Bang!
The barn door was smashed open, and the temple knights tumbled out in a panic, their silver armor stained with mud and blood, long lost their previous splendor. They didn't even dare to glance back, let alone utter any threats — that black-robed, silver-eyed man just stood there, causing their souls to tremble!
"Quick, run!"
A knight hoarsely shouted, his voice full of fear.
"Back to the Divine Hall! Immediately!"
The priest was being supported by several knights.
His face was ashen, his lips trembling, unable to utter even a complete sentence. His scepter had long shattered, his right hand a bloody mess, but what broke him more was — Athena didn't respond to him!
The gods... have abandoned us?
This thought almost suffocated everyone in the Divine Hall.
The divine spirits gave no answer.
This was truly a blow for the temple knights and priests. They scattered like a frightened group of mice, disappearing into the darkness without looking back.
These once arrogant and overbearing priests, in front of Ian, were as fragile as ants, making it seem as if they only bullied the weak and feared the strong. Ian didn't defeat them with brute force, but with an utterly non-mortal power, completely crushing their faith and dignity.
"Continue, everyone, I haven't heard enough of your exchanges." After chasing away the group disturbing his study, Ian immediately shifted to a gentle tone, speaking to the wizards inside the barn.
The atmosphere in the barn remained heavy.
The wizards, who moments ago were pinned to the ground and about to become captives, were now blankly staring at Ian, seemingly unable to believe what had just occurred.
Someone rubbed their eyes.
Still doubting if they had dreamt it all.
"T-they really ran away..." a female witch wearing a raven mask murmured, her voice trembling, "The people of the Divine Hall... actually fled?"
"And they didn't even dare to threaten..." an old wizard beside her gulped, looking at Ian with a complex gaze, "This...this is simply..."
"Is this... real?"
The young witch murmured to herself.
"He, alone, drove off all the people of the Divine Hall?" For the ordinary wizards of this era, defeating the people of the Divine Hall was absolutely not an easy task.
They could borrow the power of the gods, something that wizards who hadn't reached the Legendary Rank couldn't possibly contend with, their feeble magic standing no chance against the crushing divine art.
"Alright, the obstacles are gone, let's continue the gathering." Ian lightly brushed the non-existent dust off his sleeve, speaking casually, as if he had just swatted away a group of pesky flies.
"Should we... should we really continue the gathering?" someone finally asked cautiously. This question seemed to ignite a fuse, plunging everyone back into silence.
After all, the previous event had exceeded the scope of their understanding. But what frightened them more was — this person dared to directly challenge the Divine Hall! What does this mean? It means he isn't afraid of Olympus's wrath, and it possibly means he could attract even more terrifying retribution.
"Of course we should continue." Ian's voice resounded, calm yet firm.
The crowd jolted, turning their gazes towards him.
"Are you afraid the Divine Hall will retaliate?" Ian swept his gaze around, the corners of his mouth slightly upturned, "I understand your concerns. But if you give up your ambitions just because of a minor conflict, then you are not worthy of being called wizards."
He spoke bluntly, but no one dared to refute. Because they all knew, if Ian hadn't intervened, they would have likely been dragged to the Divine Hall tonight, facing judgment, exile, or even death.
"W-we will..." the raven-masked witch hesitated for a moment, finally taking a deep breath, mustering the courage to say, "...continue."
The others exchanged glances.
And also nodded in agreement.
Their lives were saved by Ian.
Moreover... who would dare defy this legend? The atmosphere in the barn gradually relaxed, but unlike the secretive transactions earlier, the wizards were now completely open in their exchanges.
No more talk about transactions and deals.
The wizards satisfied Ian's thirst for knowledge — they suspected Ian might be a wizard who had been asleep for many years, trying to understand the new era, unaware that they were the ancient wizards to Ian. Ian just enjoyed learning about their ancient magic knowledge, much of which had become lost over time.
Thus, amidst a mix of apprehension and anticipation, the gathering resumed. This time, no one spoke of trades, and no one held back their contributions.
They knew Ian's strength far exceeded their imagination, and his knowledge was even more profound. Rather than trying to exchange some low-level magic to gain his attention,
they'd better directly present their most genuine research findings.
Perhaps they might even receive guidance.
"Sir..." a tall, slender wizard respectfully approached Ian, presenting a yellowed ancient parchment book with both hands, hoping to gain Ian's favor, "This is a treasured 'Ancient Elemental Manipulation Skill' of our school, recording the elemental magic theory from the Third Era, perhaps it could be of use to you."
Ian accepted the ancient book, casually flipping through a few pages, his eyes flickering slightly.
"Hmm, interesting."
He nodded.
While reading about ancient magic.
He also revealed some new research findings that ancient wizards of later generations couldn't grasp.