Before Aladdin could cry out, a petite figure swiftly blocked his path.
Dazzling flashes of swords and blades flickered and vanished, sparks flew, and the clang of metal echoed through the desolate desert.
When Aladdin opened his eyes again, he saw that all the warriors had fallen.
The warriors' corpses had wide, terrified eyes, as if they had seen the most horrifying monster in their lives.
Standing amidst the corpses and blood was Aurora, with her golden hair and blue eyes.
From her sword in her right hand, drops of crimson blood flowed down the blade, eventually gathering into a single drop and falling to the ground.
"Wow, the fairy sister from the treasure vault is actually so powerful!" Aladdin was stunned.
Seeing the golden-haired girl in front of him effortlessly dispatch all 13 warriors, even the usually calm and composed Ender Emperor felt as if he was facing a formidable enemy.
Those were some of Ender Kingdom's most elite warriors!
As the Emperor of the Western Continent's largest empire, he had witnessed countless powerful warriors, and even non-human monsters like dragons and giants.
Yet, never had a human or monster been as powerful as the girl before him, who, by merely standing there, made him feel a dread akin to the end of the world.
Is this still human?
Even a giant dragon couldn't do that, could it?
"Your Excellency is truly valiant. Where are you from?" The Emperor maintained his composure and asked, "There should be no enmity between us, should there?"
"Indeed, you don't recognize me." Aurora seemed a little regretful. "But I've seen your likeness more than once in portraits!"
She approached step by step, her blood-stained sword raised:
"I am Aurora, the Crown Princess of the Rose Kingdom.
Before, your army invaded our land. Now, I've come to settle the score with you!"
The Emperor frowned and snorted coldly.
In the past, facing the unimaginably powerful Aurora, he would have felt genuine despair.
But now, the Godly Lamp with infinite magic was in his hands!
"You seem quite confident in your ability to kill me. However, I don't advise you to raise your weapon against me."
After the Emperor finished speaking, he quickly rubbed the Godly Lamp in his hand.
Clouds of mist surged from the Godly Lamp's mouth, instantly coalescing into a colossal and majestic Lamp God.
"Respected and great Master, please give your command."
"I command you to defeat that girl and prevent her from harming me," the Emperor ordered the Lamp God.
The Lamp God then cast a spell. Instantly, a fierce wind swept through, the sky darkened, and sand and stones flew.
In just the blink of an eye, the golden-haired girl who had been brandishing her sword and preparing to charge was transformed into a stone statue.
"Is this the magic of the Godly Lamp? Is it truly this powerful?"
The Ender Emperor then looked at Aladdin, who was squatting nearby, nearly fainting from fright, and commanded the Lamp God:
"Turn that boy into a stone statue as well. Then, shatter both stone statues and make them disappear forever."
The next second, the Emperor's wish was granted again.
A black wind swept by, and Aladdin also turned into a stone statue.
With a crash, both stone statues simultaneously shattered into thousands of pieces, and then the broken stones sank beneath the yellow sand, forever hidden from the light of day.
The Ender Emperor was overjoyed; the Godly Lamp's magic even exceeded his imagination. He could no longer suppress the excitement in his heart, abandoning his previous calm demeanor and laughing uncontrollably.
"Haha, this is the Godly Lamp! The Godly Lamp with infinite magic!"
"This continent is mine!"
He made another wish to the Godly Lamp to return to Ender Kingdom, and with a dizzying sensation, the surroundings rapidly changed.
...
In the real world.
Aurora and Aladdin watched as the Ender Emperor held a dirty oil lamp, making various wishes to it, but nothing happened.
Yet, the man laughed happily, completely ignoring Aurora and Aladdin, and obliviously mounted his horse, heading towards Ender Kingdom in the west.
"When he returns to his country, he'll believe it was the Godly Lamp's magic that sent him back."
Rhine had appeared behind Aurora at some point and explained.
"Teacher, did you cast a spell on that fake Godly Lamp and hypnotize the Ender Emperor, making him believe his wishes came true?" Aurora guessed.
"Something like that." Rhine didn't elaborate on the spell on the fake Godly Lamp.
Anyway, it wouldn't be long before he heard some special news from Ender Kingdom!
