"The traces left by Herams..."
Ronan snapped out of his brief daze, feeling the subtle tremors emanating from the [Law-Controlling] rune within his consciousness space. Through the Pillar of Inheritance, he gazed at the deep purple crystal scale.
He wanted to reach out and touch it, but it felt so far away.
The golden badge lent to him by Heliodor only granted him access to the fourth floor of the archive. He couldn't take anything, nor could he browse freely.
It was clearly a ploy to dangle a "big carrot" in front of him, enticing him to work harder and more diligently in the future.
"Since Heliodor used this to 'tempt' me, he must also have a way to truly give it to me. I just need to focus on my role as his potion assistant..."
Ronan pondered how to conduct himself in front of Heliodor moving forward.
He couldn't show too much eagerness for Herams' legacy, or he might be easily manipulated. But he also couldn't appear completely indifferent or uninterested, as that might backfire and cause him to miss out on the inheritance altogether.
He needed to strike the right balance.
Calming his emotions, Ronan tried to access the fifth floor of the archive, but as expected, he was completely blocked by the Rune Array. Even the golden badge didn't grant him access to the fifth floor.
Returning to the fourth floor, he took one last look at the crystal scale before silently retreating to the second floor of the archive.
There, he found the complete legacy of the fourth-tier ice magic. After a cursory review, he finally chose to leave the archive.
As he walked away from the Spell Archive, Ronan thought about his future plans.
Perhaps due to the influence of the ancient spirit script, known as the origin of runic strokes, his comprehension of runology had advanced by leaps and bounds since entering the Spirit Lake.
Previously, he had struggled with a pile of complex space and mirror-related runes, but now the process of deciphering and understanding them had become much smoother.
Ronan had already begun optimizing and upgrading the three Soul Runes he had condensed during his time as a second-tier wizard: [Tundra Permafrost], [Spatial Silvering], and [Multiple Mirror Image].
The corresponding spell systems also needed some adjustments.
Then there was the [Law-Controlling] rune and the inscription of three blank Mental Power Crystals with Soul Runes.
Ronan's plan was to complete all preparations within six months to a year and then officially attempt to break through to the fourth-tier Dawn.
"And there's the search for the power of the sacred shrine. The process of advancing to the fourth-tier Dawn would inevitably subject my body to immense energy pressure. I need corresponding protective measures. If I can break through to the master-level realm of [Ascetic Body Forging] before advancing to the fourth-tier, I might be able to withstand part of the pressure, thereby reducing the consumption of resources needed for the breakthrough..."
"I can't rely entirely on Heliodor for the resources needed to construct the Dawn Ascension Array. The 'Spirit Lake Book' often posts tasks and shares information. If I come across something suitable, I can venture out to collect it myself."
Just as Ronan was deep in thought, a distinct, unusual sound suddenly came from ahead.
"Hum—"
It was as if an invisible ripple had traveled from the front, sweeping across the ground and brushing past Ronan's body, gently lifting the hem of his Wizard Robe.
Ronan looked up in surprise, following the direction from which the ripple had come.
More invisible waves followed, moving at a steady, unhurried rhythm... footsteps.
Someone was approaching step by step.
At this moment, Ronan was in the crystal-paved passage that was the only way out of the Spell Repository.
The passage was empty, with only him facing the direction leading outside.
Ronan narrowed his eyes and saw a "light" slowly blooming at the end of the passage, where footsteps seemed to create invisible ripples in the void.
At the center of the light was a person, standing tall like the rising sun, walking leisurely toward him.
Ronan stared at the figure in the light, his lips moving slightly as he softly uttered the other's name.
"Juventus..."
Ronan had seen quite a few fourth-level wizards, and even several fifth-level ones.
But none of them could compare to Juventus before him.
His spiritual power was like the sun at noon on the summer solstice, radiating over the earth, with massive celestial bodies seemingly orbiting around him.
The surface of his skin shimmered with the light of runes intertwined with his bloodline, and every breath he took followed a certain natural rhythm.
He stood at the boundary between the fourth and fifth levels, with a powerful, vibrant, almost god-like existence brewing within him, ready to break free.
All of this almost made one overlook his equally noble and striking appearance—his long, silver hair, silver eyes, and a pure black Wizard Robe without a single wrinkle or pattern.
Ronan had seen many wizard prodigies, but none had ever made him feel so inferior, so compelled to bow in reverence.
