continue to stand idly by.
Because this is no longer a feud between the chosen ones, but a showdown between one god and another.
After answering Ophelia's confusion, Luo Yan turned his gaze to Ariste and threw the topic to him with a friendly face.
"What do you think, Professor Alister? I've heard you've recently taken an interest in the education of apprentices. As someone who also does this kind of work, I'd like to hear your perspective as a senior."
Ariste chuckled with a forced smile.
"My opinion? I don't have any. If you insist on giving an opinion, you're a fool. Just listen carefully and keep your head down. Otherwise, you won't know how you died."
Luo Yan nodded thoughtfully.
"It seems that's what your mentor taught you."
Ariste's expression turned cold, and a mocking smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.
"As expected of a prince of the empire, a mere platinum-level magician dares to comment on a demigod-level great sage. Truly remarkable."
"No, I'm just sympathizing with you. You reminded me of someone... His name is Milos, the first magic apprentice I met after arriving in this snowy plain." Luo Yan looked at Ariste, his casual expression suddenly turning into one of concern. "I thought it was your problem, but perhaps... it's not entirely your problem."
The shadow of the tower is not cast by a tile from the top of the tower, it just happens to be standing at the highest point of the tower.
Every tower built of lies and death will reflect the reflection of lies and death.
The tower would have been completely corroded before his corruption spread here.
Looking at that caring expression, Ariste was stunned.
A nameless fire suddenly ignited in his chest, burning every inch of his sanity, and even distorting the faint gray fog beside him.
Why——
A mere platinum-level magician actually dared to "look down" on him with such eyes!
Even more so, comparing the extremely noble him with a mere magic apprentice!
How dare this guy!
The frantic whispers that had disappeared for a long time appeared in his mind again.
'Stop talking to him, that's the whisper of the Mad Whisperer, kill him!'
Ariste's expression gradually twisted as he laughed out of anger, and then he suddenly burst into an unprecedentedly shrill laughter.
Ophelia and the others looked at him in astonishment, seeing this usually gentle professor suddenly tear off his approachable mask and reveal a face more ferocious than that of a beast!
That's no ordinary beast—
Instead, it is a beast that finally reached the top of the food chain through bloody fights in the primitive jungle where there is no order and mercy!
The gaze that pierced Colin was like a blizzard howling in the northern wilderness, bringing only the most biting cold.
"Roxy Colin, I have to admit! You are the real arrogant one! My limited experience in understanding the talent of 'arrogance' is not even one ten-thousandth of yours. You only need to make a slight move to anger me with your arrogance and conceit, hahahaha!"
Looking at Ariste who suddenly burst into laughter, Luo Yan sighed regretfully.
"If you insist on thinking that way, I can't help it. I don't think even gods can save every soul."
"Indeed, that is not the job of the gods... Our job is to destroy the 'old order' and then define the 'new order'."
Ariste's mouth curled up into an arc, but suddenly he restrained the exaggerated smile and returned to a polite expression.
"Today! It must be a sad day for the decadent empire, for it will lose a duchess and a prince! But do not be sad, I will make up a tragic story for you as your epitaph!"
Looking at the magic apprentices who retreated in fear and the indifferent prince, Ariste sighed softly with feigned compassion, then gracefully raised his right hand holding the wand, as if he were a band conductor, signaling the start of a movement.
There was no spell, no light, and yet the spell was done!
Ilana, Ophelia and others felt that the air around them suddenly became as thick as mercury, and an invisible force came from all directions, squeezing their bodies!
It makes it difficult for them to even breathe!
"Is this... space magic?"
Hader spoke with difficulty. He felt as if he was sealed in transparent amber, and every inch of his bones was groaning.
"No, it's more advanced than that..."
Alistair enjoyed the fear on everyone's faces and explained slowly, "This is the application of 'Source Power', which directly adjusts the rules of the world."
"You can think of me as the world's tuner, and you, the 'errors' that violate the law, deserve to be corrected."
It's a pity that he hasn't reached the demigod level yet.
Otherwise, he would be able to integrate his understanding of the rules into the "field" to redefine the rules of the world more thoroughly!
Countless "lines of law" invisible to the naked eye emerged from the void, like the sharpest scalpels, silently cutting towards Luo Yan's limbs and throat.
In the face of a force that is close to the origin of the world, both physical and magical barriers will be cut into pieces like sand castles!
