One-Eyed Monster

Stan Sol, who had executed the Incomplete Moon, floated in mid-air like a spectral figure. He stretched out both arms and, with a sudden push forward, launched a chain of potent Spirit Arrows in three directions.

THUD, THUD, THUD!

The Spirit Arrows were aimed at Hector, Joela, and Brad, who had collided with a stone.

Before the stunned crowd could react, a fresh onslaught began, catching Hector and the others off guard. Although the representatives of the Golden Seats were all adept fighters, they struggled to dodge the swift Spirit Arrows that streaked towards them like lightning.

Even Joela, tough as diamond, was grazed by a Spirit Arrow, and blood splattered from his face.

As for Hector and Brad, who had average defenses, they fared even worse. The Spirit Arrows ruthlessly punctured their arms and shoulders. Brad, brimming with Spirit Power, was still relatively fine, but Hector, having lost some of his Spirit Power to the Sharkmon, had his flesh torn open by the Spirit Arrows in an instant.

Without missing a beat, a new wave followed. Stan Sol, who had attained an almost ethereal state, was now manifesting spears in his hands, seemingly determined not to give these alchemists any chance of retreat.

The battle had become completely one-sided. Stan Sol suddenly unleashed an astounding power, a power that shocked everyone present.

Amidst his surprise, Dastan was also pleased. Baharo was filled with pure reverence, and Qi Liu was too shocked to utter a word. The Great Witch, even after her advancement, was stunned and didn’t know what to do. Axia, hiding behind an open-mouthed Musa, appeared somewhat unusual—his body trembled and he kept leaning forward, as if gathering strength for something, but he didn’t dare to act rashly.

”You... insult... Sol... You must endure... the pain...” Stan Sol lifted the three spears in his grasp. The spears pointed in three different directions, only a hand movement away from being propelled towards their targets.

Hector was nearly unconscious from the Sharkmon’s torment, but Brad and Joela had no good solution.

Joela couldn’t comprehend how Stan Sol, who moments ago had been his equal in battle, could suddenly unleash such a powerful force. Performing Incomplete Moon, a legendary technique, surely required an unimaginable amount of Spirit Power. It was all too fantastical for him to grasp. And now, they had no choice but to endure the onslaught. It seemed they were bound to fail the mission entrusted to them by the Chief.

Just as Joela was quietly gathering Spirit Power to make a final desperate effort, something unexpected happened.

It was Axia, the Alchemy Servant, who had been hiding and trembling in the corner. He now mustered the courage to run out, holding a porcelain bottle in his hand.

Joela recognized it as Lord Milo’s bottle. Nobody could have predicted that this small porcelain bottle would play such a crucial role in turning the tide of the battle.

”You cannot harm Lord Hector like this!” Axia shouted after rushing out, waving the bottle in his hand. He had nothing else suitable to wield; brandishing a rock seemed demeaning to the Alchemy Workshop, and he wasn’t able to conjure up a weapon like a real Alchemist. This bottle, the only item bearing the insignia of the Alchemy Workshop, was what he thought could be used to intimidate their opponents.

However, Axia hadn’t foreseen that the powerful aura radiating from the Golden Seats’ battle was so intense he couldn’t even steadily approach Lord Hector. A strong, hot vortex of air gushed at him, making it impossible for him to stay on his feet. He stumbled and fell forward, and the porcelain bottle, his only hope of intimidating their opponents, flew ahead in an awkward arc.

CLATTER! The porcelain bottle collided with a rock and shattered into pieces.

That was the porcelain bottle Lord Milo had given him! A backup bottle! And it had broken, just like that!

Axia was on the brink of despair.

But, unexpectedly, this shattering led to a turnaround in the battle.

There wasn’t much power inside the bottle—just a few of Milo’s Exchange Beasts.

However, these few Exchange Beasts had an incredible function: they were the key to the Ant Connection Spell. Originally, when Milo gave the bottle to Axia, the intention was simply to mark Young Master Hustace on the mountain, to ensure the governor’s son wouldn’t be accidentally harmed by the Exchange Beasts.

Now that these few Exchange Beasts were out, their Spirit Power sensors immediately relayed the dire situation on the battlefield to Milo.

Milo, who was on the mountain at that time, reacted immediately upon receiving this feedback.

As the second-in-command in the Alchemy Workshop, his strength was unquestionable. His audacity to directly confront Bigas, one of the six elemental wizards from the Wizard Alliance, spoke volumes about Milo’s capabilities.

Moreover, he was the foremost disciple of Grand Master Guzan.

Milo, after initiating the Ant Connection Spell, quickly comprehended the situation. Although he couldn’t be there instantly, he could control the Exchange Beasts.

The Heaven and Earth Bind Array on the mountain had accumulated countless Exchange Beasts, with the fundamental ants of the Ant Connection Spell scattered in every corner.

To save his comrades, Milo disregarded the completeness of the Heaven and Earth Bind Array and directly mobilized his ants.

All of this happened in the blink of an eye!

The spear Stan Sol had thrown was incredibly fast, but before it could reach Hector, it was engulfed by a swarm of black objects. Their sudden appearance halted the fast-flying spirit power spear in mid-air, its tip just touching Hector’s throat. Although it didn’t pierce through, the aura from the spirit power spear still severely scorched Hector’s throat.

”Lord Milo!” Although Stan Sol’s spear had shattered his diamond-hard defense, Joela’s face lit up with hope.

Brad felt a similar surge of hope; he had even managed to catch the spirit power spear bare-handedly.

The black ants quickly gathered, and soon these small things condensed into a huge sphere.

With a muffled THUMP, the black sphere shot directly towards Stan Sol, who was floating in the air.

Joela dodged Dastan’s curved blade and simultaneously conjured an Alchemy Equation, creating a small diamond barrier around Hector just as the Sharkmon was about to attack him.

The Sharkmon, displaced by the ants, became frenzied at this point, appearing slightly out of control.

Berserk Brad, his body glistening golden, charged towards the Sharkmon like a copper man.

”Burn! Retrieve!” Stan Sol, in mid-air, suddenly shrieked. In an instant, the enraged Sharkmon, wreathed in flames, rushed back.

Joela knew Stan Sol was doing this to block Lord Milo’s ant sphere. Although Incomplete Moon was powerful, it had a crucial weakness: its demand on Spirit Power reserves. Users of such a technique typically aimed for a swift victory, so Sol had to be on the verge of exhausting his Spirit Power. And Lord Milo’s Exchange Beasts, ever-changing and unpredictable, were the perfect counter, designed to force an opponent to spread their Spirit Power thin.

The Sharkmon quickly transformed into a cloak, wrapping around Stan Sol. Then, the fireball it generated charged directly at the ant sphere.

The collision between the fireball and the ant sphere didn’t occur; the swarm of ants suddenly dispersed, reminiscent of when Stan Sol had previously used Incomplete Moon.

The flames were too widespread to keep up with the tiny ants’ nimble evasions, and now the fire, unable to turn back, could not help its master defend against the ants’ assault.

The ants, one by one, flew toward Stan Sol...