Chapter 161: City of Saints

In this war that took place in the cosmic void, the Holy Council lost over a thousand Fifth-grade Archmages, which could be considered a heavy loss.

But in comparison, the Star Alliance was defeated utterly completely; their hundred thousand personnel died out completely, a thousand warships were destroyed, and the only thing that escaped was the shattered Planet A.

Digital Life Histe recorded the entire battle process without missing a single detail, including Lin Lei’s world-shocking strike later on!

This caused the methods he had originally formed to deal with these Energy Controllers to be declared ineffective. Because according to Histe’s estimation, this newly appeared Energy Controller had, in a certain sense, approached a Pan-dimensional Creature!

Facing this high-level form of life, the Star Alliance had no way to deal with it other than the Mother Planet’s super War Fortress.

However, the super War Fortress was the foundation ensuring the Star Alliance’s stability and could not be moved lightly. Moreover, its energy strike range was only within the Galaxy, so it was power less against the Andromeda Galaxy, which was over two million Light Years away.

The Watcher Civilization was not incapable of building another super fortress and coming to attack the Andromeda Galaxy, but the cost of building a super fortress was too great. Furthermore, there was not just one Watcher Civilization, but three. To whom would this newly built super fortress belong?

This kind of super strategic power was not like Planet A, which was insignificant; it was a destroyer of the Galaxy’s balance!

This was not a matter of trust and understanding between the Watcher Civilizations; it was simply that they could not use the race’s future as a bet.

Leaving aside Histe on Planet A fleeing back to the Galaxy in a wretched state, the world of Energy Controllers in the Andromeda Galaxy was stirred up by a storm.

Among this, the most attention-grabbing was, of course, the super strong expert who suddenly rose within the Free Mage Alliance, Archmage Lin Lei.

When all the mages who participated in the war returned to the Main Plane, they all faintly felt an omen that a change was coming.

Because this battle not only produced a super strong expert, but it also let these mages see the civilization of another world. The supreme uniqueness theory of the Main Plane that the Holy Council had always preached suffered a ruthless mockery from reality.

In the mage world of the Main Plane, a current of thought began to surge: Mages only pursue the truth! The world of mages has nothing to do with Deities!

This thought rose so quickly that it almost caught the Holy Council off guard. In reality, even many Archmages in the Council supported this view.

Ptolemy now greatly regretted this battle against the Abyss creatures. Not only did the Holy Council not gain the slightest benefit from this battle, but it also faced the heaviest crisis since the Council’s founding. This shook the very foundation.

What made matters worse was that on the Free Mage Alliance side, after Merlin returned to the Mongillo Planet, he immediately summoned the various elders of the Free Mages, preparing to hand over the position and let Lin Lei become the Alliance’s new leader.

The Mongillo Planet, this remote planet, was currently very lively. Most of the mages coming here were not members of the Alliance; they just came admiring his reputation, wanting to see the true face of the youngest and rumored most powerful mage in history.

Among them, there were even many Archmages of the Holy Council, especially those who had participated in the Abyss War; most of them had come over.

At this moment, in the Round Table Council Hall within the Mage Castle, sat ten old mages with snow-white hair and beards. Merlin was among them.

Among this group of old mages, Lin Lei looked exceptionally conspicuous. Here, he was the only one whose appearance was that of a young man, and he was somewhat excessively young.

These ten old mages were all elders of the Alliance, and every single one of them was a Sixth-grade Archmage.

When they looked at people, they never looked at appearances. Their experience and knowledge told them that this black-haired young man fully had the strength to sit here.

As the leader, Merlin spoke first: “Archmage Lin Lei is a true genius. He has now become a very powerful Immortal. Even Ptolemy, the leader of the Holy Council, is respectful when facing him.”

“At the same time, he is also a member of the Free Mage Alliance. I believe Archmage Lin Lei has enough ability and prestige to serve as the Alliance’s new leader and lead the Alliance to glory!”

Merlin made this decision after deep consideration. Lin Lei’s philosophy was basically the same as his—open and free—which was exactly what Free Mages pursued.

Of course, just because he understood Lin Lei did not mean the other elders did. Although the elders had no objections to Lin Lei’s power, they also cared about whether the beliefs Lin Lei insisted on aligned with the interests of the Alliance.

If a powerful person could become the leader just because of their strength, then there was no need for the Alliance to exist; they might as well seek shelter under Ptolemy of the Holy Council.

An old mage prepared to stand up and speak tremblingly, as if he would fall over if the wind blew. This was because his body was already very aged, but the mages present all knew his power; he was absolutely the most powerful Sixth-grade Mage in the venue. Even the leader Merlin had to admit inferiority.

