Chapter 128: The Legend Belonging to the Dark Sorcerer [Please Subscribe!]

The information in Qí Lěi’s words was unexpectedly substantial, surprising Yì Shēn. Yet, he had indeed sensed that Qí Lěi’s aura had noticeably weakened after the recent battle.

Yì Shēn did not dismiss Qí Lěi’s suggestion outright. Instead, he offered to examine Qí Lěi’s condition, hoping perhaps to salvage some of his deteriorating vitality. Unfortunately, when Yì Shēn enveloped Qí Lěi in his energy, he found himself powerless against the chaos within Qí Lěi’s body. Most of his cells had been in a perpetual state of tension for years and had already entered a phase of degeneration.

Over the next hour, Qí Lěi gradually relayed details about the current situation in the Jingmen Safe Zone and introduced the identities of several people around him in detail. He also suggested that although Yì Shēn’s attributes and skills were formidable, he might consider delving deeper into physical combat techniques, perhaps seeking guidance from Zhànyú.

Most of the information aligned with Yì Shēn’s expectations or had been mentioned in prior exchanges. What was certain was that Qí Lěi planned to gradually transfer his responsibilities to Zhànyú about a month after the reconstruction work was completed, completing a handover of authority and formally announcing the change in chief commander. After all these years, Qí Lěi was understandably exhausted and desired a proper rest.

Yet, some revelations caught Yì Shēn off guard. For instance, the yellow-clad girl, Xiǎo Yú, was actually a rare hidden class known as the “Night Sovereign.” Though she was below level forty, she had mastered a skill allowing her to observe the flow of time and could utilize certain buffs or special functions.

Another surprise was the existence of a large, private guild operating under the guise of Jingbei Industrial within the Jingmen Safe Zone. In truth, it had long been under Qí Lěi’s control, with branches even established in the Hanzhong Safe Zone.

During the meeting, various ideas for rebuilding the Jingmen Safe Zone were proposed. For the first time, Yì Shēn genuinely felt that the future of this safe zone was intertwined with his own fate.

As the luminous screen vanished, night gradually descended. For many within Jingmen, this night brought a bittersweet mix of relief at surviving the calamity and sorrow for the lost homes.

Though Qí Lěi and his team had swiftly established several large safe havens protecting hundreds of thousands, numerous casualties had fallen victim to ghostly entities or bloodthirsty clans.

Night amplified emotions. While emergency efforts were underway to distribute food and supplies, sobs and sighs could be heard from various quarters.

Yet, just as spirits sank to their lowest, a great flame ignited at the center of each safe point. Simultaneously, images were projected into the darkened skies.

The chief commander of Jingmen Safe Zone delivered a speech expressing both mourning and encouragement. Several guild leaders followed with their own declarations.

Yì Shēn had always considered such large gatherings to be overly grandiose and insincere, but standing in this very position, he realized that sometimes these statements were indeed a source of strength—a unifying blaze that bound everyone together.

Although Yì Shēn was not initially slated to speak, in the end, he took the stage as the Black Mage, affirming his commitment to stand alongside the Jingmen Safe Zone.

His simultaneous appearance alongside Zhànyú on the screen seemed surreal, yet profoundly real. Previously, the Black Mage had already flooded the forums, and the earlier bounty Zhànyú had placed on him was now dismissed as a mere joke.

That night, the Black Mage truly became a legend.

Especially with official backing, he gradually became a symbol. Moreover, having saved many lives in the hidden realms, sometimes inadvertently rescuing trapped explorers from monsters, his reputation rivaled even Qí Lěi’s former glory.

Meanwhile, in the Hanzhong Safe Zone...

Inside a villa within a high-end residential district, Xí Xùdōng, leader of the New City Guild—ranked among the top three in Hanzhong—sat with a grim expression on a black velvet sofa.

Beside him was Fàn Yǔ, clad in leather armor and one of the chief directors of the Central China War Zone. Also present was Páng Wǔ, half-mechanical and known as the King of Machinery, a renowned figure throughout Hanzhong.

Apart from these three seated men, a frail figure dressed entirely in black stood in the living room. Anyone from Jingmen would instantly recognize him as Qián Yè, one of the vice presidents of the Blood Slaughter Guild.