Some people are born on the throne, while others spend their entire lives climbing arduously, only to earn the chance to kneel before them.
Juventus walked toward him.
Ronan took a deep breath but did not stop moving forward.
The sound of their footsteps echoed simultaneously in the empty, quiet passage as the two drew closer.
Ronan did not fix his gaze on Juventus, focusing instead on his own path.
As they passed each other, Ronan heard a soft whisper.
"You're the one who comprehended the ten stars of the Ancient Spirit Script."
Ronan paused for a moment, and Juventus's footsteps also stopped.
After a brief breath, Ronan continued walking forward, seemingly hearing the other exhale with a soft "huh."
He did not look back, simply walking until he had completely left the Spell Repository area, finally stopping at the lakeside space that served as a hub for the Deep Sea faction's travels.
"How does it feel to experience the aura of a seventh-level progenitor up close?"
Alazan's voice timely echoed in Ronan's mind.
"Powerful. Far more powerful than I imagined," Ronan replied calmly. "I am nowhere near that level now."
"He's just a seventh-level progenitor in decline. In the future, you will meet figures far stronger, more exceptional, and more extraordinary than him," Alazan said indifferently. "They are all opponents you will need to surpass."
Ronan shook his head, about to say something, when suddenly his expression changed sharply, as if he had remembered something.
"Uro..."
He uttered the syllables of a spell, and his finger, adorned with an identity ring, quickly drew an arched light gate in the air before him.
He stepped through it, swiftly traversing the winding crystal passage, retracing the path he had just taken.
Spell Repository, first floor, second floor, third floor... the fourth-floor hall, in front of the third pillar of inheritance on the far left.
Ronan stared fixedly at the glowing cylindrical pillar before him, which was now empty. Inside, there should have been a crystal-like purple scale suspended, but it was gone. He fell into a brief silence.
Yuvetus had taken it. Ronan stood in front of the Pillar of Inheritance for a long time before finally turning away in silence.
Under the ancient oak tree, Ronan gently placed a golden badge on the wooden table beside Heliodor. Heliodor glanced at him and said leisurely, "Did you see it?"
"I don't understand what you mean."
Ronan shook his head, "I followed your hint and went to the fourth floor of the Spell Repository, but all I saw was an empty Pillar of Inheritance."
"Impossible!"
Heliodor's expression froze for a moment, and then his brows quickly furrowed.
He picked up the golden badge Ronan had returned and hurried to the side, casually casting a Spell barrier as if he were communicating with someone.
Soon, Heliodor walked back with a calm expression.
"Your luck is bad. That inheritance was just taken by someone else a step ahead of you."
"Who?"
Ronan's face showed surprise and curiosity.
"The latest novel is first published at 69shuba!"
"You don't need to know who it is. This is actually strange. That inheritance has been in the fourth floor of the repository for so long, and it shouldn't have been found by him..."
Heliodor muttered to himself for a while, then turned to Ronan and patted his shoulder comfortingly, "Alright, it was just a useless inheritance anyway. It's gone, so let it be. Once you finish your tasks here, I'll naturally compensate you with something else."
"Alright."
Ronan nodded, but a faint trace of disappointment and regret inevitably showed on his face.
This "unintentional" expression was caught by Heliodor. The old beaver's eyes flickered slightly, as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he just waved his hand and let Ronan go to attend to his own duties.
Ronan's life returned to its usual calm.
Time flew by, and half a year passed in the blink of an eye.
In the secret realm, behind the red-roofed house.
Ronan stood on the ankle-high grass, his hands forming seals. A mysterious and profound aura slowly emanated from his body.
The deep blue Wizard Robe fluttered without wind, and beneath it, Ithium wriggled like a living creature, flowing out.
Five strands of extraordinary Law Domain aura, like smoke, rose from Ronan's body and merged above his head.
Ronan's long hair floated up, and the tips of his hair began to slowly turn golden. The Ithium surrounding him also began to stir, suddenly dispersing into countless golden droplets of varying sizes, which then began to boil and fluctuate violently.
"Crack—"
In the secret realm, the clear sky was suddenly covered by thick, dark clouds, and golden lightning streaked down, tearing through the void.
A dense aura of Taboo surged forth.
Above Ronan's head, the void was abruptly torn open by some force, revealing a golden rift.
Then, blindingly bright and scorching golden magma poured out from the rift.
"Boom!"
