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Translator: AnubisTL
Faced with this sudden betrayal, the recruited wizards initially reacted with shock and panic.
But as formal wizards, they possessed the necessary mental fortitude and willpower.
They swiftly suppressed their instinctive emotions, forcing themselves to remain calm. Cold rationality instantly regained dominance, allowing them to swiftly analyze the situation.
Their gazes sharpened as they cautiously scanned their temporary allies, wary of potential double betrayals.
Yet with remarkable coordination, they collectively focused the bulk of their vigilance and surging killing intent on Levin Mills and Jack's group, who hovered in the air, their condescending smiles reminiscent of cats toying with mice.
Amidst the chaos, only Jieming remained conspicuously calm, as if everything unfolding before him had been anticipated.
This unsettling feeling had taken root in his mind back at the camp plaza, when Jack had approached him with an unsolicited invitation.
While a brief greeting after a long separation might have been understandable, Jack's proactive approach in the plaza struck Jieming as excessively enthusiastic.
Initially, Jieming hadn't given it much thought. But after learning the details of the so-called "rescue mission," a question surfaced in his mind:
If they simply needed manpower to assist with the search and expand the reconnaissance range, hiring a small number of second-tier wizards would be the most cost-effective approach.
Yet Jack, Levin Mills, and the rest of their party made no secret of their dissatisfaction with the number of wizards recruited. It seemed they had never intended to hire mere searchers, but rather... a sufficient quantity of "prey."
The second red flag for Jieming was the absence of a contract.
While temporary wizard teams often operated under unspoken rules, for a collaborative mission lasting over a month and carrying significant risks, the fact that no one had proactively proposed a binding soul contract was highly unusual.
Seeing Jieming's unnervingly calm expression, even tinged with a hint of understanding, a flicker of surprise flashed through the eyes of both Jack and Levin Mills.
Jieming still harbored countless questions, but now was clearly not the time for inquiries.
He whipped his head around, his gaze locking with that of the fourth-tier wizard who had clearly been attacked nearby.
In the instant their eyes met, a silent exchange passed between them:
"Cooperate?"
"Cooperate!"
Without a word wasted, the fourth-tier wizard—having evidently suffered similar losses before—reacted with astonishing speed.
With a low growl, he unhesitatingly severed a shimmering golden mental contract from his soul origin.
The contract, as if imbued with life, instantly flew to Jieming and the ten other recruited wizards.
Its terms were simple and direct: a temporary league against external threats, with a strict prohibition against internal conflict.
Jieming and the other survivors didn't hesitate, swiftly imprinting their mental imprint upon the contract.
With the contract sealed, an invisible binding force temporarily coalesced their disparate spiritual wills.
Though far from genuine trust, they could at least set aside their constant fear of betrayal and focus entirely on escaping their current predicament.
Just then...
Crack... Boom!
The massive energy shield Jieming had erected finally shattered under the relentless barrage of combined attacks from Jack and the others, collapsing into a shower of radiant sparks.
With an impassive expression, Jieming retrieved the rapidly dimming fourth-tier defensive spell artifact from his hand and stored it back in his internal space.
Though the fourth-tier shield had been breached faster than anticipated, his side had already adjusted their strategy and completed their mission.
There was no turning back now. The seeds of hatred had been sown, and only blood could wash them away.
"Levin Mills! You're mine!"
The unnamed fourth-tier wizard roared like thunder, his hair and beard bristling with fury. Waves of surging energy erupted from his body as he charged toward Levin Mills, the strongest third-tier wizard on the opposing side, and locked him in a deadly embrace.
The two wizards swiftly disengaged from the battle below, their colossal energy clashes detonating in deafening explosions high above.
Yet the remaining situation remained utterly hopeless for Jieming's side.
Apart from Jieming, the surviving recruits were all first-tier wizards.
On the opposite side, including Jack, stood twelve formidable second-tier wizards, their coordination seamless and deadly.
To make matters worse...
The gaunt, taciturn wizard—formerly the fat wizard—smirked sinisterly and clenched his withered, claw-like hand in the void.
Pfft! Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!
In an instant, every glowbug released by the recruited wizards for reconnaissance and vigilance, regardless of distance, simultaneously self-destructed without warning.
These glowbugs were spiritually linked to their hosts. This sudden soul backlash felt like countless red-hot needles piercing the owners' brains.
"Aaaah!!"
A chorus of agonizing screams erupted.
More than seven first-tier wizards, caught completely off guard, bled from their orifices as their eyes dimmed. They plummeted from the sky like puppets with severed strings, instantly incapacitated.
In the blink of an eye, only four wizards remained standing, including Jieming.
But the remaining three wizards were deathly pale, their souls shattered by the psychic assault. Their heads throbbed with excruciating pain, and their combat abilities were severely compromised.
Though Jieming had long prepared to conceal his unique abilities from outsiders, the ferocity and intensity of this soul impact far exceeded his expectations.
Fortunately, the body tempering method had granted him not only a formidable physique but also exceptional resistance to spiritual attacks.
