Chapter 108: The Book of A-Class Sequences! The Entire City Stunned! [4000 Words]

After burning for about half an hour, Yi Shen had essentially carved a massive hole through the defensive lines of the exotic beasts in the Moonlight Lands.

The ground was densely covered in loot. To Yi Shen's regret, the field was effectively ruined; the power of the Forbidden Spell was so overwhelming that even though he had subconsciously tried to minimize environmental impact, the torrent had left almost no plant or animal life unscathed.

Once the fire subsided, Yi Shen left only one or two Gates of Flame for defense and began approaching the ground to collect his spoils.

The loot appeared as light orbs in various colors—white, green, blue, and occasionally, purple. Yi Shen couldn't tell which monster had dropped what, so aside from the purple ones, which he occasionally inspected, he simply decomposed almost everything else he picked up.

Even so, he managed to obtain quite a few useful items from the purple orbs.

For instance, an A-grade Book of Sequences that completely outclassed all of his current magical weapons!

More importantly, this Book of Sequences possessed a special effect that Yi Shen desperately needed right now.

It was a level 63 piece of equipment, but one of its effects allowed the user to equip it while being 20 levels below the requirement. Although there would be a certain reduction in stats, it was, to date, the first A-grade equipment Yi Shen could actually wear!

[Book of Sequences]
[Required Level: lv63]
[Attributes: Intelligence +6100, Stamina +3700, Mana Regeneration +1000/sec]
[Special Effect 1: When your spells hit an enemy, there is a 5% chance to deal 3000 additional damage.]
[Special Effect 2: Increases damage and healing caused by all spells and magical effects by up to 2100 points.]
[Special Effect 3: Increases the damage of your Frostbolt, Fireball, Frostfire Bolt, and Arcane Blast by 5%.]
[Special Effect 4: Reduces the equipment level requirement by 20 levels, though equipment effects will be reduced accordingly based on the level difference.]
[Special Effect 5: When activated, summons one of 22 sequence cards to produce various effects.]

In the data panel's classification, there were generally two types of mage weapons: two-handed staves or a one-handed sword paired with an off-hand weapon.

The Book of Sequences was an A-grade off-hand weapon, and just looking at its dense list of special effects was a treat.

Although, due to Yi Shen's unique situation, raw stats didn't mean much to him, the crucial point was that he could actually use this equipment!

Most of the gear he had obtained previously, while decent in stats, was unusable due to his level, leaving him stuck with level 30 gear that he couldn't be bothered to replace. The appearance of this Book of Sequences represented a leap forward for his arsenal.

As Yi Shen took hold of the book, he instantly felt a faint warmth spread through his body as he linked with the weapon.

A book glowing with a faint golden light appeared in his hand. Amidst the darkness of the night, it radiated a soft, golden luster. Yi Shen gestured, and the book hovered above his hand.

Aside from anything else, the sheer aesthetic appeal was off the charts. It didn't need any control; the weapon followed him automatically, and there was no worry about it falling off.

The only issue was that his current magic sword was a bit lackluster; he would have to find an opportunity to secure a better one.

Beyond the Book of Sequences, Yi Shen also gathered numerous materials and Research Points obtained from decomposing the Moonlight Source Force.

Sweeping a battlefield was truly exhausting work. If this happened again, he might need to recruit a few "tools" to help him collect loot. He thought of the three sisters but shook his head. Their levels were too low; they weren't suited for such a battlefield. If the enemy were to lash out and launch a long-range attack, the sisters would be lost, and he would feel too guilty.

The scavenging took half an hour, leaving Yi Shen mentally drained; he couldn't even be bothered to look at some of the white light orbs.

During this time, because Yi Shen maintained the defensive Gate of Flame, not many monsters dared to approach. Aside from strange shadows appearing deeper within the black mist, the monster groups didn't dare to make any significant moves. Even in the territory they had lost, no high-level monsters dared to step foot.

Meanwhile, as information spread, the entire Jingmen Safe Zone was already in an uproar!

Jingmen Safe Zone Forum:
[Flame Gates have appeared in the northern region! Monsters are being annihilated!!!]
[Livestream: I'm heading to the battlefield! Please tip me! Only 99 coins, and I'll let you experience the battlefield firsthand!!]
[Dozens of Flame Gates appeared in the northern sky, photos included!]
[Command has released no news yet; several major guilds are scrambling to find out what happened.]
[True inside information, click to enter.]

