Age of Adepts

“What’s the extent down there inside Inkdeep Valley?” Greem asked solemnly.

His question was vague, but all the adepts present clearly understood what he meant.

Adept Geraldine, who had led him here, replied solemnly, “Advanced Fourth Grade.”

The numerous Fourth Grade Central adepts around him couldn’t help but break out into a clamor upon hearing this.

The upper limit of power that the invading disasters could unleash near Inkdeep Valley was advanced Fourth Grade. Even though that was still a minor grade away from the actual upper limit of power in the World of Adepts, the powerful Physique of the disaster creatures and their horrifying combat style already made them a match for peak Fourth Grade ultra-powerhouses.

Indeed, the suicidal attacks of the mutated beasts over the past few months had managed to weaken the strength of the planar barrier around Inkdeep Valley. Once the planar laws were no longer able to suppress the disaster creatures, the adepts would lose all of their home field advantages in the war.

That was an exceedingly horrifying thought!

“How much time do we have left?” Khesuna, who stood high on the corpse dragon’s back, asked coldly.

“Forty days at best. When that happens, the planar consciousness’s suppression of the disaster creatures will all but vanish. When that happens……” Geraldine did not finish his sentence, but all the adepts present were veterans of planar invasions. They could naturally imagine the horrible consequences.

“Where’s Domhnall? He summoned us here. Shouldn’t he at least show his face?” A group of Silver Union adepts in silver robes flew over from a distance and asked Geraldine in a stern tone.

Before Geraldine could reply, the space around him started to wrinkle and distort like paper. It trembled slightly, as the ripples slowly turned into a wave when Domhnall appeared out of thin air with his staff in his hand.

“Welcome, esteemed Lady Khesuna, Vice-Senate Head Melone…Lord Greem…we welcome your arrival!” Domhnall apologized to everyone upon appearing. His gaze landed on Greem’s giant body, and he was fazed for a second, causing him to pause in the middle of his greeting.

Meanwhile, the way he referred to the leaders of the three forces with equal respect betrayed the fact that something was wrong. The Vice-Senate Head of the Silver Union couldn’t help but start looking Greem up and down.

Honestly, Greem’s current condition was beyond unusual. His energy aura was profound and complicated, such that even Melone couldn’t determine his specific grade level.

However, everyone had gathered here for the disaster creatures, not for some amicable teatime.

Melone was the first to bring the issue back to attention. He asked in a stern voice, “Domhnall, what’s the matter with your Adept’s Association? You have so much power. How did you let the disaster creatures establish a foothold in Inkdeep Valley and let things cascade to where it’s at?”

An awkward expression appeared on Domhnall’s elderly face. He let out a sigh, “That is because none of us expected Dilmas was in such a hurry to enter the World of Adepts. He brought forth his actual person and currently resides in the spatial rift at the very bottom of the valley.”

“What? Are you sure it’s Dilmas’ real body?” It was the first time everyone had heard of this. They couldn’t help but be surprised.

Dilmas was a Sixth Grade monstrosity, a fearsome Scourge Lord infamous throughout the multiverse. If he were personally residing in the spatial rift, he would be able to inflict devastating damage to all the adepts who tried to seal or purify the disaster aura near the valley, even if his actual body couldn’t pass through.

“It’s been confirmed!” Domhnall’s smile was unusually bitter.

Everyone could see that the Adept’s Association must have paid a heavy price to verify this information.

“Then the Association’s intentions are…?” Melone continued to ask.

“As everyone can see, there are over a thousand high-grade disaster creatures gathered around the entrance to Inkdeep Valley. They range from Second Grade to Fourth Grade. However, what is giving us the most trouble are the twenty-one Fourth Grade creatures.

“If all we hope to do is defend the towers, the Association has more than enough power to spare. We can definitely keep the disaster creatures contained within Inkdeep Valley. However, driving them out and purifying the disaster aura in Inkdeep Valley is no longer possible with the Association’s power alone.

“However, if we don’t find a way to banish these disaster creatures and thoroughly purify Inkdeep Valley, the planar laws will not be able to regain control. Once the planar law chains are completely severed, Sixth Grade Dilmas will be able to enter.”