However, facing this deadly situation that was enough to render a platinum-level magician helpless, Prince Colin's face remained calm.
He didn't even dodge, but just gently waved the magic wand that had landed on his fingertips at some point, and then the thousands of imperceptible silk threads collapsed like a spider web provoked by flames.
Ariste widened his eyes slightly, looking in disbelief as his fatal attack was easily neutralized.
How is this possible? !
"...I don't know where you get the confidence to think your power is close to the so-called 'origin of the world'."
Luo Yan smiled and spoke softly to Alistair, whose eyes were wide open.
"The so-called source power is merely your definition of the origin. No matter what you call that power, even if you call it 'truth,' it's still far from the true origin. Using it to study the nature of the world is understandable, but don't fool yourself."
At the same time, the pressure exerted on Ophelia and others suddenly weakened.
The heavy pressure that was enough to crush steel disappeared, the sticky air resumed its flow, and the deadly "lines of law" broke into pieces in mid-air, turning into harmless magical light spots, floating away like fireflies on a summer night.
Everyone was gasping for breath like drowning people emerging from the water.
Ophelia raised her head and was about to refute Professor Alister's rude statement, but she met a pair of deep purple eyes that blinked at her smartly.
Just like the butterflies she chased all the way.
"Take my students out of here, I leave it to you."
Ophelia's cheeks flushed slightly, but soon her eyes became firm and sharp. Then she nodded vigorously and responded silently.
"Um!"
After the eye contact ended, she took Ilana's hand and gave Hader and Bane a look, asking them to take the unconscious Lastina and others and leave quietly.
However, their actions finally attracted the attention of Professor Alister, who waved his wand again with a distorted expression, trying to keep the hostages here and force Prince Colin to act cautiously.
"I didn't give you permission to escape."
"I agree."
Luo Yan naturally would not let this guy succeed.
He just waved the magic wand in his hand lightly, and a brilliant red light instantly formed a large net, blocking the countless transparent silk threads released by Professor Ariste from the tip of the wand.
If one incident could be explained as a coincidence, Ariste was now certain that—
"You're not Platinum! Diamond?! No, that's impossible...at your age...how did you do it?!"
Ariste roared in astonishment, and for a moment he didn't care about the apprentices.
He acted decisively and swung his magic wand quickly, injecting chaotic energy into the unconscious flesh giant again.
"Sacrifice your soul, and I will grant you the power of madness!"
The corruption of Chaos is not unstoppable, but the corrupted fanatic has already sold his soul to madness and has been unwilling to face and reconcile from beginning to end.
Looking at the soul that surrendered to chaos, Youyou beside Luo Yan observed a second of silence for her.
Poor child.
What a pity.
The deity's dominion over the chosen ones is absolute, and even another deity cannot interfere with this influence.
Angel fell to the ground with her mouth and eyes crooked, and finally breathed her last in despair with all the regret and unwillingness.
But soon, it opened its eyes again, with all its anger and madness, awakening from its eternal sleep.
"roar--!"
Reborn in the name of chaos, it turned into a true monster, its flesh and blood expanding again at an incredible speed, like a zombie controlled by undead magic, staggering to its feet from the ground.
kill!
Driven by killing, it took heavy steps and chased in the direction where Ilana and others fled. At this moment, a silver light flashed in the darkness and pierced its neck without warning.
That sword has been aimed at it for a long time.
It subconsciously raised its fat arm to block, but the silver light was like unstoppable thunder, cutting off half of its arm without any hindrance, and continued forward like a flying leaf, cutting off its head from the shoulder with one knife!
"puff--!"
Thick blood plasma splattered everywhere!
The headless flesh and blood giant was like a puppet with its strings cut. His fat body slowly knelt on the ground and fell into a pool of blood.
Its body rotted at a speed visible to the naked eye, leaving only a shriveled corpse without even a trace of its soul left.
A nimble figure stood beside the corpse, swinging the bloody dagger expressionlessly, like a silent assassin.
The corrosion of chaos could not shake her mind at all, and was even suppressed by the calm murderous aura in her!
And unlike the tyranny and bloodthirstiness declared by "Flame of Destruction" Kalmandus, the sword in her hand is wielded for only one person -
That is the sword of a knight who is loyal to only one person!
The Howler approached her with a staggering gait, his steps somewhat fearful.
Sarah looked at the monsters pouring out of the Chaos Gate with an expressionless face. A dagger fell into her left hand, forming an offensive and defensive posture with the sword in front of her body.