In just half an hour, the forum was flooded with posts about the Flame Gates. Every channel was discussing it, and the enthusiasm of the netizens was ignited, though there was no confirmed news on how the gates were created.

That was until a post with genuine inside information was exposed.

[I scouted near the Flame Gates; a Black Mage was suspected to be there! I seriously suspect these Flame Gates are related to the Black Mage!]

The post was from someone claiming to be a high-level Ranger Scout, who claimed that by chance, they had obtained an A-grade Eagle Eye skill, allowing them to see clearly over long distances.

They were currently near the battlefield and had witnessed a black figure appear after the Gates of Flame ended. Furthermore, they had participated in the previous defense of the Jingmen Safe Zone and had happened to see the real Black Mage in person.

They directly confirmed that the culprit behind the Flame Gates was the legendary Black Mage, and the Black Mage was currently collecting loot! They were preparing to go and verify it in person!

The post caused a firestorm on the forum, garnering over a thousand comments in five minutes.

People in the safe zone had been living in fear, constantly receiving bad news, and many were preparing to leave, worried that the situation was spiraling out of control. Today, however, those flames had not only burned through the black mist but had also reignited the confidence of the Jingmen Safe Zone!!

"Is it confirmed that it's the Black Mage?"
"Basically confirmed, but we can't get close."
"Qian Ye is at Command; they also received news that a scout was detected in the Flame Gate area."

In the temporary northern outpost of the Blood Slaughter Guild:
Jiang Jinying and others were gathering information. The Blood Slaughter Guild's performance in this defensive battle had been average; only their president, Chen Yuan, had been able to step up.

"Before the Black Mage appeared, a top scout squad led by Zhan Yu went to scout the black mist. They concluded that there might be a force inside far exceeding that of the Jingmen Safe Zone. But now, it's hard to say," Chen Yuan sighed. After so long, he had thought the Blood Slaughter Guild had a solid foundation, but they were still a step behind the major guilds. When Zhan Yu went to scout, they hadn't even notified Blood Slaughter.

"The Black Mage... where did he come from? Why is he so strong, and is there any possibility of us making contact?" Jiang Jinying asked. Her role in the guild was that of a socialite, and she had dealings with many major guilds who were willing to give her face. Yet, so far, she had no information on the Black Mage.

"An expert like that must have transcended the scope of the local area," Chen Yuan shook his head. "For these years, everyone has been developing peacefully, but in reality, many scouts have started focusing on the development and study of domains."

"I heard that the martial arts schools in the north have already started courses on domains, the development of traditional ancient martial arts, and even specialized shooting training. It seems we need to make breakthroughs in this direction as well," Chen Yuan said, setting the tone for the guild's future development. The others agreed with his suggestion. Jiang Jinying twirled her hair, lost in thought.

At the Peach Blossom Dock outpost:
If the Blood Slaughter Guild only felt regret, the presence of Peach Blossom Dock had been even lower. Although Zhao Nanxing had consolidated the original forces after An Qing's death and resumed normal operations, the loss of high-level combat power was an unavoidable tragedy.

"The Black Mage is just too strong. If our guild had an expert like that, it would be great," Zhao Nanxing sighed, looking at the map sand table and the previously transmitted footage.

Lin Putao, standing to the side, remained silent.

She had actually suspected for a while that her son's peculiar behavior recently might have been tied to the Black Mage's camp. At first, she thought it might be a contingency left behind by Yi Qinfei, but after seeing the Black Mage's true power, she abandoned that idea.

The Black Mage was too strong—far beyond Yi Qinfei. It couldn't be his arrangement.

No wonder Yi Shen's strength had improved so rapidly, and he had developed his own clear opinions rather than acting like a childish boy. If Yi Shen really was backed by the Black Mage, then his future was guaranteed, which made Lin Putao breathe a slight sigh of relief.

"I can't let anyone know Yi Shen has a connection with the Black Mage." After a moment's thought, this idea surfaced.

