Chapter 100 – The Second Day of the Three Days of Silence

“I don’t know much, but perhaps I can be of help to you.” The man pondered for a moment before continuing, “First, tell me what you already know.”

The two of them walked through the snowstorm toward their residence, and Lin Wei recounted everything truthfully.

“When I was young and out in the world, I met Adrishig,” the man told him. “He was always secretive, and you could only believe half of what he said.”

Lin Wei looked at him. “Which half should I believe, then?”

“If he wants to do something, he’ll give you a perfect reason… The most reliable approach is to believe only in the action itself and ignore the reasoning.”

Lin Wei frowned. “Why does he like to act this way?”

The man smiled faintly. “The master of the Astrology Tower always sees himself as the elder and protector of all Mages. Elders always like to show their children a beautiful world, while concealing certain unpleasant things—I suppose that’s how he is.”

“Where is Adrishig now?”

“No matter where he is now… I think you should go to the Floating Sky Capital. This matter will ultimately conclude there.”

Lin Wei thought for a moment and agreed it was a good idea—he could blend in with the many Mages in the Floating Sky Capital without being noticed, and he could also wait for Adrishig there. Moreover, the old man on the Floating Sky Capital was quite reliable.

“But you seem quite weak. Why not meditate here for a while to restore your mental energy?”

Lin Wei felt a bit embarrassed. “I’m not very good at meditation.”

The man was slightly surprised. “Then how do you manage your mental energy?”

Lin Wei: “By sleeping.”

“…”

“That’s fine too,” the Clan Leader said with a smile. “Young Mages often prefer sleep over meditation… I’ve long forgotten what sleep feels like. But you should still try meditating, as this place is quite special.”

Lin Wei, following his advice, released his mental energy to sense the surroundings. The dense Magic Elements were secondary; the entire valley was enveloped in a faint, sacred, and majestic aura—it reminded him of the time he faced the Spear of Longinus within the crystal coffin in the depths of the Siren’s Seabed.

That made sense, Lin Wei thought. This was the site of the ancient Knight’s Holy Mountain, where remnants of the Holy Spear’s power still lingered.

But he was neither a knight nor an Elemental Mage, so the Holy Spear shouldn’t have any effect on him.

He voiced this thought.

“You already know what the Magic Array ‘Kui Ling’ is, so you should also know about the Spear of Longinus,” the man said.

Lin Wei nodded.

“Our family’s soul and power both originate from it, but there should still be some remnants here. The power belongs to me, and the soul belongs to you.” The man winked.

Lin Wei glanced at him cautiously.

He felt a bit guilty, thinking—what a generous and kind elder, yet I’ve stolen his son away.

Because of this, Lin Wei behaved exceptionally obediently in front of the Clan Leader and began to meditate earnestly.

His soul power detected scattered fragments around him, and when he tentatively reached out with his consciousness, many scenes flashed before his eyes.

He saw the Holy Spear in its original form—glorious and radiant, standing atop the highest peak. Knights made their vows and were judged by the Spear; those with unwavering faith were granted power.

Lin Wei thought of a question—where did the Holy Spear’s power come from?

It seemed no book had mentioned this.

As if hearing his question, the soul fragments of the Holy Spear shifted the scene, and two people began to converse.

“By praying to it, you can gain power? Is there really such a good thing?” The first person’s voice was filled with disdain.

“We’ve passed through the territories of the proud Elves and the barbaric Dwarves, crossed wastelands, forests, and snowy mountains to finally reach this place—Nylan, along the way, you must have seen that power comes in many forms. Magic is one, mental energy is another, and so is the soul… Why can’t faith be one too?”

“Faith is intangible.”

“But the Holy Spear is real, and the power it grants me is real.”

“I hope this isn’t just your imagination.”

Lin Wei frowned slightly. The Holy Spear had answered him—it possessed a certain degree of consciousness. Indeed, it had already conveyed some information through Talin and Nigel.

Now, he could indirectly communicate with it, likely because his soul strength had increased enough to accommodate this power… or perhaps because he and Duan Yu had partially completed their lifebound contract, and their souls shared some commonality.

“What do you want to tell me?”

The Holy Spear didn’t answer, only replaying the earlier scenes.

Lin Wei took note, collecting residual soul energy from the fragments. Not only did he replenish the energy he had consumed, but he also found that his soul had become slightly more solidified.

