As they approached the southern continent and gradually entered the coverage area of the Spell Signal Towers, Ronan occasionally received messages from old friends.
Having made up his mind to return to the Silver Magic Ring, he no longer cared about revealing his location and would usually take out and read each message.
"A message from Ke Si Di."
Ronan's eyes flickered as he tapped the Message Stone, and after a few breaths, he slowly put it down.
"Star School... Level Five Wizard."
He instinctively reached for the armlet he wore on his arm. "Is it because of Herams' legacy?"
Ronan buried himself in thought.
In fact, after the Genius Contest ended, he had considered this issue.
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, he had obtained Herams' Law-Enforcer Armlet. It was absolutely impossible for this legacy not to attract covetous eyes.
He chose to leave the south alone immediately after, not only to escape the pursuit of the Rebirth Society's wizards but also because he feared that Herams' legacy would provoke other forces to snatch it away.
He had originally thought that after the Rebirth Society's affairs had settled, the Silver Magic Ring, backed by the central "Elemental Ring," could offer him some protection. However, he hadn't even reached the south yet when he received Ke Si Di's message, advising him not to return to the Magic Ring for the time being.
"A Level Five Wizard from the south... When the Rebirth Society's Level Five appeared, why didn't he come out to resist? Now that the crisis is over, he's the first to set his sights on the legacy in my hands."
Ronan's heart was cold.
Although most wizards were selfish and self-serving, and the higher their strength, the more pronounced this trait became, which was quite a common thing.
But when it fell on him, he couldn't help but feel a bit of displeasure.
"It seems I can only find a place to stay for now, or perhaps continue my bitter cultivation at sea... That might not be bad, but I wonder if the Silver Magic Ring can withstand the pressure from a Level Five Wizard."
Reason told Ronan that for now, it was best to avoid the limelight and stay away from the whirlpool he had caused at the Silver Magic Ring.
He didn't know how long this would take, but judging from Ke Si Di's tone, it didn't seem like it would be long.
But for a moment, a wave of frustration and resentment surged in Ronan's heart.
What if he really returned?
What if he lost this legacy?
He had risen from obscurity to his current height—had he ever relied on any external aids? Could he escape this Level Five Wizard, but could he escape the next one?!
In the moment of emotional outburst, as reason regained control of his consciousness, Ronan's expression showed a slight fluctuation.
He curiously extended his left hand, gently placing his five fingers on the armlet he wore on his right arm.
Following this, a strange light began to shine in his eyes.
Just now, he suddenly felt the armlet pulsating, responding to his call... The fluctuation was intense, just like the previous two times.
At this moment, Ronan seemed to grasp something, his five fingers tightly clutching the armlet as he sank into deep thought.
In the vast sky, the clouds dispersed, and the sunlight seemed blocked by a transparent film. The collisions of various magical energies created visible ripples in the sky, spreading outward like violently disturbed water.
Four powerful figures fought fiercely together, the whispers of incantations echoing through the heavens, with continuous roars and bursts of dazzling or obscure light.
Below, the wizards of the Silver Magic Ring watched the battle with tense expressions, a solemn and grave atmosphere filling the scene.
"Zeflin... I remember this name."
At the edge of the massive silver metal platform, several Ring Lords of the Silver Magic Ring, led by the First Ring Lord Manuel, all focused their gaze on one figure.
It was a young wizard who looked scholarly and intelligent, surrounded by countless stars, with a confident smile always on his face.
"One hundred and fifty years ago, this name was quite prominent in the south.
It is said that although he missed the Genius Contest of his time, he later challenged several Chiefs of Talent, with victories and defeats, but each record was brilliant."
"Probably the most outstanding disciple of the Star School in the past five hundred years."
In terms of soul age, the young wizard from the Star School should be considered a junior among the Ring Lords, but no one looked at him as such.
Because three of them had already entered the fray, and even under the simultaneous magical attacks of three late-stage Level Three wizards, the young wizard named Zeflin from the Star School had always firmly held the upper hand.
The talent and strength he displayed had already left them greatly shocked.
In most cases, even with the same level of cultivation, a wizard's strength would increase with the accumulation of knowledge and experience over the years, creating a gap.
But there were always some monstrous geniuses who could break this norm, and Zeflin was clearly one of the best.
This was precisely the real purpose of the Star School's tea gathering—to showcase the Star School's powerful heritage and strength to the Silver Magic Ring, thereby "forcing" the Silver Magic Ring to relinquish its right to mentor Ronan.
The Elemental Ring?
