Chapter 152: Frozen
As Ronan delved deeper into the Mirror Court ruins, he increasingly appreciated the power and intricacy of spatial and mirror magic. This inheritance from the ancient wizarding force, Mirror Court, was something he must strive for, no matter what!
Bennigo had once told him, "Fight for resources, connections, and reputation. Without striving, where does fortune come from? Without striving, you'll only be surpassed by others!"
Having "missed" the chance to enter the first battlefield, Ronan wasn't about to let anything slip away in this second battlefield of the first tier.
He wasn't sure if the mirror rune, representing entry to the next legacy round, would qualify the first person to reach it or the last one standing. While the latter seemed more probable, Ronan wouldn't let any chance slip by, even if there was a slight possibility of the former. Even if it meant making himself a target.
It was an opportunity to test his current combat prowess.
Ronan's gaze swept over the bewildered wizards below. Besides the three fellow Silver Ring wizards, he faced fifteen opponents.
Nine were late second-level, and six were mid-second-level.
A formidable challenge indeed.
Ronan silently noted this, his eyes turning a deep blue, locking away irrelevant thoughts and emotions beneath an icy lake.
Just as he entered the [Lake of No Thoughts] state, the platform erupted in an explosive surge of energy akin to a volcanic eruption!
Summoned tier-two spells and burgeoning domain powers—flames, lava, vines, thorns, shadows—created an energy tsunami, roaring toward Ronan.
The formidable force field from these spells and domains twisted the void above the platform, forcing Glen and the other two Silver Ring wizards to retreat in shock.
Their minds echoed a single thought:
"Is this guy from the Seventh Ring insane?!"
Yet, in the next moment, they saw through the warped light the boy they deemed reckless and foolish calmly raise a hand to brush his ear.
A blue diamond earring on his left earlobe glowed, releasing the outlines of numerous magical artifacts that automatically adorned the boy's body...
Before they could see more, the torrent of spells and energy waves from the three wizard groups surged skyward, engulfing the boy in an instant.
Rings of fire, flowing magma, tangles of vines and thorns, swirling black mist, flickering scythes, and light arrows...
Dozens of spells encircled that area of the void, clashing violently, threatening to collapse the void entirely, as if compressing the air within it.
"This is just... asking for it."
Glen and his companions watched grimly, eyes flickering rapidly.
Before entering the secret realm, everyone had signed contracts prohibiting killing fellow wizards.
But dying under a barrage of spells might count as a special case, one the contract wouldn't cover—a self-inflicted demise, a death without recourse.
The real issue was that this Seventh Ring fool's actions might turn the other three factions against the Silver Ring, making things worse for them.
Their odds, already slim, would drop to nearly zero.
As Glen and his companions scrambled for a plan...
"Crack—"
A peculiar sound caught their attention.
Looking up, they saw the void, collapsing under numerous spells, suddenly freeze in a bizarre stasis.
The rampant energy flows, colliding spells, and flickering lights all seemed to freeze, forming a static whole.
As if a mysterious force had frozen everything mid-air.
This odd scene alerted the platform's other wizards, prompting some to chant spells, while others shivered as if gripped by a sudden cold.
"Hiss—"
A faint gasp seemed to stretch time.
All sound on the platform faded, the air turning dense and sluggish. An invisible cold seeped through the frozen void, like unseen serpents, swiftly infiltrating each wizard's body.
Sliding along their skin, flesh, and bones, it crept relentlessly toward their hearts.
"Boom!"
The frozen energy and spell tides shattered into countless fragmented lights.
Suddenly, as if an eternal glacier shattered, a blinding, scorching cold swept the entire mirror platform space.
In an instant, the vast platform was blanketed in frost and snow. The fifteen wizards on the platform, whether standing or hidden, were frozen into lifelike ice sculptures, their shocked and unprepared expressions sealed within.
The terrifying cold flowed like an invisible icy river, subtly affecting the two adjacent platforms, drawing curious and uncertain glances.
Glen and his companions huddled at the platform's edge, squeezed together.
The platform's dominating cold bypassed them, leaving them largely untouched, yet they seemed frozen by another force.
They stood, dazed, staring in one direction.
——
At the heart of the cold eruption.
A tall, slender figure stood quietly.
The boy from the Silver Ring, once engulfed by spells.
Layered ice crystals formed an elegant half-armor on him, a deep blue icefall draped behind like a dazzling cloak.
He held an ice-blue staff, topped with a crescent-shaped metal ring studded with gems, like a spear.