When he emerged from meditation, he realized he was alone in the room. The Clan Leader was outside—despite the distance, he was still maintaining the barrier around Lin Wei, a testament to his formidable strength.

When Lin Wei bid him farewell, he asked, “What are you doing?”

“Making the final adjustments and enhancements to ‘Kui Ling.’ It has one more use left.” The man cut his wrist, and drops of blood fell, merging into the massive Magic Array. With each drop, the cold and solemn atmosphere in the valley deepened.

But what intrigued Lin Wei more was that the man’s blood was a dark gold—he had seen the blood of magical beasts at Daniel’s place, which came in red, blue, and purple, but none like this, shimmering with a mysterious glow, as if something flowed within it—it didn’t seem like something a normal person, or even a living being, could possess.

The man noticed his curiosity and explained, “This is the result of the bloodline from the Holy Spear being fully awakened.”

Before leaving, Lin Wei took one last look at the desolate valley. “Will you leave here when this is all over?”

The man shook his head with a smile. “I won’t live to see that time.”

“You…”

“Good luck, little one.” The man didn’t elaborate, only leaned down to kiss his forehead.

Meanwhile, at noon in the Imperial Capital, the news of the old Emperor’s death spread quietly.

The members of the High Council were all respected elders from various noble families, so their families were the first to know.

Under the scorching sun, the confrontation between the High Council and the Aristocratic Council was equally heated.

The “Titus Codex” was the High Council’s most powerful weapon. Out of tradition and fairness, their stance inevitably favored Crown Prince Gregory. Most nobles, however, sided with Bolan—some had already chosen their camp, while others preferred Bolan’s gentle and methodical approach. They were well aware of the Crown Prince’s ruthless and harsh temperament—no one wanted to live in constant fear.

As for the officials—their voices were almost negligible. Imperial affairs had always been dominated by the Imperial Family and the nobility. Officials were merely executors with little real power, left anxiously awaiting the outcome.

The two princes were not about to be manipulated. Bolan knew he had to fight for the throne, and Gregory was well aware that the High Council’s attitude was just a bargaining chip. Traditions and conventions only held sway in times of peace, and his brother clearly had no intention of letting the “Codex” proceed smoothly.

The oblivious residents of the Imperial Capital watched as the Royal Knights’ heavy hooves clattered through the streets, their weapons gleaming coldly, forming a perimeter around the Imperial Palace.

They couldn’t help but recall how, for some reason, trade caravans had become scarce recently, and even the bustling West District had grown desolate—the residents felt a growing sense of foreboding, closing their doors and windows, praying that no disaster would strike.

Some commoners returning from outside the city entered their homes in panic: “Outside the city… the army!”

At the Tidis residence, the Duke was waiting for a message from Prince Bolan, the last letter from Lin Wei laid out before him.

“It’s been a whole morning since this started, and the troops I can mobilize have already gathered—why hasn’t Bolan made a move?” After a while, the Duke couldn’t hold back any longer.

Pattier, the Chief Guard, confirmed once again that there had been no word from the Second Prince’s residence. “Yes, my Lord. Apart from the message this morning, His Highness has taken no further action.”

“Pattier, I need you to go there personally.”

The Chief Guard saluted. “As you command, my Lord.”

When the Chief Guard arrived at the Second Prince’s heavily guarded residence, he was informed that His Highness was engrossed in reading and could not be disturbed.

Pattier nearly fainted—how could he be reading at such a critical moment! He couldn’t understand why the Second Prince, usually so astute and meticulous, would act so inappropriately.

But his visit did elicit a response from Bolan, albeit through a servant.

“The situation may have changed. Do not mobilize the army for now?” Upon hearing the reply, the Duke frowned and began pacing his study. “You said he’s reading—could he be trying to dig up some old Imperial tradition that might favor his succession? That’s utterly foolish, completely unlike his usual demeanor… Has he grown fearful? Or has he lost control of the Royal Knights, leaving him unable to coordinate with the Tidis army?”

The Chief Guard lowered his head.

“If he’s truly afraid—the Tidis family cannot retreat. If Gregory ascends the throne and shows even a shred of brotherly affection, he might spare Bolan’s life. But the Tidis family is different. If we fail, the consequences are unimaginable. We must support Bolan’s coronation!”

“Gregory thinks he can intimidate me with the possible charges against Lin Wei and the Mage Corps… But I won’t abandon my son, and even if I didn’t participate in this struggle, would things turn out well for me afterward?”