The Elemental Ring was too far away. Before the people from the central region arrived, everything should have already been settled.
"Mother of the Rock Core..."
Ke Si Di held a bright yellow staff as tall as a person, softly chanting incantations.
The light of runes blossomed in the depths of her pupils, and crystal orbs emitting the luster of yellow topaz fell from the staff, scattering around her.
As Ke Si Di's spiritual power surged, the topaz-like orbs trembled, and then phantom images of massive rock blocks appeared in the void, squeezing the space, rumbling forward.
Standing beside Ke Si Di was a middle-aged man with a brass pocket watch embedded in his left eye socket. He also chanted incantations rapidly, and from beneath his Wizard Robe, streams of liquid metal flew out, transforming into massive brass gears burning with fierce flames.
Along with another wizard who wielded crystal magic, the three of them attacked Zeflin, who was at the center of the battle group.
As the Seven Ring Lords under the First Ring Lord Manuel of the Silver Magic Ring, the three of them stood at the pinnacle of Level Three wizards, only half a step away from the Dawn.
But no matter how hard they tried, or how well they coordinated, their offensive seemed somewhat inadequate against this prodigy from the Star School.
Zeflin held a staff made of purple diamond in one hand, casually waving it, and from beneath his wide Wizard Robe, he "sowed" points of light as bright as stars.
Zeflin stood proudly in the field, and wherever he went, just a simple wave of his hand sent the starlike points of light flying out, quickly shattering and collapsing the spells summoned by Ke Si Di and the other two.
"Star Net!"
Zeflin suddenly intoned, his five fingers spread, and a vast surge of spiritual power and the aura of the law domain erupted around him.
In an instant, the dense cluster of dazzling stars around him flashed rapidly, looking like a multitude of gorgeous eyes, and then all shot out deep blue, almost purple, narrow beams of light, weaving a cage of starlight in the blink of an eye.
"Boom—"
The middle-aged man with the brass pocket watch and the other wizard who controlled metal crystal magic couldn't dodge in time, and their bodies were instantly pierced by the crisscrossing starlight. Any defensive measures were too late to deploy, and the energy protective fields around their bodies were as fragile as paper.
Ke Si Di's position in the battle group was slightly safer, and most of Zeflin's sudden burst of attacks were blocked by the other two, so she didn't lose immediately and miraculously "survived" under Zeflin's "Star Net."
"The gap is too big..."
Ke Si Di gripped her staff tightly, feeling waves of helplessness in her heart.
The Silver Magic Ring was just a small branch of the "Elemental Ring," and its heritage was a level below the Star School. And they, the so-called Ring Lords, weren't exactly outstanding geniuses in the "Elemental Ring" either.
With these two factors combined, it was normal for there to be such a big gap between the three of them and Zeflin.
Ke Si Di believed that if a top genius from their headquarters, the "Elemental Ring," were to come, Zeflin would also feel a similar sense of helplessness.
But no matter what, before this battle ended, she still had to fight with all her might.
Ke Si Di put away her staff, and in her hands appeared a thick book of rock crystal. She softly chanted, the sound of the incantation causing the pages to turn, and a strange resonance was achieved, emitting a soft light between Ke Si Di and the rock crystal pages.
Soon, energy surged, and massive crystal-like rock slabs rose from the void, layered like fish scales, extending forward from Ke Si Di's feet.
The overlapping rock slabs released a vast and heavy momentum, like countless sharp axes chopping towards Zeflin.
Facing Ke Si Di's final move, Zeflin's face showed no fluctuation.
"Not a single error, a hair's breadth from perfection!"
He began to walk towards Ke Si Di, surrounded by countless stars, the starlight beams arranged in order around him, spreading like wings, colliding with the crystal rock slabs, cutting out countless shattered, flying light butterflies.
Zeflin stared intently at Ke Si Di, the corners of his mouth gradually curling up, revealing a faint look of admiration and appreciation, and the speed at which he broke through Ke Si Di's spells seemed to accelerate.
"This kid is really too rude."
At the edge of the silver metal platform, a Ring Lord who was close to Ke Si Di frowned upon seeing Zeflin's expression and demeanor, his spiritual power surging, already unable to resist the urge to step in and stop him.
But he was stopped by a glance from the First Ring Lord Manuel.
"Ke Si Di is no longer a little girl; she knows how to handle herself. Moreover..."
Manuel glanced at the positions of the Dawn Wizards from the Star School, saying indifferently, "Zeflin had better really dare to be rude in front of everyone."