Moreover, through the body tempering method's adaptive evolution over the past several days, he had developed remarkable immunity to this type of mental assault.
Jieming's mind reeled violently, as if struck by a massive hammer, but his extraordinary physical fitness allowed him to endure the excruciating pain. With a shake of his head, he regained clarity in an instant.
In that fleeting moment of disorientation, the enemy's attack had already closed in.
Without hesitation, Jieming summoned his forces.
"ROAR!!!"
Five Black Giants, each over ten meters tall with skin like cast iron, erupted from his internal space with thunderous roars!
Their colossal, savage, and powerful bodies instantly blocked most of the attack's trajectory!
Under Jieming's precise command, these five Black Giants fearlessly charged to the front lines, using their broad backs and indomitable physiques to barely shield the remaining survivors.
Meanwhile, the other three first-tier wizards, enduring excruciating soul pain, roared and fought with desperate ferocity.
Burning their mental power without restraint, they unleashed their most potent spells, barely managing to restrain seven ordinary second-tier wizards with the Black Giant's aid.
Jieming himself, his gaze icy, locked onto the remaining five enemies—the most formidable group: Jack, the withered wizard, and three other second-tier wizards radiating distinctly more savage qi!
"Kill!" Jack roared, and the five launched their attacks simultaneously, energy radiance instantly engulfing Jieming.
Yet...
Jieming's counterattack was far more savage than any of them could have imagined!
Ten rune-imbued magical artifacts floating around his wrist erupted with blinding light. High-frequency energy beams, like the Grim Reaper's woven net, poured down upon the five enemies in a dense barrage.
And that wasn't all. With a wave of his hand, Jieming activated several fourth-tier attack spell artifacts without hesitation!
Instantly, rings of frost froze space, disintegration rays pierced the void, and distorting auras deflected attacks...
A barrage of bizarre and powerful fourth-tier spells erupted instantly, catching Jack and his five companions completely off guard. Overwhelmed and battered, they were pinned in place by the terrifying firepower unleashed by Jieming alone.
"Fourth-tier magical artifacts?! How could he possibly have so many?!" a second-tier wizard cried out in horror.
Even before the attacks struck, the shield he had erected was already violently fluctuating under the torrent of energy.
Jack and his team, veterans of countless expeditions, quickly recovered from their initial shock. Roaring in fury, they drew their own trump cards—fourth-tier defensive and offensive spell artifacts—to counter the assault.
Boom! Rumble!
The combined might of several fourth-tier magical artifacts clashed violently in mid-air, unleashing ear-splitting roars and devastating tidal waves of energy!
Jieming's momentary advantage, gained through sheer numbers, was forcibly neutralized within seconds by his opponents' equally powerful countermeasures.
But that was all the time he needed.
A fierce glint flashed in his eyes as he focused his will once more.
Instantly, thousands of reserve rune-imbued magical artifacts surged from his internal space, rapidly combining with his original ten rune-imbued magical artifacts to form a swirling, encircling formation.
Seizing the opportunity during the clash of fourth-tier spells, Jieming conjured behind him a colossal, intricately structured "Great Light Phase," resembling the radiant halo behind a Buddha's head.
Hum...
The instant the Great Light Phase activated, a terrifying wave of soul-shaking energy surged across the battlefield.
The halo seemed to transform into an all-consuming black hole, yet also pulsed with the imminent eruption of a sun's core!
In the next instant, an impossibly thick, incandescent torrent of pure destructive energy erupted from the Great Light Phase!
Where this radiant stream passed, space itself seemed to warp and dissolve. The enemy wizards' hastily erected layers of shields shattered like paper, instantly vaporized!
Jieming had single-handedly forced nearly half the battlefield—including five second-tier wizards—into his attack range!
The annihilating light stream, as if possessed of life, relentlessly pursued Jack's Team, forcing them into desperate evasive maneuvers with no time for anything else!
The three first-tier wizards and the Black Giant, who had been on the verge of collapse under the relentless assault of seven second-tier wizards, suddenly felt the pressure ease.
They looked up in astonishment, their eyes filled with disbelief and awe as they gazed at the man who had single-handedly turned the tide of battle. His figure, radiating overwhelming firepower, had forcibly suppressed half of their formidable enemies.
With support from Jieming and the Black Giant, the previously incapacitated wizards rallied their spirits, forcibly suppressing their injuries to rejoin the fray.
However, their souls had been severely damaged by a sneak attack, drastically reducing their combat effectiveness. Their participation only delayed the inevitable demise of their comrades.
In just a few breaths of combat, the recruited wizards had suffered catastrophic losses, leaving only five survivors clinging to life.
Two of the Black Giants summoned by Jieming had also fallen in battle.
Yet the remaining three Black Giants, with their near-immortal resilience and innate talents, had managed to ambush and kill two weaker second-tier wizards.
Thanks to Jieming's extraordinary surge of power, the battlefield had been forcibly dragged into a brutal stalemate.
(End of the Chapter)
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