Having said that, Domhnall lifted his head and looked at everyone. He then sighed, “All the major organizations must be incredibly busy as well during this magic-surge period. If it weren’t for our lack of options, I would never have been able to lower myself to ask you all for help. You all know the full extent of the situation now. You are free to decide if you are willing to help us!”

Everyone’s face was dark and brooding.

It couldn’t be helped. They might all be Fourth Grade adepts, but the number of Fourth Grade enemies on the other side of the battlefield was not inferior to them. There was no guarantee of safety in battle. A slight misstep, and they would permanently and truly be dead.

That was why even Fourth Grade adepts like themselves were nervous and anxious about stepping onto a planar battlefield like this one.

“We have no problems on our side!” The first to express their position was actually Khesuna. As one of the only two ultra-powerhouses in the Northern Witches, she naturally possessed great sway among the witches.

After Khesuna had expressed her stance, the other Fourth Grade witches behind her simply stood in silence. It was obvious that they would abide by her decision.

“We of the Silver Union have no problems with the situation either! Since we’re here, naturally, we are prepared to fight against these disaster creatures,” Vice-Senate Head Melone of the Silver Union also spoke up. The seven Silver Union adepts behind him of various heights and races also looked calm and composed. It seemed like they couldn’t care less about their deaths.

In contrast, the Central adepts that Greem led were somewhat reluctant.

“Dilmas must not be allowed to enter the World of Adepts!” While the Central adepts frowned and hesitated, Greem’s deep and crisp voice rang in everyone’s ears.

“For the sake of this, we of the Central Lands are willing to fight as well! However,” Greem leaned forward slightly with his gigantic body and stared at Domhnall, “As we have never truly worked together before, and because our combat styles are different, we of the Central Lands will only fight with our own. We refuse any attempts to break up our ranks and reassign teams!”

Upon hearing this, the seven Central adepts finally looked slightly more relieved.

After all, Greem was now more powerful than even ultra-powerhouses. Having someone as strong as him by their side was always better than being enrolled into the Association’s forces and being used as cannon fodder.

“Agreed! We of the Northern Witches also request to be treated as a singular unit.”

“Us as well. We will not accept orders to the individuals from the Association!”

It was not the perfect scenario he had envisioned, but the three major organizations’ requests were well within the scope of reason.

Thus, Domhnall readily agreed after a quick moment of thought.

Led by Domhnall and Geraldine, the adepts continued to travel forward and soon came near the adept tower. The other adepts followed Domhnall into the building to rest, while Greem could only remain outside due to his gigantic size. He stood silently and adjusted his condition.

The Adept’s Association might have recalled all their Fourth Grade adepts and ultra-powerhouses in the battle up till now. However, the shocking number of disaster creatures kept them from gaining an advantage.

For the past month, the Association could only remain on the defensive, relying on the war towers and adept towers to exhaust the enemy’s forces.

This defensive strategy might have worked against any other enemy. However, it was hardly effective against the disaster creatures, who easily corrupted entire planar worlds to fill their ranks. They were backed by several planes’ worth of military force. Such a battle of attrition hardly concerned them.

In fact, many famous major planes in the multiverse had been forcefully destroyed and torn apart by the disaster creatures through this insoluble swarming strategy.

To break this deadlock, the Adept’s Association had no choice but to take on a more aggressive and active strategy!

It required the Adept’s Association to leave the protection of the adept towers to fight and kill the disaster creatures.

After all, the mutated beasts might be innumerable, but the high-grade disaster creatures were certainly limited. Once their numbers had been shaved down, the Adept’s Association would be able to organize a hit squad to seal off the spatial rift at the bottom of Inkdeep Valley.

Though the battle up until now had not gone well, it was the only strategy that the Adept’s Association could come up with!

The reinforcements from the three major organizations undoubtedly attracted the attention of the disaster creatures as well.

In particular, Greem’s thousand-meter-tall body was an incredibly conspicuous sight.

There were no weaklings amongst those who could increase their size to a thousand meters!

Though ordinary people could also grow larger through various means, doing so would only be courting death when fighting against an opponent of the same level.

Without sufficient power to protect the body, without adequate energy to sustain the functions of the body…it would only work if you were just trying to intimidate the opponent. But stepping onto the battlefield with such a body? That was unimaginable!

In all honesty, Greem’s appearance truly horrified the disaster creatures.

The Fourth Grade monstrosities gathered together and silently discussed their plan against the human adepts.