Mage Manual

At the same time, Ruby Mountain.

This mountain, washed by the waters of the Flowing Gold River for countless years, has never lost its color. Now the top is like it's been drizzled with a dreamy milky white syrup. The milky syrup covers the scarlet crystals below, the layers transitioning from thick to thin from the mountain top to the foothill. From a distance, it looks like a creative dessert, one that's both strawberry and milk flavored.

But upon closer inspection, one would find that the milky syrup is just a layer of faint light near the ground. Yet this faint light causes legendary mages trying to climb either to weep, to dance with joy, to be heartbroken, or to be furious!

On the mountainside, the limbs of Mercury Wooden Horse gradually ascend the mountain.

She had only advanced a few steps when her body suddenly trembled as if an electric current passed through her. Strong emotions of maternal love, joy, and anticipation continuously assaulted her mind. She seemingly saw herself holding an ugly newborn baby, filled with happiness for its birth on earth and sincerely wished for the child to grow up happily—

Tactile Secret Technique - Wooden Horse Tower!

Her soul rippled with a mercury-colored wave, and then her emotions gradually waned until rationality regained its dominance. Simultaneously, at least tens of thousands of female believers of the Four Pillars God Sect suddenly felt an urge of maternal love, desperately wanting to find something cute to quell their inner desires.

The figure of Mercury Wooden Horse gradually stabilized, then continued to climb Ruby Mountain. Even though she didn't know the progress of others, she knew she was definitely in the first sequence, possibly even the fastest!

Of course, Mercury Wooden Horse wasn't a Legendary Mage. At this moment, she only occupied the soul of the Legendary Mage 'Destiny Extinguisher' Oleva the Berserk of the War Holy Temple. Usually, she wouldn't interfere with the Void Realm Exploration of her subordinates, but regarding the Divine Lord inheritance, she naturally had to step in herself.

If the Divine Lord inheritance is too difficult, she might give up, but the problem is that among the four inheritances appearing in the Void Realm this time, the heritage of the Thousand Wishes Mirage Master is the least difficult for her!

Compared to other Angel inheritances, the testing method of the Thousand Wishes Mirage Master is extremely simple and straightforward, not complex at all—just climb to the top of the mountain and seize the 'Heart of Wishes' left by Him to inherit His Divine Country.

For this, He temporarily suppressed the 'Infinite Extension' property of Ruby Mountain, and during this open inheritance period, Ruby Mountain wouldn't be endless like before. In theory, if you're willing to walk, you could reach the top of the mountain in two hours!

The challenge He presented was this layer of milky white faint light covering the upper half of Ruby Mountain.

Initially, the mages didn't know what it was, but as they continued to climb and breach, information about this faint light gradually flowed into their hearts.

This faint light originates from a Secret Realm projection called 'Wish Pool' in the Heavenly Kingdom of the Thousand Wishes Mirage Master!

Mages hadn't heard of the Wish Pool before; however, like the Flowing Gold River, the Great Path, and Fate Q&A, it is a World Secret Domain that connects reality and the Void Realm. It has accumulated the wishes of countless wise beings over millions of years, with each sincere wish transforming into a light point stored in the Wish Pool. After countless years, the Wish Pool has become an ocean of light.

The layer of faint light spread over Ruby Mountain isn't even one in ten thousand of the Wish Pool.

Mages who come into contact with the Wish Light are overwhelmed by the wishes within it. Mildly, their will becomes confused, preventing progress; severely, their personality shifts drastically, taking others' wishes as their own!

Theoretically, the Wish Light is merely an attack from the Spirit Faction, and Legendary Mages generally possess methods to resist the Spirit Faction, so they should easily bypass the Wish Light.

However, whether it's due to a wonder transformation by the Thousand Wishes Mirage Master or a qualitative change brought by the Wish Pool itself, the current Wish Light unexpectedly embeds the mysteries of the Fate Faction. Though mages might be immune to the mental shock within it, they cannot evade the fate pollution inside!

The Fate Faction is one of the most mysterious magic factions; most Legendary Mages haven't even seen, let alone defended, against it. How could they contend with the fate wonder left by the Thousand Wishes Mirage Master?

But precisely because of this, the desire for the Divine Lord inheritance burned even brighter for the Legendary Mages. Even if previously they didn't understand what they could do with the Heavenly Kingdom, now the Wish Pool is already an irresistible temptation for them—it's a World Secret Domain that can elucidate the mysteries of fate!

By acquiring the Wish Pool, they could not only cultivate the Fate Faction but also—who knows?—the Wish Pool might be akin to the Flowing Gold River and autonomously produce Fate Technique Spirits!

Unlike other Legendary Mages who can only endure the Wish Light, Mercury Wooden Horse has a way to alleviate the Wish Light's pollutive assault!

