Sovereign of the Ashes

The training ground was an expansive field the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring had specially prepared for initiates to test their magic spells.

The vast, open expanse provided ample room for initiates to practice and experiment with newly acquired spells.

Scattered across the endless lawn were numerous potholes, clear evidence of the countless bombardments it had endured from the students during their training.

Apart from being a testing ground for initiates, there was also a designated area for full-fledged mages within the divine tower to test their magic spells.

The protective shield in that area was exceptionally strong, capable of withstanding powerful magic blasts from Rank Two or even Rank Three grand mages.

While the protective shield in the initiates’ area might not be as formidable, it was still sufficient for their training needs.

Upon arriving at the training ground today, Sein paid three times the standard fee for an initiate to secure a separate area exclusively for his use.

The modified and enhanced version of the Solar Eye spell was Sein’s most powerful asset aside from the ranked magic artifacts he received from Master Morsidor.

It was the pinnacle of power that an initiate could wield, approaching the capabilities of Rank One mages.

Today, Sein intended to test its power and determine whether it could truly match the strength of full-fledged mages.

Having personally witnessed the destruction of Mystralora City, Sein understood the immense power possessed by mages of Rank One and above.

The power they wielded transcended the strength of the magic spells initiates wielded, capable of reducing an entire city to ruins with a mere gesture.

Slow and enigmatic chants echoed from a small dirt slope.

Sein focused his spell on a dozen targets positioned a hundred meters away.

These targets were specialized props designed to withstand powerful magic blasts.

While Sein’s Pyro Blade, another advanced magic he had mastered, could cleave one of the targets in half, it fell short of complete obliteration.

The academy would salvage these damaged targets, recycling them for reuse on the training ground.

It would be exceedingly difficult for intermediate magic spells and below to severely damage these special targets.

At most, they could only leave a small dent, which served as a way to assess the strength and precision of their magic spells.

Compared to several other advanced magic spells Sein had mastered, the Solar Eye spell had a longer chanting time.

Nevertheless, it was a minor drawback that Sein had compensated for with improvements in other areas.

As the incantation of the magic spell reached its conclusion, Sein pointed forward with his right hand.

A massive golden ring-shaped diagram materialized in front of Sein, resembling a vivid golden eye from a distance.

The contrast from a few years ago when Sein fought with Mark lay in the fact that the massive golden eye now featured smaller golden eyes radiating light at the edges of the ring in each of the six directions.

With a wave of Sein’s right hand, the massive golden eye gradually dissipated, transforming into six slightly smaller golden halos encircling him.

These six golden halos also looked like eyes.

Thanks to Sein’s meticulous research and enhancements, these six “eyes” were not merely drawing mana from Sein’s body.

They could absorb and harness the elemental energy of nature, especially the lumen element, thus prolonging the duration of Sein’s enhanced Solar Eye spell.

Several years ago, the Solar Eye spell could only unleash two consecutive shots upon completion.

According to the precisely calculated data Sein gathered in his laboratory, the enhanced version could sustain at least six rounds.

This equated to a total of thirty-six Solar Eye beams in a single attack, transforming it from a single-target spell into a versatile area of effect spell.

No wonder Sein considered it to be the most powerful magic spell an initiate could possibly wield.

Compared to the original version, the elemental intensity released by each of the scaled-down iterations was not as powerful. Therefore, Sein’s evaluation of its strength was not a direct multiplication by six.

Instead, he opted for a more conservative estimate, pegging its strength at roughly four times that of the original version.

In a surge of excitement, Sein watched as a golden beam suddenly materialized above the training ground, hurtling toward the distant dirt slope.

The range and coverage of the Solar Eye spell exceeded Sein’s expectations, causing a series of explosions and fire that not only obliterated all the targets but also flattened a third of the entire slope.

He had only released two rounds of the spell, so it was a remarkable feat, considering the academy had hardened the ground here with a curing spell.

The positive result of his test lifted Sein’s spirits considerably.

However, a slight frown appeared as he observed the significant damage to the dirt slope. This prevented him from obtaining an accurate calculation of the Solar Eye spell’s attack power.

Glancing upward, Sein noticed a light green translucent energy shield in the sky.

“The training ground’s energy shield is rumored to be able to withstand the full force of a full-fledged mage’s strike...” Sein pondered.

Raising his finger, Sein redirected the six golden eyes that were initially aimed at the dirt slope to the sky instead.

Golden energy beams once again sliced through the air.

The first round of six beams struck the energy shield above the training ground, causing loud explosions to ring out immediately.

After the smoke dissipated, the light green energy shield above the training ground remained unscathed.

Although Sein felt a twinge of disappointment, he had already anticipated the outcome.

Following this, Sein directed the remaining three remaining rounds of Solar Eye spell at the same spot.

Since he was on the ground, he remained unaware of the impact of the first round he released into the sky.

Comparing the energy shields in other areas, the spot bombarded by Sein’s Solar Eye spell was notably thinner and weakened by at least half.

As the eighteen golden beams from Sein’s three remaining rounds of Solar Eye spell streaked through the sky, a resounding boom echoed, leaving a large hole in the energy shield above him.

Excitement painted his expression.

As Sein hurriedly recorded the scene with his crystal ball, an angry voice boomed, “What the hell? Which full-fledged mage tested their magic spell in the initiates’ area?”

The irritated voice clearly did not belong to an ordinary Rank One mage. Rather, it seemed to belong to a Rank Two mage within the academy.

Even through the voice alone, Sein sensed an oppressive presence comparable to Master Jovian and Master Medich.

Swiftly stowing away his crystal ball, Sein scanned his surroundings to ensure no one was present before heading toward the exit of the training ground.