And her eyes were the third dagger, stabbing Ariste's eyes.
The fierce murderous aura even made Ariste's breathing stop, although soon the offensive look became fuel for his anger.
Since when did even an ant dare to look him in the eyes!
"Very good...very good! You...really gave me a big surprise, Your Highness Prince Colin."
His voice became hoarse and distorted, and his eyes returned to Colin.
He already knew that if he didn't solve this problem first, he would not be able to deal with the aftermath of this farce with ease.
"It seems that without using some 'real' power, there is no way for me to make you understand the gap between you and me."
The moment he finished speaking, a heart-pounding dark red aura burst out from his body!
The space above his head began to distort, and a crown made of dark light and gray smoke became faintly visible.
That aura that dominated everything was like arrogance itself.
At that moment, Ariste's entire demeanor changed. His eyes turned a completely golden color, looking down upon all living things. Filled with godlike indifference and contempt, they burned the pupils of every eye that dared to look directly at him.
"I'll just let you see it for yourself."
"Even between gods, there is a gap as deep as the abyss!"
He almost shouted the last syllable.
As he roared hysterically, the dark red mist surging around him rolled even more violently!
Countless chains wrapped in chaotic energy shot out from the shadows. Their target was not Luo Yan's body, but his soul!
Each chain seemed to carry whispers from the abyss, mocking his arrogance, belittling all his achievements, and attempting to disintegrate his will at its root.
Simply put, it is "PUA".
Facing the overwhelming mental attack, Luo Yan just smiled faintly, as if the vicious curse did not exist.
The real gods would not care about the clown's slander at all. How could the legend he left in this world be evaluated by a guy who sold his soul to the chaotic evil spirit?
"What cheap arrogance! Is this all you have?"
After saying that, Luo Yan raised his right hand, and a flame as dark as the night quietly rose in his palm.
The flame had no temperature, but it seemed to be able to burn away the light and soul, tearing apart the crumbling space around it.
It is a combination of undead magic and fire magic.
What it burns is not the body, but the evil soul!
Luo Yan shook his wrist, and the black flame instantly turned into a deadly whip, lashing towards the oncoming chaos chain!
“Squeak!”
At the moment when the black flame whip collided with the chaos chain, a terrible sound like a branding iron burning into flesh was heard!
The two forces entangled with each other and bit each other, like two giant dragons wrestling with each other!
Unfortunately,
Luo Yan's "dragon" seemed to be a little thicker, and it obviously suppressed the "Chaos Chain" that Ariste had not yet mastered!
Seeing that the divine power he was proud of was suppressed, Ariste's face turned ashen, and his scholarly demeanor was completely torn apart, leaving only a crazy murderous intent.
If he had left some room for maneuver before in order to cover up the truth, he could no longer care about it now.
He just wants this guy dead!
“Go to hell!”
In an instant, surging chaotic power surged out from the arrogant crown and turned into a tangible nightmare in the dark maze!
Hundreds of dark red chaos rays were no longer simple beams of light, but twisted into wailing tentacles, emitting teeth-grinding screams, biting towards Luo Yan from all directions!
At the same time, the dark red stones on the ground also activated and turned into hideous spikes, rising from the ground and blocking all his escape routes!
The corridors of the maze are completely twisted!
The deadly cage was like a huge, biting mouth, determined to crush, chew, and swallow the rebellious soul into its stomach!
The moment the annoying figure disappeared, a triumphant grin spread across Alistair's face. However, before he could bask in the elation for even two seconds, a butterfly fluttering against the wind caught his eye, drifting through the dust like a petal drifting with the current.
The space distorted for a moment!
The flapping wings turned into heels landing on the stone slabs, and a tall figure replaced the butterfly's position. The cloak blown by the wind was not even covered with a speck of dust.
Ariste's pupils shrank sharply.
What is that?!
The butterfly appeared again.
At this moment, twisted gray mist emerged from Alistair's shadow and floated beside him wearing the crown.
"I smell the scent of Novel in there... Hmm... Delicious... And nostalgic..." Xiao Wa muttered to himself, and his originally crazy whispers calmed down at the same time, even unconsciously carrying a hint of appreciation.
Ariste asked through gritted teeth.
"What the hell is that?"
Xiao Wa said with a smile.
"Simply put, it's an existence that's closer to the origin of the world than the Source Force, though only close. He calls this power that reaches the root... Ether."
ether?