Everyone was stunned, as if they had thought of something, and quickly calmed down.
At this moment, Zeflin was already close to entering Ke Si Di's safe spellcasting area, and Ke Si Di, who had been slightly lowering her eyelids and chanting incantations, finally stopped and slowly closed the rock crystal book in her hands.
She raised her head, looking calmly at Zeflin, and said, "I concede."
Zeflin's eyes flickered, and he didn't immediately respond, just continued walking forward on the starlight for a distance.
Ke Si Di frowned slightly at his actions, and Zeflin caught the trace of displeasure on her face, just about to speak: "I—"
But at that moment, a cold and indifferent voice descended from high above like a blade of ice.
"What do you think you're doing?!"
The voice appeared so abruptly that no one had anticipated it.
Along with the voice came a terrifying golden shadow, blazing and distorted, descending from the sky! "Rip—"
The vast silver metal platform, the space trembling with energy, was visually split in two by the golden shadow, like transparent cloth.
Zeflin's pupils contracted sharply, and he barely had time to react before all the starry eyes around him burst into light, countless beams of starlight emerging, weaving a dense starlight cage that completely obscured Zeflin's figure.
The thick aura of the law domain and energy constructed an indestructible magical star cage, which had been unshakable even under the combined attacks of Ke Si Di and the other two.
But now, under the lash of the distorted golden shadow, the beams of light forming the star cage broke one after another, and the splendid and sturdy star cage collapsed.
Zeflin's figure retreated wildly, the golden shadow following like a shadow, blasting through several clusters of intertwined starlight before slowly retracting.
The sudden shift in the battle's situation left all the onlookers stunned, and when they turned their gazes to the direction of the voice and the spell, their expressions froze completely.
Ke Si Di saw the figure standing within the outline of the sun, the edges of his body slightly emitting a distorted glow, and for a moment, she felt a slight daze.
Zeflin's eyes locked onto the newcomer, his tightly furrowed brows quickly relaxing, and then his eyes shone with a dazzling brilliance, as he slowly uttered the name he had long anticipated—
"Ronan Damien... You've finally appeared!"
High in the sky, amidst countless gazes of shock, bewilderment, joy, and excitement, a young man with a tall and straight figure and a handsome face stood quietly.
His calm eyes swept over some positions in the void, and then he stepped down the ethereal stairs towards the silver metal platform, his black Wizard Robe with silver edges gently fluttering. It was none other than Ronan, who had just arrived.
"Ronan... Ronan has returned!"
"Is that Damien, the youngest Chief of Talent in the history of the south?"
"Damien..."
A buzzing murmur arose in the scene, all eyes focused on Ronan.
Among the Magic Ring, after a brief moment of joy, the brows of many Ring Lords couldn't help but furrow, revealing deep concern.
On the other hand, among the Star School, led by Frant, the Dawn Wizards more or less showed smiles on their faces.
"Good, very good!"
The brief commotion was drowned out by Zeflin's loud laughter.
A starlight ten times more brilliant than before rose in the field, and Zeflin, who had been gentle and scholarly before, now seemed like a pearl that had finally flown out of its box, radiant and dazzling; like a starlight sword fully unsheathed in the night, sharp and imposing.
His Wizard Robe billowed, his eyes blazing, holding high the luminous purple crystal staff in his hand, with an unparalleled, powerful, and confident demeanor, he laughed and charged towards Ronan above.
"I have challenged the Chiefs of Talent of the south through the ages, only losing once to someone five terms ago! Ronan Damien, I've heard your ice magic is unparalleled among your peers, hailed as the strongest below Dawn in the southern wizard world. Today, I want to see if the halo around you is as brilliant as the rumors say?"
Zeflin's high-spirited and fiery confidence almost moved everyone in the scene.
At this moment, he was completely different from when he fought Ke Si Di and the other two, as if this was the true Zeflin.
The personal disciple of the Level Five Wizard Rona, the most outstanding and dazzling disciple of the Star School in the past five hundred years!
However... Zeflin's momentum only lasted for a moment before being brutally suppressed by an even more domineering aura.
In everyone's vision, Ronan, standing high in the sky, suddenly emitted a light almost comparable to those Dawn Wizards in the field!
Brighter than the sun, distorting large swathes of void and light, a massive pale golden force field abruptly expanded.
Amidst the trembling chime of an armlet, Ronan's cold voice descended from the sky, echoing across the heavens.
"What level are you? How dare you witness my ice magic?!"
[Spiritual Mo Ye—Golden Touch]! (End of chapter)