"You don't seem to know who you're talking to! In just one second, I could turn you into mincemeat..."
“But you will die too!” Jiang Liu said calmly.
With a Gatling gun pointed at his head, Jiang Liu showed no fear.
Admittedly, the power of this "Mechanical Overlord's" firearms must be astonishing, but Jiang Liu was no pushover either. Having mastered Saruman's mind lightning and thunder abilities, Jiang Liu was confident he could severely injure this "Mechanical Overlord." Of course, he himself would certainly die by his own firearms.
"What?" Grote was taken aback.
Then, Jiang Liu sensed several energy waves sweeping over him.
"The power of lightning?" Grot lowered his hand, then pulled out a cigar from somewhere, put it in his mouth, and said, "Interesting, elemental wizard. I don't see you've undergone any human modification, yet you dare to call yourself Sauron's disciple. Hand over that batch of rare metals from the dwarves, and I'll spare your life."
Jiang Liu's eyes flickered. It seemed that Aragorn had already moved the dwarves and minerals from the Caesardoom mines; otherwise, Grote wouldn't have found this place.
He was an alchemical wizard with a great need for precious metals. Previously, Sauron had kept him in check, preventing him from making any rash moves. Now that he knew Sauron was dead, he naturally wanted to find a way to obtain a batch of rare metals such as mithril and pure gold.
"Sir, this is not how business is conducted. If you want that batch of metal, you need to show some sincerity."
Grot laughed heartily and said, "Little fellow, tell me, what sincerity do I have to offer?"
"One cubic meter of mithril, one cubic meter of pure gold, in exchange for one spark of fire!"
The Spark is the substance that imbues machines with a soul; it is the most precious treasure of alchemical mechanical wizards. Generally, the power of a mechanical wizard depends on the amount of Spark he possesses.
The more sources of fire one has, the stronger one's power will naturally be.
Jiang Liu asked for the Fire Source because he wanted to study the soul of mechanical lifeforms. As a soul wizard, research on the Fire Source was essential. The soul wizard manuscripts left by Soren recorded that if a soul wizard could fuse with the Fire Source, they would gain a significant boost in strength and might even comprehend the ability to control machinery.
“You’re really asking for the moon!” Grote’s expression immediately turned cold.
In an instant, the aircraft behind him began to transform, and then enveloped Grote in a flash.
In the blink of an eye, a giant three zhang tall appeared in front of Jiang Liu.
"Little one, if you want my AllSpark, you'll have to show some strength. Don't think that just because you've mastered the power of lightning you can threaten a third-ring wizard. I'll let you experience firsthand the difference in strength between a second-ring and a third-ring wizard!"
A postmodern-style cannon barrel was pointed at Jiang Liu, and soon, blue arcs of light emerged from the muzzle!
"Damn it, let's fight if we disagree!" Jiang Liu cursed inwardly. Although his body didn't move, his mental energy surged wildly.
Arcs of light flashed at the muzzle...
A lightning-streaked energy shield protected Jiang Liu like an eggshell, without a single flaw, making the defense extremely tight.
This is a solidified defensive energy shield that incorporates Saruman's exquisite control over lightning.
Immediately, a burst of light flashed at the muzzle of the Grote Gundam, and a blue arc shot out as a beam of light, blasting towards Jiang Liu...
The burst of light suddenly transformed from a single point into a dazzling ball of light!
In this blazing, sunny sky, it is brighter and hotter than the sun itself!
The burst of light instantly covered the river, creating a scorching heatwave. The rocks on the ground were blasted to pieces or even vaporized and disappeared the moment the burst of light occurred!
The burst of light appeared quickly and disappeared just as fast!
A glass-like passage appeared on the ground, several meters long, formed entirely of sand and gravel melted by high temperatures. Under the bright sun, it shone with seven colors, making it a truly beautiful sight.
Chapter 294 Gathering
Energy Cannon!
The energy shield around Jiang Liu's body flickered and then disappeared, but it also blocked the attack.