A moment of bewilderment passed across Ariste's face, and then he fell into deep thought. However, his thoughts did not last long, as they were soon interrupted by a voice floating from not far away.
"Interesting magic," Luo Yan smiled slightly and gave a fair evaluation, then changed the subject, "Well, it's my turn next."
The moment he finished speaking, his figure disappeared again.
Ariste was suddenly startled and almost subconsciously made a defensive reaction, gathering the outward chaotic energy in front of him to form a set of all-round armor with no blind spots!
Almost at the same time, Luo Yan's figure appeared beside him and exchanged positions with a "Butterfly of All Things" that had flown there at some point in time.
At the same time, the black flame in his hand was no longer a whip, but turned into a black crescent moon that was spinning at high speed.
The crescent moon was like the blazing sun in the night sky, carrying the outline of death, whistling and slashing towards Ariste's neck!
"boom--!"
The defensive formation constructed by the source power spell was shattered in an instant, and along with it, the dark blue robe that Ariste was carrying behind him was also shattered.
The black flames that burned everything penetrated all the way to his skin and hair, and were barely blocked by the armor constructed with the power of chaos!
Ariste broke out in a cold sweat and rolled on the ground in a panic, narrowly avoiding the second attack that followed.
This time, the black crescent moon slashed into the ruins behind him. There was no explosion, no sound, but it left a terrifying, mirror-smooth cut!
And this is just the beginning!
Luo Yan's attack did not stop. Instead, in front of Arisk's horrified eyes, he released hundreds of butterflies made of ether power at once!
Those butterflies can be seen with the naked eye and can be shot down by the simplest magic, but they cannot be locked by mental power!
What made Ariste even more crazy was that shooting down these butterflies didn't seem to cause any harm to Colin's body!
He had to distract himself to deal with these seemingly weak troubles.
Because once he takes his eyes off them, the real threat will appear silently beside him!
"You damn rat! Bat! Bug! What else can you do besides hiding?! Are you a magician? If you have the guts, come out and fight me head-on!"
Ariste roared furiously, and continued to try to remain calm as he weaved spells one after another, striving to fuse the source power with the power of chaos he was not yet proficient in, in order to reduce consumption.
But Luo Yan is different.
He did not release AOE spells randomly, but used precise displacement to make sure each spell was used in the right place.
Although most of the attacks were blocked by Ariste, in the collision between spear and shield, the side that was exhausted would always suffer the loss.
Even with the endless supply of chaotic energy provided by the maze as support, Ariste gradually became overwhelmed.
After all, he is just a professor. Although he possesses extraordinary powers that ordinary people cannot achieve, he has never been on the battlefield.
The last time I fought on equal terms was several years ago.
And that opponent was no threat to him at all. He just cast a spell and turned that guy into a corpse!
But the prince in front of him was different.
This guy has obviously been to the battlefield and has experienced the threat of death more than once!
even--
Most of the medals he has come from people who are far more powerful than him!
Ariste was filled with fear, but more of anger!
How dare this fellow, a god, put himself in such a state of embarrassment—
He vowed to trample the smug face of that villain under his feet and make this guy pay the price for his rudeness and ignorance!
Ariste stared at the prince strolling leisurely on the battlefield, his red eyes frantically searching for any opportunity.
Just then, he saw it!
After performing "Phase Shift" dozens of times in succession, Prince Colin's figure suddenly froze for a moment, barely noticeable.
His breathing, which had been steady until now, seemed to become disordered for a moment.
Now is the time!
A flicker of ecstasy flashed in Ariste's eyes, like a drowning person seeing straw floating on the lake.
Obviously.
The space jump was not without limit. Although he pretended well, he still exposed his lack of magic power in the end!
"I got you!"
Alistair let out an excited roar, and at the same time, the illusory "Crown of Pride" on his head shone with unprecedented light, gathering the vast energy like a tide at his fingertips, and then transformed it into a cannonball that penetrated everything and shot towards Colin who had completed the "phase transfer" again!
That beam of light that was powerful enough to destroy everything condensed unprecedented energy. Not to mention diamond-level warriors, even amethyst-level or even grandmaster-level warriors could not withstand it!
Xiaowa once revealed to him——
Over the past millennia, the power of Saint Sith's faith has been overdrawn time and again to satisfy the unrealistic ambitions of mortals.
