Through the Chip, Leilin instantly deduced the operating principles and template of the spell the opponent had cast, and was even thoroughly clear on its weaknesses.
"The concentration of darkness-attribute energy particles on the Central Continent is insufficient. I'm afraid only the underground world is a paradise for dark-attribute Wizards..."
"And to counter darkness, what you need is light!"
A mote of pure, white holy light formed at the tip of Leilin's finger. Though he was a darkness-attribute
In truth, as long as a Wizard possessed Spiritual Power and a spell template, they could cast spells of any attribute.
However, due to differences in constitution and elemental affinity, Leilin found casting darkness-attribute spells not only incredibly smooth but also boosted in power. Casting light-attribute spells, on the other hand, was not only more difficult but could even result in power cancellation.
For instance, the light-attribute spell Leilin was now casting consumed more energy and was less than half as powerful as what an ordinary Wizard could achieve, because he had long since solidified darkness-attribute particles within himself. Casting light-attribute spells was simply asking for trouble.
Still, at Leilin's current level of cultivation, even with only a fraction of the power remaining, it was more than enough to counter a Tier 3 darkness-attribute spell.
Leilin's speed seemed impossibly slow, yet he somehow arrived above the beast's head before it could act, his brilliantly glowing finger pressing directly into the center of the spectral skull.
"Rraagh!" A dull, vacant gleam surfaced on the phantom of the beast's skull, and then a point of light began to flicker, growing ever more blinding.
Crack! Crack! The sound of shattering glass rang out as fissures spread across the beast's skull, and then the whole thing exploded, melting away into the white light.
"Hmm! The suppressing effect of light on darkness still holds, but it ultimately comes down to the relative strength of both sides!"
Leilin had his own insights into the mutual generation and suppression among elements. If darkness-attribute energy particles could be likened to fire, then light-attribute energy particles were water.
But a single ladle of water could extinguish a spark — it could not contend with a raging inferno.
On the contrary, if the flames burned fiercely enough, a few drops of rain would simply be evaporated.
"Rraaagh…" After the beast's skull was easily shattered by Leilin, the black giant had already retreated several steps. Even within its mechanical gaze, a trace of fear had surfaced.
It let out several roars devoid of meaning, preparing to flee immediately.
But how could Leilin possibly let such a perfect test subject slip away?
"Stay right there!" Accompanied by Leilin's soft chuckle, several chains of darkness materialized from the void in an instant, binding the giant tightly. No matter how it roared in fury, it could do nothing against these chains.
Then, the figure grew smaller and smaller, gradually condensing into the crystal ball in Leilin's hand, like a tiny insect trapped in amber.
"Collection magic is useful! It proves that this thing truly isn't a living creature, but a soulless golem!"
Even such a brief encounter had already given Leilin a solid understanding of the giant's construction.
Before this, it had clearly undergone the training of Brand Swordsmen, and had even reached a remarkably high level. It had even had its body subjected to elemental transformation, turning it into a kind of translucent crystalline material.
This crystalline substance was the finest material for constructing golems — muscle tissue that had undergone elemental modification. It not only retained its original defensive strength and physical striking power, but channeled magic with extraordinary smoothness as well.
In such a short time, Leilin could only glean so much. As for anything deeper, that would require further experimentation and dissection.
"My... my lord. Thank you for your... help!"
Only now did Leilin notice the young adventurer collapsed on the ground to one side. The other party was clearly a Wizard as well, though of a very low rank. Daring to venture out exploring at such a level — surviving both mechanisms and curses — was nothing short of lucky.
"Hm? This language?" The young man's gratitude was entirely insignificant to Leilin, but the matter of language gave him a pleasant surprise.
"It's very similar to Dark Pinnacle dialect, just with slightly different pronunciations in minor areas! No need to learn a whole new language after all!"
Leilin was somewhat surprised, then quickly found it entirely reasonable. The old Dark Pinnacle domain had originally been part of the underground world's first layer, and had only been cut off from the outside due to the battle between two Morning Stars. The language and writing used before that event should have been the same as the rest of the underground world.
"Right. What's your name?" Now that the language question was settled, Leilin lost interest in soul-searching the other party.
The intelligence he needed was far too advanced — this minor character obviously wouldn't know anything.
As for general human and geographical information, Leilin was confident he could extract it effortlessly through his Dream Field without the other party ever realizing it.
"I... my name is Joe, Joe Drian!" The young Wizard hesitated for a moment, then reported his name.
"Your name — it's quite unique!" Leilin tossed out casually. The customs of the underground world differed from those of the surface Wizard realm, and that was perfectly normal.