"So you've got a mechanical overlord! Since you've fired a shot at me, then you'd better take one of my attacks and see if your Gundam can withstand it!"
Mind lightning!
It is immune to physical defenses and attacks that directly target the mind, spirit, and soul.
In an instant, an invisible bolt of lightning pierced through the Gundam's defenses and struck Grote's mind.
"Soul Wizard?!" A loud shout came from inside the Gundam.
However, every wizard has extremely strict protection for their soul. Unless their soul is severely damaged like Sauron's, Jiang Liu's soul attack is not very effective.
It's impossible to be successful in everything.
However, there's a reason why Soul Wizards rank among the top in all wizarding cultivation paths. Their greatest advantage lies in being the first to master the soul control of Saint Mark Wizards and breaking through to the fourth Saint Mark without facing a bottleneck. But their lack of offensive capabilities is also a weakness.
Therefore, Jiang Liu chose Saruman's Mind Lightning, integrating lightning magic into his mental power and even his soul, to directly attack the soul.
At the same time, a thunder dragon roared and charged toward the Gundam, then coiled around it, releasing tremendous lightning power.
Inside the mech, Grote stared at the display screen in front of him, his pupils shrinking to pinpoints, the cigar falling from his mouth. He exclaimed in shock, "5,800 attack power?! Is this still a second-ring wizard? How much power did he leverage with his knowledge? Twenty times? Thirty times? Even a fourth-ring Saint Mark wizard couldn't do that!"
Instantly, a tremendous killing intent surged within Grote. A second-circle wizard's mental strength is only 200, so his magic output is also only 200. Now, with an attack power of 5,800, the lever of knowledge has amplified the force by 29 times.
It wasn't the sheer amount of attack power that terrified Grote, but rather the 29-fold increase that made him tremble. To have offended such a talented wizard, one who had allowed him to grow stronger, was truly astonishing. Moreover, this was a soul wizard, a soul wizard with no bottlenecks in reaching the Saintly Mark realm.
Resisting an attack of 5,800 degrees is not difficult for a third-ring wizard.
Since they can get into the Third Ring Road, they can still grasp the knowledge leverage of ten times.
So, a burst of light suddenly shot out from the right hand of the mech!
An ion beam! It transformed into a giant blade!
Grote roared, and the thrusters on the back of the mech sprang into action. The mech swooped down in mid-air, its massive beam blade aimed straight at the coiled thunder dragon!
boom!
With a single strike, the Thunder Dragon was slain, and the mecha Gundam instantly charged towards Jiang Liu. Just as the beam blade reached its target, the lightning energy shield activated once more. The beam blade sliced through the energy shield, unleashing a burst of crackling electricity!
Just as Grote thought he was about to cut through the energy shield, suddenly, the mech lost its balance.
"Warning! Warning!"
"The mech has suffered a devastating attack! Defenses have failed! Right leg linkage device damaged, ion beam blade destroyed, energy device damaged..."
"Warning! Attack intensity exceeds 10,000 degrees... Warning! Attack intensity exceeds maximum defensive capacity..."
"warn!"
"Damn it, a 10,000-degree attack... Is that old bastard Soren still alive?" Grote's face twisted in pain as he desperately tried to control his mech, retreating backward.
Jiang Liu calmly watched the mecha retreat several dozen feet, without attacking, and instead looked up at the sky.
The attack from the three lightning rods, along with the lightning dragon, mind lightning, and energy shield, had already depleted most of his magic power. Even if he wanted to press his advantage, he was somewhat overwhelmed.
Moreover, Jiang Liu also discovered that a powerful figure was spying on them from within the clouds.
This made him even more cautious.
...
Leah hadn't left the Wizard Tower in Rivendell for a long time; she had been in seclusion for ten years in order to break through to the third ring and enter the Stigmata stage.
Now, we're just one step away from breaking through that veil.
Lyra, an elemental sorceress, is proficient in dark elements. Once, a dark spell transformed the beautiful elven homeland of Rivendell into a terrifying black forest; to this day, no one dares to enter Rivendell.