Just thinking about the foolish things the Emperor would do after being hypnotized by the spell, Rhine felt a faint urge to laugh.
Rhine then looked at Aladdin, who was slumped on the ground, completely bewildered by what had just happened.
"Aladdin, those villains are either dead or hypnotized. You can go home now in peace."
"Ah... okay," Aladdin said happily, then his expression suddenly changed, and he became dejected.
"No, I was brought here by the fake uncle, and I don't remember the way home at all!"
Saying this, Aladdin lowered his head again, as if about to cry.
"Who said you had to go home by yourself?"
Rhine gently tapped his heel, and a silver whirlwind enveloped the three of them. Countless colors swirled in the wind, and Aladdin seemed to see mountains, rivers, and land rushing past him. In the blink of an eye, he found himself back at his doorstep.
"This... this is my home?" Aladdin exclaimed, looking at the familiar doorway.
He had followed the fake uncle for many days, crossing several mountains and multiple rivers, before reaching the desert where the Godly Lamp was sealed.
And now, in just a blink of an eye, he was home?
"Thank you, fairies from the treasure vault. I didn't expect you would even send me home!" Aladdin was overjoyed and turned to open the door.
Rhine gently held Aladdin back and admonished him again:
"Don't forget, you have dozens of gems in your pocket. Each one is rare in the world; even the smallest gem is much more beautiful and larger than the biggest gem in a jewelry store.
They are enough for you to become a wealthy man, rich enough to rival a nation. Treat your mother well from now on, and learn more knowledge."
He then took off the ring on his index finger, placed it in Aladdin's hand, and told him:
"This ring contains magical power. Although it may not compare to that Godly Lamp, it is also incredibly wondrous. Rub it a few times, and you can summon a majestic and enormous Lamp God.
If you need anything, let this Ring Genie help you.
But remember, do not let the Ring Genie do evil deeds. Otherwise, punishment will surely come!"
Aladdin nodded, carefully remembering Rhine's teachings.
He felt the heavy gems in his pocket, then put the cold ring on his index finger, looked at his familiar doorstep, and recalled his previous adventure...
He remembered the evil and cunning magician who had disguised himself as his uncle, the magnificent hall and the garden filled with gem-bearing fruits in the treasure vault, and the Emperor who had obtained the fake Godly Lamp and was mad with joy. It felt like a grand dream.
With a nervous heart, Aladdin took a deep breath and opened the door.
As soon as he opened the door, he saw his mother working at the sewing machine.
"Mom, I'm home!"
Aladdin's mother was overjoyed to see her son return, tears streaming down her face:
"Aladdin, you're finally back.
After your uncle took you away, I thought you'd be back that same day. I didn't expect you to be gone for so many days. I was so worried!"
It turned out that from the day 'uncle' took Aladdin away, Aladdin's mother had been uneasy. When her son didn't return the next day, she became even more anxious. After her son was missing for many days, she was completely in tears.
She sought out neighbors and learned people in the city, recounting the story of her son's disappearance. Everyone told her that her son might have met with misfortune and wouldn't return, advising her to be mentally prepared.
Now, with Aladdin suddenly returning home, his mother felt as if joy had fallen from the sky.
Aladdin told his mother:
"No. That person wasn't my uncle at all. He was an evil magician who deceived us!
He almost killed me."
Hearing this, his mother was terrified. She hugged young Aladdin, stroking his head:
"My child, you've suffered. How did you escape from him?"
Aladdin smiled and said, "I have to thank the two fairies I met in the treasure vault; they were incredibly powerful!"
As he spoke, he turned and pointed behind him, only to find that Rhine and Aurora had left at some unknown time. The small alley by the door was empty, with no sign of anyone.
"They're gone?" Aladdin was utterly bewildered.
If he couldn't still feel the heavy gems in his pocket, he would have suspected he had been dreaming.
Oh, right, the gems!
To his mother's astonished gaze, Aladdin took out all the gems from his pocket and bag and placed them on the table.
"Mom, we're rich now. These are priceless gems, thousands of times more beautiful than the ones in jewelry stores. Selling even one can get us a lot of money. You don't have to work so hard anymore."
His mother, seeing so many beautiful gems for the first time, thought of her past hardships and cried tears of joy.