“You’re surprisingly obedient, managing to escape,” Xí Xùdōng said coldly.

“I truly had no choice. The Black Mage is too powerful. He seems to sense our true forms directly. I barely survived by forcing out the divine blood through arcane methods,” Qián Yè replied despondently. “But the Blood Slaughter Guild has discovered my identity. I can no longer stay in Jingmen and have come here to seek refuge.”

Though Qián Yè was a seasoned explorer, over level sixty, his tone in this room was inexplicably diminished compared to the others.

“So?” Xí Xùdōng sneered, baring sharp fangs—a bizarre sight given his human appearance. “You were responsible over there, yet not a single seedling was saved. For the scepter, you deployed at least four of your own kind, and they all perished in Jingmen. Is this the explanation you give me?”

The others showed no surprise at Xí Xùdōng’s fangs.

“Perhaps the Black Mage truly exceeded our expectations in strength,” Páng Wǔ, the mechanized king, spoke to ease the tension. “His arrival was unforeseen, and there was also some unusual energy that sealed the scepter. We couldn’t retrieve any information about it.”

“The Moonlight Clan’s activity was considerable this time, even sending many beasts over. All of this was beyond our anticipation.”

“What now? One Black Mage and the entire plan falls apart?” Xí Xùdōng’s aura surged violently.

“Useless! All useless!” he spat.

“Are there any high-ranking clansmen still in Hanzhong? Can one be awakened to deal with this Black Mage? He seems a significant threat to us,” another man in leather interjected. Though fully human, he claimed to be of their clan.

“Awakening them now would be pointless,” Páng Wǔ replied. “We need to gather intelligence first. Many top explorers have already gone to Jingmen, and the Coordination Bureau must be watching closely. Any premature action against the Black Mage would only alert him.”

“So there’s no other choice?” Xí Xùdōng’s face darkened. Though he knew this wasn’t the best time to act, he couldn’t swallow his frustration. He had been scheming over the scepter for ten full years, from the earliest explorations of the Moonlight Lands, even orchestrating Qí Lěi’s downfall.

Yet now, with Qí Lěi rendered ineffective, the emergence of this Black Mage had shattered most of his plans.

“There is a way,” Páng Wǔ said. “The Coordination Bureau is undergoing restructuring. Given their modus operandi, any extraordinary power like the Black Mage’s will surely be absorbed by them.”

“There’s a northern graveyard set to open in half a month. The Black Mage will likely be closest then and probably selected for investigation. We can prepare countermeasures in advance. However, his strength surpasses expectations. To eliminate him, we’d need to awaken at least four high-level clansmen or even a Revered One.”

“A Revered One?” Xí Xùdōng’s pupils constricted. He hadn’t expected Páng Wǔ to mention such a figure.

“Yes. Without awakening a Revered One, we might not completely neutralize the Black Mage. Only with a Revered One present can we be certain.”

“Though much of our plan failed, we still gained valuable information. We now possess enough essence to awaken one Revered One,” Páng Wǔ added.

After a long pause, Xí Xùdōng nodded in agreement. The revelation of vampire civilization was a major development. Though they had long clashed with the Coordination Bureau, this was their first open confrontation. If a Revered One were awakened, their situation would ease considerably.

Qián Yè trembled nearby, startled to hear talk of a Revered One—a being capable of reshaping the rules.

Xí Xùdōng glanced at him coldly. “Change your identity. This one no longer suits you. Go guard the northern graveyard. If things go wrong again, you won’t be needed.”

As dawn broke, a new day arrived for the Jingmen Safe Zone.

Once confirmed that no monsters remained within the city, people began returning to their homes at each safe point.

Yì Shēn stood atop a tall building—the tallest in Jingmen Safe Zone. It had once been a bank’s headquarters but was now over half destroyed.

“Are you sure you want to start physical training here?” Yì Shēn asked Zhànyú curiously.

He had intended to have Zhànyú teach him control over his body attributes quickly, knowing that once Zhànyú assumed command, time would be limited.

“Mm,” Zhànyú nodded.

“So, what’s the plan?”

“Jump down,” Zhànyú replied.

Yì Shēn was momentarily speechless.

(End of chapter)