The extraordinary people endowed by Him, that is, those nobles with so-called "noble souls", cannot defeat the Chaos God's Chosen ones of the same level!
certainly.
The demigod who possesses the power of domain is an exception. After all, the power of domain is too overwhelming. It exists between the extraordinary power and the power of faith!
Just as the beam of light was about to pierce through the "exhausted" Colin, an incredible scene happened at this moment.
The figure of His Royal Highness the Prince was like a reflection in the water, with a mocking smile, quietly shattered in the light that destroyed everything.
That wasn't Colin's true form at all, nor was it a butterfly constructed from etheric power. It seemed to be just a mirror image made of light and shadow...
"What?!"
Ariste's eyes widened, nearly popping out of their sockets. He had poured nearly 80% of his strength into that desperate attack, and the magic he had already unleashed was clearly irreversible.
The beam of destruction slammed heavily into the distant maze wall, leaving behind a deep hole with no end in sight and a violent collapse!
As for himself, his body swayed due to the loss of strength, and he staggered back two steps, and the crown on his head almost fell to the ground.
"This is a 'trick' I figured out while teaching my apprentices. Although this was not my original intention, I just wanted to show them how to decompose the light..." Luo Yan said in a joking voice, and his figure with his clothes still intact stood beside Ariste.
Looking at Colin who seemed to have won the duel, Ariste did not show any regret for the defeat. Instead, he laughed neurotically again.
“Hahaha…hahahahahaha!”
A sharp blade made of black flames pierced through his chest, but no blood spurted out. Instead, it passed through the ethereal figure.
Luo Yan frowned slightly.
Although he was quite fast at finishing off enemies, it was obvious that this Chosen One of Chaos, like himself, had other cards up his sleeve.
At the same time, Ariste's body began to become transparent.
His body slowly sank into the dark red ground beneath his feet, which had been completely corroded by chaos and was wriggling like a living thing.
He admitted that he couldn't win.
But he can hide.
Anyway, being a coward is only temporary.
After the maze was completely integrated, a chaotic realm was formed. Before the winner between the two was completely decided, no one could leave this cage!
When the army pouring out of the Chaos Gate slaughters all the magicians in the maze, he will naturally be able to absorb their soul fire and achieve a breakthrough!
By then, even if the sages from other mage towers came over, he would have the confidence to fight those old guys!
As long as they don't go together.
Luo Yan stood in a ruined corridor, quietly thinking about countermeasures, while his eyes moved along the scarlet wall, looking for flaws in it.
At this time, Ariste's voice came from all directions, full of resentment and pride, as well as a hint of mockery from a villain who has achieved success.
"You can't beat me, Colin!"
"Just now, my corrosion has devoured the entire maze! Soon, I will digest the three thousand apprentices and nearly a hundred assistants here, refining their pure souls into nutrients for my advancement to the Amethyst level..."
The roar of the Howlers could be heard faintly in the maze. Sarah, standing in the sea of corpses, frowned slightly. These servants of Chaos seemed endless.
At the same time, Professor Alister's roar echoed deep in the fourth floor of the half-collapsed maze...
That voice was filled with desire for power!
"I was just this close! Just this close to a breakthrough! It's all because of you! I didn't want to use such a cruel ritual! I was actually planning to take it slow from the beginning!"
"You know what? I just want you to get out of this snowy field! Why can't you just go away on your own? Why do you have to force me to this point?!"
"But it's too late to say anything now. Since you made the choice, please taste the bitter fruit of failure in regret... Although if you die in this maze, there will be no afterlife, hahahaha!"
This guy is quite good at justifying his greed.
You've already decided to become a god, but don't you even have the awareness to accept defeat?
Faced with the timid shouting, Luo Yan remained unmoved and just smiled faintly.
"I said it from the beginning. All I did was provide necessary guidance and show those who are interested in my teachings another possible world. As for the right to choose, it has always been in your hands. No one chooses for you."
"You got here step by step on your own."
Whether it was Milos, Hecajeline, Ange, or Ariste himself, those who were staring into the abyss always had the opportunity to look away.
Of course, it's too late to say this now.
Feeling the indifferent silence, Luo Yan sighed softly, took off the mask belonging to the prince, and the majesty and coldness belonging to the devil reappeared in his eyes.
"Since you're so confident that a mere maze can trap me, I'll show you what a true 'Maze Master' is."
"You fake."
(End of this chapter)
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