His name was Muhisang, and he was already 296 years old. Seeing this, Lin Lei quickly supported him with energy in secret, without showing any energy fluctuations.

Only Muhisang and Lin Lei himself knew what happened in this instant.

A flash of surprise went through Muhisang’s heart. Indeed, just this skill of fine energy control was something he had never seen in his life. This young man was indeed unfathomable.

He nodded slightly at Lin Lei to express his gratitude, then cleared his throat and said: “Lin Lei, what kind of existence do you think a Mage is?”

Muhisang certainly knew of Lin Lei’s deeds. For a powerful figure like this, a single thought could raise a teaching, and a single thought could also destroy one!

Sometimes, for a small boat like the Alliance, enormous power was not necessarily a good thing. It might be glorious for a while, but in the end, it might lead to the boat being destroyed and the people dying because it could not be controlled!

It was like installing a Warp Engine on a wooden boat; it would definitely end with the wooden boat falling apart.

Muhisang’s question was simple and clear, but it was very difficult to answer, because everyone had their own image of a Mage in their heart.

Lin Lei thought for a moment, then spoke cautiously: “Mages are extraordinary existences. What they pursue should be the truth of this world. Energy is just a means, and Will is our foundation. I think that powerful Mages can be called Saints, the pinnacle of humanity!”

The pinnacle of humanity meant that in essence, they were still human, not Deities!

Muhisang was not satisfied. Although he agreed with Lin Lei’s words, he continued to ask: “Then, how do you view the existence of Main God Phobos?”

“Main God Phobos? So far, other than the Divine Artifact ‘Origin Law’, he has not left any traces in the Main Plane. Deities have not interfered with our pursuit of the world’s essence. I believe that what belongs to Deities should return to Deities, and this Main Plane should belong to Mages!”

These words were somewhat rebellious; it was essentially expelling Deities from the Main Plane!

If fanatics of the Holy Council were here, they would definitely clamor to roast Lin Lei with Inextinguishable Flame for millions of years as the price for blaspheming the Deities.

But those present were all Free Mages, who did not care much about Main God Phobos. Now, they were just shocked by Lin Lei’s boldness.

Indeed, for millions of years, Deities had influenced the Main Plane through the Holy Council enough, and most ordinary people could not even figure out the difference between the Holy Council and the Deities!

Whether it was the Holy Council controlling the Main Plane, or the Deities manipulating things behind the scenes, was a question that even many Archmages found difficult to answer.

Muhisang nodded at Lin Lei, slowly sat back in his seat, and did not speak another word, making it impossible for people to see his true thoughts.

In this old man’s view, Lin Lei, this Archmage, was still too young! Although the views he expressed indeed matched Muhisang’s worldview, he worried that Lin Lei would use radical means in the future and have a major conflict with the Holy Council.

Sacrifice and turmoil were things Muhisang was unwilling to see. From another perspective, Muhisang was just old!

Seeing Muhisang’s attitude, the other Archmages also did not speak, and the meeting scene suddenly fell silent.

Fortunately, Merlin fully supported Lin Lei. This old man’s lifelong wish was the rise of the Alliance. After experiencing the Abyss War, he firmly believed that Lin Lei was the Alliance’s future!

Merlin broke the dull atmosphere and said loudly: “Since everyone has tacitly agreed, Lin Lei becoming the new leader of the Alliance is hereby passed!”

Muhisang opened his mouth, wanting to say that he had not tacitly agreed to this fact, but he suddenly let out a long sigh. Perhaps he was truly old. If the Alliance maintained the status quo, it would only perish in peace. The injection of new blood was necessary, especially such young and vibrant blood!

In an atmosphere that was not very enthusiastic, Lin Lei was just pushed by Merlin onto the position of Alliance leader.

This move was merely a compromise to the Alliance elders present, but in the history of the entire Main Plane, it was the heaviest stroke painted.

The next day, on the Mongillo Planet, which was the Alliance headquarters, Lin Lei officially announced that the Free Mage Alliance would be renamed the City of Saints!

The City of Saints, acting as a ferry boat to the other shore of truth, roamed in the ocean of the Main Plane!

Lin Lei shouted the slogan “Mages have the freedom to pursue the truth and should not have the shackles of Deities placed on their thoughts!” with great intensity.

Once these actions came out, the entire Main Plane was in an uproar. People speculated one after another: what did this past Alliance, now the City of Saints, rely on to go against the Holy Council!

An Immortal? The Holy Council had seven of them! What could one Lin Lei of the City of Saints do?

But very strangely, Ptolemy, the leader of the Holy Council, did not make any response and chose silence!