“The High Council’s stance is as hard as the stones of the far north! And my eldest son is still under Gregory’s house arrest. The window of opportunity is fleeting—apart from deploying the army, there’s no other way. Who made Bolan born two years later, making his succession less legitimate?”

Thus, while there was still no word from the Second Prince’s residence, the Tidis and Lavis families were in close communication. Upon learning that the High Council and Aristocratic Council were still deadlocked, the two family heads agreed—if there was still no movement by evening, the two great families would take the initiative to challenge Gregory and place Bolan on the throne.

The overly brilliant sunlight of the day gradually turned into a mix of orange-gold and deep red, casting glaring reflections on the armor of the Imperial Corps. The commander silently made a gesture, and one of the Lavis family’s sons-in-law, the head of the Imperial Defense Department, had already given the order. The city’s defenses feigned collapse, and the army poured in.

It’s worth noting that upon hearing the news, the High Council and Aristocratic Council didn’t panic—in fact, they breathed a sigh of relief. The forces supporting the two princes were evenly matched. If the two sides fought each other, they could extricate themselves without offending either.

The effects of the invisibility potion hadn’t worn off yet, and the group from the Magic World silently watched the scene before them. The only silver lining was that Daniel, who had suffered greatly from dragon dung during their last visit to the Imperial Capital, had immediately improved the potion upon returning to the Academy, so they didn’t have to worry about the smell.

“Mages?” someone exclaimed in surprise.

Haitie looked at the High Mages guarding Gregory, full of confusion. “Why are there Mages here?”

Shui Lan’s sister stood close to her and said, “That’s impossible… I’ve never seen them at the Magic Academy.”

Daniel suddenly remembered Lin Wei’s words before they left: “These are the Empire’s own Mages.”

Haitie stared in disbelief as the Duke led his army to confront Gregory. The Duke was as imposing as she remembered, but Gregory’s cold and terrifying demeanor was a far cry from his appearance on Siren Island.

“Duke, I must say, you’re late—I expected you and the Royal Knights to arrive much earlier,” Gregory said slowly, a hint of mockery in his tone.

The Duke showed no anger. “I also expected Your Highness to voluntarily relinquish the throne. I didn’t expect you to still cling to unrealistic ambitions.”

What followed was self-evident—in the Imperial Plaza, Gregory’s forces clashed with the Imperial army, elite warriors facing the Imperial Mage Corps.

The invisible Mages moved among them, their attitude for now friendly—in the Magic World, all Mages were seen as brethren, so no one attacked the Empire’s Mages, only protecting the Duke and his army to the greatest extent.

On Gregory’s side, more than one Mage frowned upon sensing the opposing magical fluctuations. “What’s going on?”

The battle was deadlocked, with the Duke’s side gaining the upper hand.

Gregory suddenly let out a cold laugh. “Duke, if you think I only have the Mage Corps… you’re mistaken.”

A brilliant golden light suddenly descended from the sky, like a thousand sword blades sweeping down toward the army.

Shui Lan’s sister leapt in front of the formation, a wall of crimson flames rising to meet the golden blades.

—But it only slowed them slightly.

The other Mages who had reacted quickly joined in, barely managing to block the attack.

Daniel watched the scene, his brows tightly furrowed. “Such magical intensity—according to Lin Wei, this must be the Goddess of Light… She could only use mental attacks before.”

It had only been a day—the Alchemist realized that the deity was awakening at an incredible speed, her power growing daily, and she was on Gregory’s side!

Light Elements were scarce—where was she getting her power?

No… once she could launch substantial magical attacks, even ordinary people would be in danger. Aside from protecting this side, they also needed to protect Prince Bolan, whom Lin Wei’s family supported!

The usually astute Alchemist, seeing the confrontation, immediately grasped the entire situation, his pupils contracting.

But it was too late—they could only protect this side.

May the Goddess of Light protect Bolan from being attacked—the Alchemist instinctively prayed, only to realize after saying it in his heart that he had prayed to the wrong deity, and his face turned green.

At that moment, Bolan was in his residence’s study. His desk was piled high with ancient texts, which he was flipping through at an astonishing speed, scanning each page briefly before moving on, as if searching for something.

Suddenly, an instinctive fear spread through his entire body, and he felt as though a gust of wind had passed by his ears. He looked up sharply to see a blade of light, sharp as a thread, hurtling toward him.