Now, this woman with short black hair stands in the clouds, looking down at the earth.
Jiang Liu's gaze met hers, and from a distance, Lia smiled gently.
A pair of black wings suddenly unfurled behind him. Although they were made of dark energy, they were exactly the same as eagle wings, with even the finest downy hairs condensed.
This woman possessed an eerie beauty; her eyes gazed at Jiang Liu, seemingly penetrating his very soul, as if trying to see through him completely.
"Eclipse Leah!"
Another high-ranking wizard of the third ring.
"This woman is not just at the third ring level, she's already close to the fourth ring level!" Jiang Liu thought to himself.
The woman hovering in the sky exuded a power far greater than that of Sauron or Grot. However, compared to a true fourth-ring Stigmata, there was still a veil separating them. Though it was only a veil, it couldn't be pierced, and thus, one could never truly enter the Stigmata realm.
All these signs indicate that this woman may not have reached the fourth ring of the Holy Mark, but she is not far off.
"That move just now was very powerful. Little guy, I can see that you are not only proficient in lightning-based witchcraft, but also a soul wizard. Look at how much time I wasted in the third ring stage, and now I am finally only one step away from the Saint Mark. Teach me how to take that step!" As she spoke, a wisp of black smoke appeared and disappeared in front of Jiang Liu.
"Then congratulations, sister..." This woman is very strong, much stronger than the mechanical overlord Grote. If it is not necessary, Jiang Liu does not want to be her enemy.
At this moment, Grote also recovered. Although the Gundam was in a half-damaged state, it was still just a mecha.
As a third-ring wizard, and one whose power is only unleashed through his mech, he put away his mech and strode over. Upon seeing Leah, he paused, then continued walking slowly.
"Lia, are you going to get involved too?" Clearly, Grote was quite afraid of her.
Of the three great wizards, Grote was the weakest.
"Grote, what? You're allowed to come, but I can't?" Lya landed, retracted her black wings, and then black smoke transformed into a deep black throne, which she then lazily reclined on.
The thin black veil on her body outlined her graceful figure, revealing her beautiful curves.
"Sauron is dead, the dwarven metal is mine, consider it a favor I owe you..." Grot said coldly, completely disregarding Jiang Liu's feelings.
Leah seemed uninterested, saying, "The ten-year period is almost up... Aren't you afraid of the Ouroboros's retaliation for doing this?"
"I won't touch anything inside the Wizard's Tower. I only want what's outside. How can the Ouroboros retaliate against me? As long as that metal doesn't enter the Wizard's Tower, it's ownerless..."
"Soul splitting and soul enslavement, I can help you reach the Saintly Mark ahead of time!"
Jiang Liu said calmly, but the great wizard Lydia's eyes lit up and the corners of her mouth instantly curved into an arc.
Chapter 295 The Source of Fire
Grot immediately took three steps back, looked at Leah who was slowly getting up, and said sternly, "Leah, do you believe this kid? He's just a second-ring wizard, even if he's a soul wizard, how could he possibly help you break through to the Saint Mark?"
Leah gave a wicked smile and said, "Having hope is better than doing nothing. Once I advance to the Saintly Mark, my contract with the Seven Rings Tower will be complete, and I can leave this small world. The world is so vast, I want to see it... I don't want to waste my time here, Grote, do you understand?"
"Hmph! You may be strong, but if we were to fight, we would both be severely injured. Besides, the ten-year period is up. If you don't want to be punished by the Wizarding Alliance, then let's have a big battle." Grote was stubborn, but he kept retreating.
Jiang Liu scanned the two faces repeatedly before saying, "If we have the Fire Source, I am fifty percent confident that you can break through within five months, before the Time Fortress arrives. Otherwise, even if you can break through the Saint Mark, you will have to stay in this world for another ten years."
"Fifty percent? That's enough! Little brother, don't lie to your sister. You know, the consequences of lying to your sister are worse than death!"
As they were talking, it suddenly got dark.