Chapter 9: The Burning Skyline! The Terrifying Vision of a Seventh-Level Spell!
The ranking system for all professionals on Blue Star is extremely strict.
Take the mage profession as an example.
The first advancement, which is the current stage Lin Yi is at, is merely the initial step onto the path of magic—a novice just beginning to grasp the craft.
Such practitioners are generally called junior mages or mage apprentices.
The second and third advancements correspond to intermediate and advanced titles, respectively.
Starting from the fourth advancement, the rank of a powerful individual like Jiang Xian is recognized as a Grand Mage.
The fifth advancement is known as a Magister, and the sixth as a High Magister.
Beyond the seventh advancement lies the title of Saint Magister, also known as Magic Saint.
In short, once a professional reaches the seventh advancement, they can be respectfully addressed as a Saint.
As for higher tiers, Jiang Xian himself does not understand or even know of them—they are beyond his reach.
Wang Dahai, trembling with awe, cautiously asked, “So, Elder Jiang… are you saying there is currently a sixth-advancement High Magister present in the Jiang City area?”
One of the requirements for advancement is to possess at least one skill at the corresponding rank.
Therefore, in general, a practitioner able to wield a skill matching a certain rank will have an advancement level that corresponds accordingly.
It is rare, though not impossible, for someone with a lower rank to wield higher-level skills.
Thus, seeing a sixth-rank spell like Molten Fire Demon allows one to reasonably deduce this conclusion.
Jiang Xian nodded. “Several decades ago, I was fortunate enough to study once at the Pantheon, the highest mage guild on Blue Star.”
“At that time, my mentor was a sixth-advancement High Magister.”
“That was when I witnessed him summon a fire demon from the Fire Elemental Plane.”
“Such magic requires terrifyingly profound magical affinity and skill—abilities I have long yearned to master. Unfortunately, it seems I will never have the chance…”
A trace of regret crossed Jiang Xian’s face.
He silently resolved that he should try to meet this senior master later.
If fortunate enough to receive guidance from such an elder, it would be an immense honor.
“All right, I’ll lead the troops back to camp now. This was all just a misunderstanding. I hope that elder can forgive our small offenses.”
Wei Xing prepared to leave, while Wang Dahai stole a glance at Jiang Xian.
He too wished to witness the legendary High Magister.
But just as each of them had their own plans, an overwhelming and terrifying wave of magical energy erupted from the depths of the Howling Forest!
As a mage, Jiang Xian was naturally the most sensitive to fluctuations in magical power.
Almost the instant he sensed this wave, his expression changed drastically, sweat pouring down his face.
Because he felt an even more dreadful presence of fire elemental energy gathering swiftly above their area—far more terrifying than the Molten Fire Demon.
Jiang Xian suddenly looked up toward the horizon.
It was nearly nightfall.
The sun had just dipped below the western mountains.
The sky was growing dark.
Yet at that moment, the horizon flared anew, as if embers reignited, gilded with a brilliant golden edge.
Soon, the entire sky began to glow red.
The practitioners who had not yet retreated noticed this unusual phenomenon, and one by one, they exclaimed in shock.
“Look at the sky!”
“The sun has already set—why is the sky glowing red again?”
“It’s so hot… don’t you feel it? The temperature has risen several degrees!”
“Look over there! What is that?”
“Whoa…! That’s… a dragon!!”
At that moment, the blazing horizon coalesced into a terrifying gigantic dragon with a wingspan of hundreds of meters.
The dragon’s entire body was composed of the purest fire element, immense and sacred.
It radiated an awe-inspiring pressure.
Even a mere glance sent chills down the spines of those below.
The dragon fully formed, and the temperature across the Clear Breeze Grassland and Howling Forest soared by seven or eight degrees once again.
Everyone was parched and sweltering.
“Run!”
“Alert everyone—evacuate immediately!”
“Otherwise, we’re all dead!”
“That’s… a seventh-rank spell!”
Suppressing his shock with great effort, Jiang Xian’s last shred of reason compelled him to urgently warn the two companions beside him.
Upon hearing this, Wang Dahai’s mind went completely blank as if thunder had struck.
Seventh-rank spell?!
In other words, the elder in the Howling Forest was not merely a High Magister…
But a seventh-advancement Magic Saint!
“Retreat!”
“Retreat at once!!!”
Wei Xing reacted swiftly, shouting for his men to withdraw.
At the same time, all practitioners training within several hundred kilometers around the Clear Breeze Grassland received a warning message.
[Alert! Alert!]
[Jiang City Base Area Warning!]
[Seventh-rank spell fluctuations detected in the Jiang City outskirts. All practitioners in the area must seek shelter immediately in nearby underground air-raid shelters!]
[Repeat! Repeat!]
[This alert level is Level One! Evacuate at once!]
All practitioners in Jiang City were stunned.
Within a single day, and less than half an hour apart, Level Two and Level One warnings were issued consecutively.
What is happening?
Is this the end of the world?
For a moment, everyone was in a state of panic and began evacuating for safety.
---
Jiang Ya gazed at the fiery horizon ablaze in the sky.
And at the terrifying fire elemental dragon with its wings outstretched, capable of blotting out the sun.
Her young heart was deeply shaken.
---
Time rewinds slightly.
One minute earlier.
At the center of the Howling Forest.
Lin Yi was surrounded.
By hundreds of muscular tigers.
He had ventured to the deepest part of this training area.
He also saw the huge cave entrance rumored to spew violent storms.
But what he hadn’t expected was that this was the territory of level-11 forest tigers.
“Roar—!!”
A dreadfully loud roar suddenly echoed from within the cave.
The next moment, Lin Yi saw a tiger king stride out—a massive beast about four or five meters long, its stripes shimmering with a jade-green glow, majestic and otherworldly.
Boom! Boom!
Each step it took was heavy and thunderous.
Its weight must have been measured in tons.
Lin Yi’s eyes brightened.
This must be the strongest monster in the entire Howling Forest!
And undoubtedly a boss!
Unfortunately, without Identification Magic, he could not discern its name.
“Whoosh!!”
In the blink of an eye, the tiger king’s right paw swept fiercely.
Over ten razor-sharp wind blades struck Lin Yi with incredible speed.
Lin Yi’s lava shield instantly dropped by more than a thousand points.
Goodness, such a powerful attack!
And this boss even wielded wind blade magic!
Judging by those jade-green stripes, it had likely adapted its body after long exposure to the wind elemental energy in the cave.
A trace of surprisingly human-like shock appeared in the tiger king’s eyes.
It feared the huge monster beside the human.
Yet it paid no mind to the human himself.
In its eyes, a few wind blades should have torn this human apart.
Lin Yi’s lips curled into a faint smile.
“Not bad, finally found someone with some strength.”
“Then you shall be the first to test my new spell!”