Age of Adepts

Suddenly, Greem understood why the Great Adepts were so out of tune with the planar consciousness.

At the Great Adept level, the former mystery and majesty of the planar worlds vanished without a trace. Even something as massive as the planar consciousness was no more than a subject of a Great Adept’s curiosity and research.

The Great Adepts had their own self-consciousness. Naturally, they refused to be influenced and controlled by a planar consciousness like puppets on a string. Their powerful and resilient Spirits had been developed to the limits of a world, allowing them to resist the influence of the planar consciousness.

More importantly, the power they had gathered within them had grown too large. The principle powers they wielded were also enough to affect the world deeply. When such powerful existences remained in a plane, it was not a blessing for that planar world. In fact, on most occasions, these individuals became the most significant burden on a plane world.

Consequently, Great Adepts and the world consciousness of the World of Adepts were like a quarreling couple. The Great Adepts were incredibly powerful but were limited by the principles of the plane; they did not dare exert too much force in their actions. Meanwhile, the world consciousness was like a nagging wife, always hovering at their ears and telling them what they couldn’t and shouldn’t do. Over time, it was only natural that neither could stand the presence of the other.

The Great Adepts were forced to leave for the realms beyond and cut off most of the connection with their homeworld. A planar consciousness could only continue sustaining the principle system’s various functions across a giant planar world after these problematic elements had been weeded out.

Following this line of thought, Greem figured that the planar consciousness’ blessing over him would not last for long.

The World of Adepts currently faced the threat of the magic surge. It desperately needed a powerful aide that could help it repel the invasion of these foreign civilizations. That was why its relationship with Greem was in the honeymoon phase- so intimate that others were jealous to see it.

However, once the foreign threat had been resolved, overly powerful individuals like Greem would become a thorn in the planar consciousness’ side. It would most certainly employ every means possible to force him out of the plane. If Greem held back and kept a low profile, this banishment process would be long and gentle.

If Greem didn’t show restraint and did as he liked by leveraging the favor of the planar consciousness, then this banishment process would be violent and intense. It might even affect and involve the people that Greem trusted and cared for.

Such a process would happen in the World of Adepts once every few hundred years.

The last time it happened, Great Adept Sarubo of the Central Lands had been banished. He had also been the first Great Adept that Greem had come into contact with.

Greem had been somewhat surprised and curious as to the Sarubo Clan’s situation. After all, an incredible prodigy such as Sarubo was the one who founded the clan. The clan should be incredibly influential and powerful! However, his experiences over the years had taught him that the Sarubo Clan’s position in the Central Lands was very shaky. They only barely lived up to their name as a mid-sized clan.

Greem did not know much about the past situation and could not really understand why this was the case.

He finally figured it out now. The reason for the Sarubo Clan’s situation was probably because of fierce suppression by the planar consciousness.

Moreover, Greem’s appearance as a foreign soul that had traveled through the universe to land in the Sarubo Clan wasn’t exactly a coincidence either! It was another means the world consciousness used to further divide and weaken the Sarubo Clan’s forces!

Given that to be the case, Greem’s subtle rise to power and ultimate division with the Sarubo Clan might have been influenced and aided by the planar consciousness behind the scenes.

However, Greem was now growing at a pace so fast that it unnerved the planar consciousness. Perhaps it would begin dividing and suppressing Greem’s forces soon.

It was precisely due to the heights at which he was standing that Greem could see further than any ordinary adept could dream of. In doing so, the planar consciousness lost its mystery in his eyes. Instead, it had become a potential hostile in the future.

That was why Greem appeared so incompatible with the zealous atmosphere around him. While the other adepts were excitedly repelling the disaster creatures’ invasion, Greem was cautiously calculating all the potential risks and gains of his situation.

The disaster aura was slowly being pushed back.

It coiled around the bottom of the valley, gathering in greater strength and struggling with all its might to break through the World of Adepts consciousness’ suppression. Even the four minor Scourge Lords were starting to get restless. They slowly moved toward the frontlines.

A decisive final battle was on the horizon!

At this very moment, Greem frowned. He faintly sensed a hint of danger.

Right as he patted his chest and prepared to transform into a flame giant, a familiar and elderly figure suddenly appeared above the valley.

“No need to be concerned, kid. I’m not here to pick a fight with you this time!”

A familiar elderly face, familiar robes, familiar wizard’s hat, and that familiar principle aura- it was that mysterious adept that had picked a fight with Greem once before!