In this life-or-death moment, he displayed remarkable calm. In that split second, he thought of the strange and terrifying “magic” he had heard about, grabbed a scroll from the table, and hurled it at the light blade—the two magics collided, and the blade’s momentum faltered.

—This was a magic scroll Lin Wei had given him during their secret meeting the day before, just in case Gregory used the Mage Corps to assassinate him.

Bolan quickly grabbed another scroll, ready to completely block the magical attack, but in that brief moment, golden blades of death surrounded him from all directions.

This was no longer something a few magic scrolls could handle. Bolan’s mind went blank.

In that instant, he didn’t have time to regret the unfinished tasks. His first reaction was to instinctively close his eyes.

But the expected magical tearing didn’t happen. Instead, there was the sound of a door being violently broken open. Bolan opened his eyes to see a tall, familiar figure in white robes standing before him.

The terrifying magic in the room came to a halt as the man raised his hand and made a downward pressing motion, causing the light blades to shatter into nothingness.

Bolan’s heart, which had been frozen, finally began to beat wildly again.

He calmed himself and asked the newcomer, “You are…”

“A friend of Lin Wei’s,” the man turned around, his voice like a frozen lake on a winter night.

Bolan recognized him—he was the one who had been with Lin Wei at the banquet. “Mage… I remember you.”

The man gave a cold “Hmm.”

Bolan let out a soft breath, regaining his composure. His deep green eyes looked at Duan Yu. “Was that the Mage Corps just now?”

He knew this Mage had been under house arrest with Lin Wei—now it seemed the guards couldn’t stop him. He could understand Lin Wei’s reasoning—if the Duke was held back and didn’t deploy the army, they would remain “under house arrest” peacefully. But if the Duke disregarded this and used his forces, leading to a complete breakdown between the two sides, there would be no need to continue the charade.

“No,” the Mage replied. “The Goddess of Light.”

Clearly, the term “Goddess of Light” once again shook Bolan’s recently calmed heart, and his voice was filled with doubt. “A deity… Why?”

“She’s helping Gregory.”

“But you said it’s a deity—like the gods from legends? My brother Gregory is certainly not a believer. Deities are far above us—why would they cooperate with mortals?”

The Mage didn’t answer but instead looked at the pile of ancient texts on Bolan’s desk. “What are you doing?”

“I’m looking for something important,” Bolan replied. “It might be related to the recent disasters in the Empire and the Imperial bloodline.”

“The Elemental Storm?”

“Yes—that’s what it’s called in the Imperial records of the Dark Age.”

The Mage looked at Bolan, recalling Lin Wei’s high praise for him: a highly intelligent and meticulous person, aligned with his family.

Since he said so, there was no need to hide anything—the Mage weighed his words and continued in his usual cold tone.

“The Imperial Family should possess something that can counter the Elemental Storm, and it’s related to the entire city.”

Bolan clasped his hands under his chin, deep in thought. “That’s a clue. I’ll need to keep searching the records.”

At that moment, news of the Duke’s confrontation with the Crown Prince reached Bolan’s study. Bolan said, “Tell the Duke to maintain the standoff—I’ll contact him before midnight. Please, he must follow my arrangements.”

When the study was once again empty except for the two of them, the Mage frowned slightly. “What are you planning?”

“This is of utmost importance,” Bolan said as he organized the ancient texts. With the clue Duan Yu had provided, he selectively picked out a few and retrieved others from the higher shelves. “I suspect these were passed down among the Emperors, but my father died suddenly, and some things weren’t passed on. I have to find them myself.”

“Is this related to the succession?” The Mage understood the current situation.

“Very much so,” Bolan smiled faintly, his expression complex. He then looked up at Duan Yu. “Can you protect me during this time?”

“Yes.”

That night, Adrishig left the Valley of Stone, and the suppression array in the valley was extinguished.

Of the five Elemental Valleys, only the Valley of Metal remained. The storm intensified once more, its range expanding from the edges toward the center, pressing toward the Imperial Capital.

Meanwhile, the army in the Imperial Plaza withdrew at midnight, retreating outside the city. The Second Prince’s faction almost completely ceased activity, and the High Council’s official announcement was made the next morning. According to the “Titus Codex,” Crown Prince Gregory was next in line for succession, and his coronation would soon take place.