She hugged Aladdin again, kissed his forehead, and felt that her child seemed to have become much more sensible after this journey.
Later, Aladdin and his mother lived a comfortable life. Although their financial situation greatly improved, the mother and son never squandered or wasted.
Aladdin also seemed to have grown up, no longer associating with idle, disreputable people.
To sell the gems, Aladdin befriended several businessmen and frequently visited the market, paying attention to how merchants conducted their business. Unknowingly, he learned the art of doing business.
Aladdin became more familiar with the market day by day, and later became an excellent businessman. He sold the three smallest gems among them, using the money as capital for his business, and single-mindedly opened up business avenues, gradually becoming a well-known wealthy merchant. After becoming wealthy, Aladdin would also help his poor friends, earning unanimous praise from the neighbors.
Aladdin also didn't forget that Rhine had given him a magic ring, but he remembered Rhine's words and never dared to abuse the ring's magic.
It is said that later, relying on his status as a wealthy merchant and the magic of the Ring Genie, Aladdin was favored by the Emperor, who married his princess to him. However, that is a story for another time.
One day, Aladdin recalled the foreign Emperor taking the fake Godly Lamp.
"I wonder which country that foreign Emperor was from? Was he really an Emperor? What happened to him later?"
"I really should have asked the two fairies from the treasure vault more at the time."
"Tomorrow, I can ask a friend about this."
...
Meanwhile, on the other side, the Ender Emperor made a wish to the Godly Lamp, and with a blink of an eye, he indeed found himself back in his country.
He returned to the palace, sat on his throne, and held the stained Godly Lamp, cherishing it.
The Emperor then rubbed the surface of the Godly Lamp.
The colossal and majestic Lamp God appeared again, its lower body a rushing current of air, its upper body draped in white cloth:
"My Master, do you have any wishes?"
After a brief moment of thought on his phrasing, the Emperor said:
"I want to become the King of the World."
As he made this wish, the Ender Emperor was a little nervous, as he wasn't sure if the Lamp God had enough magic to directly make him the King of the World.
Of course, if the Lamp God stated it was powerless, he could make many smaller wishes, winning war after war through these wishes, and gradually ruling the continent!
Unexpectedly, the Lamp God readily agreed:
"Master, your wish has been granted."
The Emperor was both surprised and delighted.
It's already granted?
With a wave of the Lamp God's hand, the Emperor saw visions of various parts of the world appear before him: Western Countries, Middle Eastern Countries, and the Far East Empire.
Those nations had all changed to Ender Kingdom's flag, with purple and gold interwoven flags fluttering in the wind.
The Emperor was half-believing, half-doubting, when he saw a minister enter to report:
"Your Majesty, the King of the Rose Kingdom and the King of the Sea Kingdom will soon arrive at Ender Kingdom's imperial city port!"
"What are they coming for?" The Emperor asked, puzzled.
"Your Majesty, of course, they're coming to pay tribute. Isn't this an annual event?" the minister said.
"That's right. Now Your Majesty is the Emperor of the entire continent; all the kings across the continent are subservient to Your Majesty!" another minister said.
Indeed, soon after, the two kings arrived at Ender Kingdom's imperial city.
The herald blew his horn, flute music drifted down from the tall buildings, and flags fluttered in the wind.
The two kings arrived at the imperial palace and presented lavish gifts to the Ender Emperor.
The Sea Kingdom's delegation also brought many beautiful pearls—they all came from the Sea Kingdom, which was now naturally subservient to Ender Kingdom.
"That Godly Lamp really did grant my wish!" The Emperor was half-shocked, half-ecstatic.
From then on, kings came to pay tribute every day, bringing gifts from their respective nations. Magicians from all over the continent served the Emperor, becoming his subjects and advisors.
The Emperor also occasionally visited the people in other lands. No matter where, the people held him in immense reverence.
From then on, the Emperor cherished the Godly Lamp even more. He slept every day holding the stained Godly Lamp, not daring to let go for a moment, fearing that the Godly Lamp might be stolen at any time and his dream would shatter.
Indeed, one night, the Godly Lamp's Lamp God suddenly appeared on its own and said to the Ender Emperor:
"My Master, your eldest prince is plotting a rebellion, wanting to seize your throne and the Godly Lamp, and replace you as the Master of the World!"