The Black Mage represented absolute combat power. Many would surely try to dig for information, and he might step on someone's toes. She would have to warn Yi Shen to be careful not to expose his identity, preventing people looking for the Black Mage from knocking on Yi Shen's door.

Lin Putao never considered that Yi Shen *was* the Black Mage. After all, the Black Mage was too powerful, and she felt she knew her son well. To have a child who hadn't even finished martial arts school reach the level of a top scout in just a month or two—that would be the stuff of fairy tales.

In the western mountains of the Jingmen Safe Zone, Qi Lei's place was brightly lit as various intelligence reports flooded in.

"Xiao Yu, is that Black Mage really Yi Shen?" Among the intelligence Qi Lei received, there was a 90% chance the Flame Gate on the battlefield was related to the Black Mage. But he had met Yi Shen; he could sense his strength was decent, but his movements were quite immature, and he shouldn't have reached the domain level. If it truly was the Black Mage who had sniped the exotic beasts so terrifically, Qi Lei would have to raise his assessment of Yi Shen by several orders of magnitude.

"I didn't go to the scene to sense it, so I can't confirm, but based on the information, the possibility is very high," the woman in yellow nodded. She was still wearing a blindfold, her voice raspy.

Qi Lei pondered for a moment and walked into a dark room where there were special communicators. He quickly made a few calls.

If Yi Shen was truly the Black Mage, this was a matter concerning the future of the Jingmen Safe Zone. Currently, only he, Xiao Yu, and Zhan Yu should know the Black Mage's identity. This information must not be leaked for the time being, or something even more terrifying might set its sights on Jingmen!!

Qi Lei's judgment was wrong.

Beyond the few people on his side, others knew the Black Mage's identity.

For example, Bai Hongjiang, the long-faced fatty who was one of Yi Shen's "external" lackeys, was drinking and singing at a KTV, listening to friends boast about how the Black Mage had wiped out tens of thousands of monsters alone. He remained in a state of confusion and shock.

"That Black Mage is way too strong!"
"For sure! I said before that the Black Mage was stronger than Zhan Yu. With such a big shot around, the Jingmen Safe Zone is going to change! I wonder if the Black Mage is starting a guild. We're just running errands at Blood Slaughter, hahaha."
"Ask Brother Bai! He has connections. He was bragging last time that he was working for the Black Mage." The lackeys looked at Bai Hongjiang.

Bai Hongjiang's mouth twitched.

He had been using the contribution points Yi Shen gave him to go undercover at Blood Slaughter, where he was doing quite well. He had even found some of his old lackeys; theoretically, they were all lackeys of Yi Shen's lackeys.

Hearing such talk in the KTV, Bai Hongjiang didn't know how to respond. He wanted to gossip, but he stopped himself. One, no one would believe him, and two, Yi Shen had warned him not to talk. He didn't dare to run his mouth—never mind the Gates of Flame, a single fireball from Yi Shen could probably kill him instantly.

Besides Bai Hongjiang, the three sisters in the villa area also saw the news on the forum.

Zhu You and Zhu Ke, being somewhat naive, were taking a bath together. Zhu Qing, however, had a strange expression.

She had also suspected that Yi Shen was the Black Mage, but seeing such terrifying power, she started to lose her confidence.

"So, Yi Shen killing that Red Giant wasn't a fluke, but because he really has that strength?"
"Did Yi Shen collect all those fire-element materials just to release the Gates of Flame?"

Zhu Qing worshipped the strong and understood many of the rules. But when Yi Shen became powerful to such a degree, she found herself at a loss. Especially when she thought of their intimate interaction at the KTV earlier, and imagined what might have happened had they gone to the restroom together, her face flushed red.

Different people had different thoughts. Some forces in the Hanzhong Safe Zone also received the information simultaneously and began emergency discussions. The information traveled upward, and even in the capital to the north, institutions had received the news and begun investigations. If there were truly a scout who could fight ten thousand alone, it would have a huge impact on all of China!

As for the exotic beasts, because their large-scale strongholds had been damaged, they had suffered a heavy blow.

After making a certain special decision, a terrifying, tall shadow, dozens of meters high, began moving toward the front lines within the black mist.

Its body seemed ready to tear through the mist. Every step crushed several exotic beasts as it began to approach Yi Shen's position!!