Endless blue light flowed around him, with mysterious, profound energy emanating.
Three domain powers intertwined.
The rolling cold around the boy seemed to form a terrifying pattern in the void.
Ice-blue hair fluttered gently behind him. At this moment, he seemed a king, descending from an icy realm!
"'Six Domain Overlays,' 'Eighteen Spell Anchors,' the [Land of Winter] artifact set, enhanced by the 'Yarlis Ice Ring Necklace,' and the upgraded [Tundra Frozen Ground]."
Ronan felt the cold surrounding him, the icy energy filling the void, his eyes narrowing slightly.
"The power of this icy domain is astonishing. This is the true might of the [Frozen Ground] school."
Ronan hadn't even fused the three extraordinary ice domains or activated his Frost Hydra bloodline.
His lavish arsenal of magical artifacts alone amplified his domain power tenfold!
He froze fifteen second-level wizards in one go, including nine late second-level and six mid-second-level, and Ronan felt the domain wasn't even at its limit.
"Crack, crack—"
The sound of breaking ice echoed.
Ronan looked over, seeing several ice sculptures shaking violently, energy surging within, about to burst free.
He wasn't surprised.
Late second-level elites wouldn't be easily subdued, freezing them entirely would be truly strange.
Struggle and resistance were expected.
But...
They only had this last bit of fight left.
Ronan calmly raised his right hand, the staff's gem-topped end glowing, runes flickering, sending out faint energy waves.
The icy domain transformed again.
On the platform, beneath thick snow, sharp, translucent ice spikes emerged silently.
Like the claws of ancient snow monsters from the depths of an icy realm, they converged on the cracking human ice sculptures.
In a corner of the platform, Glen and his companions, dumbfounded, watched the scene unfold. The boy wielding snow and wind, his early second-level mental power surprisingly prominent, left them murmuring in disbelief.
"The Seventh Ring... how did they produce such a monster?..."
"Boom!"
Blazing flames engulfed the platform, threatening to burn through the spell projection.
As the red flames faded, the image revealed a kneeling, disheveled youth, faint smoke rising from him.
His lapis lazuli eyes, once sharp and bright, now dull, his face pale, fighting to remain upright.
"Is that the extent of the Ring's talent?"
A cold, mocking voice accompanied a young man with orange-gold eyes, exuding an innate regal aura, emerging from the flames.
He approached the kneeling youth, arrogantly looking down.
The youth, stung by the words, showed humiliation and defiance, trying to stand, only to be struck by spontaneous flames, sent flying back.
"."
Outside the realm, Caroni watched silently, his rugged face expressionless, seemingly calm.
Yet beneath his robes, his hand clenched slightly.
The Seventh Ring's first-tier seed, Clemens, had fallen!
Following Valina from the Second Ring...
Caroni's carefully chosen seeds from the first battlefield were eliminated in the first legacy round!
Though this didn't ensure his bet with the Thorn Palace witch was lost, their defeat and plundered gains severely tilted the odds against him.
Caroni's eyes were heavy with unresolved tension.
Valina's elimination was unfortunate.
She was alone on her platform, and the other three factions allied against her, forcing her out.
But Clemens...
On Clemens's platform, the Ring had the most and strongest wizards.
They should have secured victory, yet they were swept away by a mid-second-level Molten Lake wizard, suffering unprecedented defeat.
Was Clemens weak?
No.
The opponent was too strong.
Caroni turned, meeting the Molten Lake wizard's amused gaze.
The wizard mouthed a name silently.
Caroni's eyes flickered with realization.
"So, it's the descendant of that Molten Lake family."
If it was that bloodline, Clemens's defeat seemed inevitable.
Now, nearly all winners on the eight mirror platforms were decided.
Caroni scanned the images, seeing no familiar faces, his expression twitching.
Who'd have thought, in this round, the Ring would be "wiped out," none advancing, while even Thorn Palace had two victors. Their luck was abysmal.
"Tsk."
The green-robed witch's voice cut through his thoughts.
"Caroni, this little Ring guy... has quite the stash! An entire tier-two artifact set... Rare in the south, and it fits his spell system perfectly, impressive."
"Hmm?!"
Caroni paused, looking back at the projection.
He'd overlooked this.
The Ring did have a victory.
The winner was a youthful wizard, specializing in ice magic, only early second-level.
"Replay this battle projection for me."
Caroni's eyes flickered, speaking quickly.
The witch anticipated his request, her fingers tracing the air, replaying the scene.
Caroni watched closely, his eyes briefly flashing with excitement before settling back to calm
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