A drop of golden liquid fell on the lush green grass, and the vibrant, emerald-green blades immediately lost all signs of life, completely turning into a golden substance before rapidly melting in the intense heat. Around Ronan's feet, the patch of green grass was quickly overtaken by the golden color, spreading rapidly.
"Boom—"
A massive and indescribable shadow loomed behind Ronan, drenched in scalding golden liquid, as a clear outline gradually emerged.
An indescribable aura of terror rapidly intensified, distorting the void into layers of golden ripples.
At this moment, the vast secret realm space teetered on the brink, as a terrifying force brewed, compressed, and impacted everything around it. It felt as if the entire space would plunge into a golden curse and collapse at any second.
"Whoosh—"
Ronan suddenly dispersed the aura around him and exhaled deeply.
The not-yet-fully-formed indescribable shadow behind him crumbled, and the void fissures oozing golden magma closed. The dark clouds dissipated, and all the terror vanished into nothingness.
"The fusion of the five supreme law domains has brought the might of [True Golden Flame] completely into the realm of the Forbidden Magic Domain. The Dharma Body of Lingmoye hasn't fully descended yet, but its power has already surpassed [Five-Headed Hekalto's Ancient Devour]."
"Is this the strength of a top-tier legacy?
Just at the beginning, it has already surpassed the ultimate ice spell I've been researching and comprehending for so long."
A look of immense joy and anticipation spread across Ronan's face.
After practicing the [Golden Flame] legacy for so long, he had finally achieved some success, instantly elevating it to one of his top three spell trump cards.
Although the private secret realm space was too "narrow" to fully experience the Dharma Body of Lingmoye, he could imagine its immense power and terror when it truly descended.
Ronan now felt an eager impulse, impatient to find an opponent to test the might of this technique.
Leaving the chaotic spell practice field, he found Arrietty curled up in a corner of the room, trembling.
The aura he had exuded while testing the fusion of the five law domains with [Golden Flame] had terrified her. Even the two beauty clams in the fish tank had closed their shells and sunk deep into the water in fear.
After briefly instructing Arrietty, Ronan straightened his robes and left his residence.
Descending from the waterfall abyss to the lakeside, Ronan did not head to Heliodor's potion laboratory this time but instead went straight outside the Spirit Lake Secret Realm.
This was likely his first time venturing out since joining Spirit Lake.
Over the past six months, apart from breaking through to the master level in [Diamond Heart] and completing the fusion of the five law domains in [True Golden Flame], Ronan had spent almost all his time on meditation, the study of runology, and the engraving of several major Soul Runes.
So far, his proficiency in the [Ancient Star Meditation Technique] had advanced from "beginner" to "proficient," and he had begun deducing more advanced star charts.
The benefits included increasingly refined control over his spiritual power and a slight additional progress in piecing together ancient spirit texts.
However, this progress was almost negligible.
What are the two most important things needed to complete a "puzzle game"? First, finding the correct method to piece it together. Second, gathering all the puzzle pieces.
Ronan was still far from achieving either of these.
The optimization and upgrades of [Tundra Permafrost], [Spatial Silvering], and [Multiple Mirror Image] have all been completed. The progress of inscribing the [Law-Controlling] rune has reached five out of seven parts, with only the final two remaining. The inscription of the [Crimson Ice] and the "dynamic" [Shattered Space] runes is also progressing steadily. Recently, Ronan has felt like he's hit a bit of a bottleneck, so he decided to go out for a walk.
Before leaving, he accepted a few tasks posted by fellow wizards of Spirit Lake through the "Book of Spirit Lake." While earning resources was a secondary goal, his main intention was to use this trip as an opportunity to search for clues related to the power of the Sacred Shrine.
After leaving the Spirit Lake Secret Realm, Ronan summoned an airship and headed straight for the task locations he had marked on the map in advance.
Unbeknownst to him, shortly after he left, a figure emerged from Spirit Lake.
Watching his distant figure, the person took out a communication-like device, whispered a few words into it, and then returned to the secret realm.
In a lake abundant with aquatic plants, several black swans floated on the water, playing and gliding gracefully.
A gentle breeze swept across the lakeshore, causing the reeds to sway softly to one side. Silently, a young man dressed in a deep blue Wizard Robe, with striking features, appeared.
The young man stood by the lake, squinting as he quietly admired the black swans on the water for a while, then began to stroll slowly along the shore.
When he passed under a water willow tree, he paused.