Beneath the Red Dragon

Under the voluntary labor of the War Tree-man over this period, the ruins buried in the soil for countless years finally emerged completely. However, the tower only retained the upper three levels; the rest of the tower body has been sharply segmented like by a sharp blade and then shattered into stone powder under immense power.

Of the remaining three-tiered tower, the topmost layer belonging to the spire is the smallest, resembling an ordinary attic with only one door like a floor-to-ceiling window.

This doorway is covered with strange Magic Runes and patterns; it appears to be made of transparent material, yet the scene inside cannot be observed from the outside.

However, Karon can tell from comparing this doorway and the tower’s body that this doorway was evidently carved out later, perhaps by the tower’s owner, indicating that the tower’s owner was somewhat prepared for their own fate.

The White-haired Mage Lapus instructed the other Mages to input Magic Power from the magic-gathering nodes of the strange portal. Lapus was saving his own Magic for the upcoming exploration.

With the injection of Magic Power, this door, akin to a drawing on the tower wall, suddenly lit up. The Magic Runes and patterns on it twisted, and then a tall and spacious gateway slowly opened towards them.

The mages each took out Scrolls from their Magic Rings and Space Magic Items, casting Magic Force Fields and Magic Barriers on themselves, followed by Flying Skills and a series of Preparation Magic.

With targeted preparation, these mages always have numerous means to achieve their goals.

A few mages also released Detection Magic to examine the conditions within the doorway.

Seeing this, Karon also added a Heart Energy Barrier over his usual layers of Magic Barriers and Magic Shields, and cast Scale Hardness and Skin Toughness on himself.

Moreover, Karon cast several spells to guard against incorporeal creature attacks, such as the Spirit Armor Skill, making his defenses impregnable.

Eight softly glowing red lanterns rose up around Karon, an improved version of the Dancing Light Skill, used for illumination in certain dark conditions.

Although Karon possesses night vision capability, he remains cautious as in some special environments, vision can still be affected by magic.

The other mages were speechless about Karon’s full suite of Magic Shields, as Karon’s own magic seemed limitless, unlike theirs, which needed conserving and could only accomplish some magic through Spell Scrolls.

The Squinting Mage Hughes shamelessly walked up and said: ”Karon, could you also give me a set of Magic Protection? Your Magic Shields seem much thicker than those of my mentor.”

Karon glanced at the shields on the White-haired Mage Lapus, sensing Lapus’s shield strength, discovering it was only about two-thirds the strength of his own.

This became one of Karon’s hallmarks; any magic he analyzed and cast had an intensity surpassing most mages, perhaps only comparable to mages who had undergone strong spell enhancements.

But Hughes’s request was refused by Karon, who stated that he also needed to conserve his Magic Power, not wasting it on trivial matters.

Hughes, with a blackened face, was the first to step through the doorway, feeling the need to prove himself lest he truly seemed irrelevant.

Karon also followed behind several mages through the gate.

Beyond the door was another world, a truly different world.

Karon imagined mages often utilized space-expanding magic to enlarge the space inside the Mage Tower, which must be massive.

But evidently, the tower’s owner had abandoned this approach, employing a mightier technique.

They stepped into a complete world, teeming with dark and malevolent energy, a contradictory world both empty and full, silent yet noisy.

Countless streams of purple and black energy flowed erratically in this world, myriad lives were created and destroyed by the vast energy flows, some queer life forms birthed from the energy flow.

This is the Dark Ether World, a place sedimented at the bottom of the Ether World.

A huge Half-Plane stood in the center of this Dark Ether World, a moving Plane.

The Half-Plane formerly developed by a Legendary Mage was installed in his Mage Tower, connected to the Dark Ether World.

The Ether World serves as a transitional Plane World connected to the Prime Material Plane, like the Star Realm and Shadow Plane, usable as portals or passages for Plane Travel.

Before them, evidently, the tower’s owner had severed and enclosed a vast section of the Ether Plane, using it as a moat-like defense for his Half-Plane.

This could only leave Karon in awe of these mages’ marvelous ideas and immense power, knowing this process mirrored the creation of a Divine Kingdom, establishing another world atop an existing one.

Divine Kingdoms are not created solely on the Power of Faith but are worlds altered by such power.

A Divine Kingdom purely formed by Faith Power demands more Faith Power than any Divine Spirit can bear.

Though a Divine Kingdom need not be a Plane, a substantial portion is built upon existing Planes. Even some well-related Divine Spirits may establish their Divine Kingdoms together.

The Unicorn Goddess’s Divine Kingdom was built inside the Divine Hall of her Main God, the God of Nature.

However, many Divine Spirits who invest power in moving their Divine Kingdom might shift it into the cracks between Outer Planes.

Some bored Divine Spirits even travel with their Divine Kingdom, just to find a serene abode they desire.

Before them, the vast Plane created in the Dark Ether World was encased by a colossal light screen, countless erratic Ether Void energy streams crashing against it.

This light screen was subtly shrinking, exposing the continent to the void as edges crumble and sink.

The entire void was scattered with ruins and rubble of the fragmented planes.

Despite countless years of impact, this Half-Plane still retained a vast area, resembling a massive small continent across the void.

Even with Karon’s sight, he could vaguely make out a gigantic pillar of light rising from the center of the continent, supporting the light screen covering it.

From that massive light pillar, Karon could feel a surge of unparalleled Elemental Flow.

Before they could recover from what they beheld, endless energy currents in the void began swirling, and a colossal figure suddenly descended.

The mutated purple Ether Energy entwined to form a crown on this figure’s head, energy tempest fragments joined to create this towering illusionary form.

Gemstones shone on all ten fingers, countless purple energy streams rising from his crown.

This figure gradually solidified, resembling a purple skeleton.

Yet countless beings in this chaotic space roared, saluting their king, with Ether Energy boiling in response; this is the ruler of the Ether World, the Ethereal Monarch.

An unspeakable aura of terror instantly enveloped all present, oppressive beyond compare, making Karon feel the entire world pressed upon him, forcing him to reveal his original Giant Dragon form upon the open platform.

Accompanied by this came an indescribable perception envelopment, distorting his five senses; Karon realized it seemed he couldn’t fly. His wings, in his perception, no longer existed, wanting to retreat, he found himself involuntarily stepping forward.

The Heart Energy within him rapidly expanded, enveloping his soul and will, a layer of Flame surfaced on Karon’s body, and his Domain at this moment encased him like Armor.

In the next instant, Karon felt his senses finally return to normal. He quickly retreated, only to find other mages looking at him puzzled.

”Haha,” the Ethereal Monarch suspended in the void finally spoke: ”At last, I have awaited the successors of mages. You better not be as foolish as that Green Dragon, trying to forcefully traverse this space; now, use your wisdom, reach the opposite continent in the way of mages.”