Chapter 316: The Beach

Chapter 316: The Beach

The sudden appearance of a large number of the Dead on the eastern side of the Southern Coast quieted the quarrel between South Cape and Lianhai. The people who had come to mediate also dispersed amidst great laughter.

People had guessed that the calamity in the South Sea was likely related to Grand Sorcerer Bran. Now, even if the royal families of South Cape and Lianhai still thought about acknowledging their ancestry, they had to first consider the attitude of that living ancestor.

Just when people thought Bran’s punishment would make the Amphibians cease their activities, thick smoke rose from the Southern Coast. The Amphibians abandoned their traditional sea burials and began burning the bodies in a centralized manner. Then they reorganized their army, adopting a posture of a decisive battle.

The allied forces thought this move would surely anger Bran and invite new retaliation, so they each withdrew to their military tents to watch from the sidelines.

Bran took the opportunity to wander around the Southern Coast, and no one disturbed him during this time. Occasionally, one or two notable presences appeared, but they all kept a safe distance from him.

He had wanted to see a scene of large-scale close combat, but the result left him very disappointed. No one took advantage of such a great opportunity. Therefore, Bran no longer held any illusions about these individuals with their differing motives. Especially towards South Cape and Lianhai, Bran gave them an early mark of disapproval.

After making a cursory tour of the Southern Coast, Bran hurried back to Northland City. He had many things to inform his sister about and needed to discuss them with her.

Several days later, Lily in Twinwing City received a letter from Bran. The letter mentioned a strange phenomenon: fellow Great Wizards who had also been tempered through endless ages had vastly different levels of strength. Moreover, they actually did not carry the Fruit with them.

The Wizards of the Amphibians clearly possessed Source Mana within them, yet they could not truly wield its power. When they used that mana, there was a sense of awkwardness and unfamiliarity.

Our abilities and mana should fit together perfectly; in fact, mana and ability have made me who I am now—they have become one within me.

But it was not so for those people; there was some deviation between their mana and abilities. Even though the accumulation of years had granted them vast mana, in my eyes, it seemed more like a piece of succulent fresh meat. Furthermore, the disparity in strength among these people was too great, and the degree of compatibility with mana varied widely.

Bran suspected there might be some conspiracy behind this. If they were all of this caliber, he thought that he and his sister, along with Huahua, could directly raid their stronghold. But he also worried about encountering a strong opponent like Xina; a few more like him would definitely be more than the siblings could handle…

Speaking of that Monster in the sea—Xina—Bran believed he was a genuine Great Wizard. He was still difficult to deal with, but he was too afraid of death and was scared off by Bran’s madness during their life-and-death struggle. After the battle, Bran obtained part of Xina’s body and hoped she could send someone to collect some of it. He particularly emphasized that they must send several with passable strength, because many birds and beasts were very interested in these remains.

Compared to the arrogant Amphibians, Bran found the beings hidden beneath the dense fog along the Demon Clan’s coast much more interesting. If she couldn’t get away, Bran was willing to investigate a bit for her.

She shouldn’t even think about such a thing! That area was her territory, and it wasn’t her brother’s place to interfere. Besides, if all the fun things were done by her brother, that would be too boring.

Bran said he began to miss his former flesh-and-blood body. Now he could only feel the sweetness of mana; everything else was merely different sensations. He knew that should be bitterness, so it was bitter. He said this was fine too; mana was everywhere, so his world was forever filled with sweetness and fragrance.

Having been immersed in the Sea of Magic for some time, Bran said his spirit and soul were likely wrapped within the Fruit, just as it had once protected part of his flesh. He felt he had never broken out of a certain pattern—from initially forming a core within his body to now, where the Fruit seemed to have become a new core. If given the chance, he would try to shatter this core to see if something interesting would happen.

He also said that recently he discovered his body seemed like a bottomless pit, capable of holding many things without showing it. He said this might be because there was some kind of passage or spatial barrier between the Mortal World and the Sea of Magic, and part of him happened to be in this position.

Putting down the letter, Lily sighed and then began to envy Bran, envying his freedom to wander again. The Ancient Tree “Guardian” in Twinwing City had finally shown a reaction, preventing her from leaving for the time being.

Most of the Little Wizards in the city had already left, but none had returned; most of them were wandering in the wilderness. Relying on their own power, they continuously explored unknown areas.

Everyone knew that once they returned to Twinwing City, it would be hard to leave again, so these Little Wizards diligently reported their safety while also claiming they were at a critical juncture and urgently needed trials in the wild.

Recently, several more Ancient Trees had “unintentionally” wandered to Twinwing City and, attracted by its beautiful environment, wanted to settle there. While pleased, this also made Lily feel pressure. These Ancient Trees would likely become lifelong companions; these magical creatures were natural allies of the Great Wizards. From the moment they accepted her mana, both sides were destined to share life and death.

On this point, Lily couldn’t help but admire her brother. Her brother, who never really trusted intuition, had actually followed the guidance of mana and befriended the Ancient Trees in advance. This truly provided much convenience for her and the later Little Wizards. These Ancient Trees always showed a relaxed and casual attitude towards her, a feeling like facing family.

With Ancient Trees stationed in the city, the mana became more active. She was following the methods of Bran and Huahua, connecting herself to the Ancient Trees through mana. They opened their minds to each other to further understand this World.

Some members of the Demon Clan were summoned into the city by her, such as Kehan, Mela, and the Cannibals led by Rio.

Now, Rio had finally gotten his wish. He and the remaining Cannibals became the gatekeepers of Divine Abode City. They no longer had to live in fear, nor would they be despised for their tattered clothes. They stood at the city gate, chests out and heads high, their armor plated with a layer of golden light under the radiance of the divine.

Although they could only live on the city’s outskirts and were mostly not allowed to wander freely in the city center, this already filled Rio with joy.

The name “Cannibals” was gradually fading, replaced by a relatively neutral title—Gatekeepers. Being the Gatekeepers of the divine was the greatest reward for people like Rio.

However, a peaceful life didn’t seem to suit him. Every day, standing at the city gate, Rio actually began to miss war and the taste of fresh flesh and blood during battle.