Her Tactile Mercury Wooden Horse doesn't merely control others; it connects everyone's soul into an integrated whole, within which she can freely traverse. When her avatar sustains physical harm, she can only withdraw and escape, but since the Wish Light pollutes the soul, she can use the secret technique 'Wooden Horse Tower' to distribute the pollution across a thousand, ten thousand, and even a million individuals!

However, this secret technique is like a champagne tower; only when the topmost glass is full will it overflow. Hence, pollution can only be distributed to others when Oleva's soul can no longer bear it.

Nevertheless, Mercury Wooden Horse finds it much easier than other Legendary Mages. Only when the concentration of Wish Light reaches a level that instantly overwhelms Oleva's soul will she be unable to continue climbing.

She reckons that she must hone the Fate Faction to the Gold level within the Wish Light for her to possibly climb to the top and seize the Heart of Wishes.

But with the aid of the Tactile Secret Technique, she should be able to climb to the top by elevating only the Fate Faction to the Silver level!

As for the talent in fate, Oleva might not possess it, but Mercury Wooden Horse herself is a Prophet Mage!

The three mysterious magics of fate, prophecy, and truth are intertwined; if there's any talent in fate, perhaps only Truth Mage might surpass her!

Mercury Wooden Horse raised her head and looked at the shimmering Heart of Wishes at the summit of Ruby Mountain.

It's interesting to note that ever since the commencement of the Divine Lord inheritance, the angelic phantom that typically appears at the peak has vanished, much to the regret of many Legendary Mages. After all, every Legendary Mage knows the legend: When you condense Colorless Void Wings, find the angel atop Ruby Mountain, and it will open an even higher trial for you.

Achieving the Divine Lord inheritance and breaking the mortal-divine barrier to become a demigod simultaneously would be the best outcome.

However, Mercury Wooden Horse didn't care about this; she merely wanted the Heavenly Kingdom of the Thousand Wishes Mirage Master and that empty concept.

She wouldn't feel safe as long as she couldn't capture Ash and Silver Lamp. She lived in fear daily, afraid that she might lose her Tactile Throne the next moment, that the Four Pillars God Sect might fall under Ash or Silver Lamp's control, and that she'd have to flee in panic... not to mention that Black Crow staring at her...

If she obtained the Heavenly Kingdom, she would have a way out! If she acquired the empty concept, she could even advance further!

"No matter if it's Ash, Silver Lamp, or the Four Pillars God..." Mercury Wooden Horse continued to climb beyond the Wish Light, "I won't always be a powerless weakling... Never!"

*

*

"Are you Meiwa?" the little witch asked curiously.

Ash was very sure that if Igula were present, he would definitely mock him with biting sarcasm—Haha, Ash, it's your turn to be mistaken for Meiwa!

"No." Ash said, "I really don't know why they like me..."

"Ah, here it is, Meiwa's classic line, 'I don't know why he likes me'! And saying it with such innocent naivety!" The little witch pointed at Ash in shock.

But soon she giggled, patting Ash on the shoulder, she said, "I'm just joking. I also know Meiwa only exists as females, there haven't been any male Meiwa in fairy tales."

Ash blinked, thinking the little witch's personality was truly... whimsical.

"But, why in the picture I'm drawing, there are you and four sisters you're in love with?" The little witch tilted her head, "Do you have any relationship with me?"

Ash recalled the attitude of the little Sword Maiden earlier, hesitated for a moment, then said, "Can I not tell you? It's not related to your drawing."

"Let me guess then." The little witch paused, then said, "Are you actually my son, and those four sisters my daughters-in-law?"

Ash was startled, "Why would I be your son?"

"Because I feel quite familiar with you, giving me a family feeling, yet you're not my brother or sister. If you said it's true, that my memory was blocked, then the likeliest scenario is you're my son, right?" The little witch replied matter-of-factly.

"Why don't you guess that I'm your father?"

"...Because I don't think I have four mothers?"

Watching melodramas may make children violent, reading fairy tales makes them imaginative… Ash shook his head, thinking the Sword Maiden Witch was just an exception, not an issue with melodramas and fairy tales.

Nonetheless, the little witch seemed to be in a good state, so Ash reached out to rub her head, "Be good, draw your picture, and we can leave."

The little witch squinted slightly, tiptoed, and leaned up, "Rub a little more."

"Will you draw after I finish rubbing?"

"Yes."

Suddenly, a stomping sound came from the side. Ash looked over, finding the little Sword Maiden stomping her feet. When Ash looked at her, she immediately stopped and glanced at the whiteboard, only to watch them with side glances. Her cute little gestures made Ash involuntarily chuckle to himself.

At this moment, the little witch suddenly said, "Actually, those four sisters are just me, right?"