He was still wearing the same outfit, except his aura did not appear to be as stable as before. From this alone, Greem was sure that this elderly adept was no more than the projected clone of a Great Adept.

The Great Adept hovered in the air and reached his head over to look down the valley. When he sensed the dense disaster aura on the four minor Scourge Lords, a cold and cruel smile couldn’t help but spread over his face.

“Hey, kid, why don’t we do business. If I help you deal with these monsters, could you give me the heart of that many-armed giant?”

“The heart of the many-armed giant?” Greem repeated the question curiously.

The elderly adept was as tiny to him as a bug. It almost seemed like Greem could crush him with just a swat of his palm. However, Greem could sense overwhelming magic energy in that man’s body of an intensity he had never seen before.

The principle battle from last time seemed to have exhausted too much of his Spirit. Consequently, commanding this ridiculous amount of magic energy was like dragging an overloaded cart with a pony. The magic energy had become incredibly volatile and active.

“Indeed! There are four monsters down there. The many-armed giant and the ten-headed ghoul are Fifth Grades in actuality, while the winged serpent drake and the dust elemental are only Fourth Grade. It would be difficult to hunt down even one of them in space, even with the combined force of all the adepts in this world, let alone exterminate all of them,” The elderly adept chuckled coldly. “Since they’ve done us the favor of coming into the World of Adepts now, I say we take this opportunity of their weakness to keep them here forever.”

“That’s two Fifth Grades and two Fourth Grades!” Greem was a little speechless. “They might be significantly weakened, but it’s impossible to kill every last one of them. My offensive power might be enough, but my defense is incredibly lacking. If I rush down there and they pile on me, I will probably be dismembered in just two rounds of attacks!”

The elderly adept continued chuckling.

“No shit. I’m only willing to work with you on account of that powerful Fifth Grade divine fire spell of yours. As I’m sure you’ve figured out by now, this is only an elementium clone I have projected into the World of Adepts. It can only last in this world for another six months if it doesn’t die here today. So, while this perfect opportunity is in front of us, I’ll rush in and blow myself up in the middle of all of them. Given that I completely sucked out all the magic energy from three adept towers earlier, it will be a pleasant surprise for them.

“When that happens, the minor Scourge Lords will be heavily crippled, if not just dead. Given your powers, you should have no problem hunting down one or two of them. I don’t want much else but the heart of that many-armed giant. The rest of the spoils can belong to you. How about that? These conditions are appealing enough, aren’t they?”

“Hss!”

Greem drew in a breath of cold air. He couldn’t help but take two steps back with his giant body. He looked at the elderly adept like he was looking at a monster. The muscles of his face twitched unstoppably.

No wonder his energy aura seemed so unstable. A mere peak Fourth Grade elementium clone had gone ahead and absorbed all the magic energy from three adept towers and was barely constraining them within his tiny body.

This old adept was probably more of a monster than those minor Scourge Lords down there in the valley!

Moreover, the reason for him having turned himself into such a horrifying elementium bomb was definitely not as simple as he claimed. If he hadn’t chanced on a prey he wanted, if he hadn’t wanted to get his hands on the heart of the many-armed giant, then his plan had probably been to blow himself up along with Greem.

Even Greem couldn’t help but break out in cold sweat at this thought. Once again, he had experienced the Great Adepts’ creative and unrestrained ways of doing things.

“Yes or no. Just give me an answer! This body of mine can’t hold on for much longer,” The elderly adept said impatiently. “Heheh, I’m sure you know the consequences of rejecting me!”

Greem could only negotiate helplessly, “Give me one more day. I need to prepare a few things! We will strike one day from now!”

“Very well, one day it shall be! As we agreed, once I blow up, you will keep the heart of the many-armed giant. I will come find you and retrieve it after this is all settled.”

The space around the adept warped strangely. He vanished without a trace.

The entire conversation was clean and concise, and the adept’s invisibility power was oddly powerful. It resembled a spell and an innate ability at the same time, yet it did not radiate even a hint of elementium. If it weren’t for the senses between the principle powers, even Greem would have trouble detecting his presence.

Since they were going to strike at the disaster creatures, Greem really did have to make a few preparations. Moreover, it was best to pull back the Fourth Grades of the Central Lands before they struck, to prevent any collateral damage.

These individuals were all the Central Lands had. After everything they had been through, they were finally starting to acknowledge Greem as their leader. If possible, it was best not to use them as cannon fodder!

Greem thought to himself.