"Also, where is this place... What is the outside world like, exactly?"
Leilin asked without the slightest politeness, and a hazy Field radiated from his body — an innate talent he had obtained through his Dream modifications, granting him formidable illusion magic.
Ever since acquiring this ability, Leilin no longer resorted to soul-searching unless absolutely necessary.
After all, a Wizard known for tampering with souls wouldn't have the best reputation in the Wizard world. When it wasn't necessary, Leilin still preferred to maintain his image.
To him, a good reputation was also a form of profit — if leveraged properly, it could yield unimaginable returns.
"This is the Domain of Thunderbirds, also rumored to be the sacred ground of the Leias clan…" Under Leilin's words, Joe Drian's expression went blank, his pupils losing focus as he involuntarily spilled everything he knew.
The more Leilin listened, the more solemn his expression became.
"Poor little thing! Tricked into entering someone else's forbidden grounds on a mere whim…" After hearing everything, Leilin's gaze toward Joe was filled with pity.
"This kid has definitely stumbled into some massive conspiracy…"
None of this was Leilin's concern, though. From the man's mouth, he had learned that this was the territory of the underground Arthur Empire — an empire of boundless expanse. Beyond its borders lay vast numbers of alien species, and in terms of sheer area, it dwarfed the Dark Pole Region by countless times.
Within the Arthur Empire, there was never a shortage of Morning Star-level Wizard powerhouses. There were even faint rumors of Brilliance Moon Wizard-class experts.
This was good news. At the very least, it confirmed for Leilin that the probability of this being the complete first underground layer world was extremely high.
"Hm?" Once Leilin had finished extracting the intelligence he wanted, Joe Drian's expression quickly returned — and turned deeply sorrowful. "Forgive me… I was thinking about my companions and lost myself for a moment…"
In his memory, Leilin had simply asked him why he had come to the ruins, and while mourning his companions, he had fallen into a daze.
A wave of grief spread through his heart, leaving him without the slightest suspicion about the preceding memories.
When it came to manipulating memories, Leilin had long since reached the level of a grandmaster. This minor Wizard was completely blinded by the memories Leilin had woven, detecting nothing amiss.
In fact, if Leilin so desired, he could currently fabricate an entirely new set of memories — from childhood to the present — for any Wizard below the Morning Star level, leaving the target completely oblivious.
This was certainly not something an ordinary Brilliance Moon or even Radiance Sun Throne could accomplish, but with the Chip's reality-simulation technology backing him, it was merely a slightly tedious task for Leilin.
"Enough! Mr. Drian! I have some understanding of what you went through, but if you'll forgive my bluntness, this is truly not a place you should have come. Come with me, and I'll take you out!"
Leilin took a few steps forward. As a return for the intelligence the man had provided, he didn't mind saving his life along the way and leading him out of the ruins.
"Thank you, sir!" Joe's eyes glistened with gratitude as he immediately followed close behind Leilin, seemingly terrified of being left behind.
After the harrowing ordeals of the day, he knew full well that without Leilin to guide him, he would sooner or later be trapped to death inside the ruins — or killed by any one of the countless mechanisms.
……
Crash! Crash! Crash! Countless bolts of pitch-black lightning wove together into a cage, and from within, the faint roars of all manner of monstrous beasts could be heard.
A tiny black dot no bigger than a sesame seed expanded rapidly amid the crackling lightning, finally taking the shape of two human figures. They charged straight out through the storm of lightning and thunder.
"Done! We're out!"
Leilin shook out his robes and set Qiao down from where he'd been carrying him.
"We... made it out?" There was still a dazed look in Qiao's eyes. He had never imagined the ruins could be this treacherous. Getting in had been almost suspiciously smooth, but on the way out, they had encountered countless dangers — especially this lightning prison guarding the final exit. He remembered clearly: there had been no such sealing formation here when they'd entered.
At the thought of this, he felt an overwhelming wave of gratitude. Without Leilin, even with nine lives, he would surely have perished inside the ruins.
Qiao Derian couldn't help but glance back at the dark complex of buildings behind them. Now, in his eyes, the entire ruin looked like a monster with its maw wide open, devouring the lives of every adventurer who dared enter.
"Sir! Don't you think... perhaps we should leave?"
Qiao asked Leilin cautiously. Having followed the other man out, he had come to fully understand the terrifying depths of his power.
"That won't be possible right now."
Leilin shook his head.
"Why?" Qiao was puzzled, but his expression changed drastically in the next instant.
Several blue-clad figures had materialized around them without warning, completely surrounding them.