This was a strange space, where the sky was a dull gray and the land stretched to where the eye could see, appearing like a not too vast small world.
On the flat expanse of land, only on the outer perimeter stood a mountain that was not too high, with a battle-worn flag fluttering atop its peak. The flag was entirely crimson, embroidered with a spiky black worm at its center.
Despite no wind, the flag waved as if concealing its old and torn condition, seeming like it could be torn into dust by the breeze any second.
Had anyone recognized this flag, they would have invariably cried out ‘Supreme Red Legion’—
As the formidable army of the Insect Race, it was also an infamous existence across various worlds.
However, with the fall of the Insect Race’s mighty Supreme Red, the once terrifying Supreme Red Legion had diminished, much like the flag, leaving behind only a few remaining shadows of its past.
“Hiss!”
An extremely angry voice rose within the small world, causing the surrounding sky to change color.
Out of the empty air, a large figure appeared, almost as if it would burst through the firmament. This figure was round and bulky, with a pair of broad wings, and its body and wings were covered with black beards thick with sharp spikes.
The creature emitted a terrifying presence, with the clear sound of insect cries emanating from its mouth.
If Ivan had witnessed this scene, he would have instantly recognized it as the ‘Black Beard Lord’ he had been extremely wary of.
“Hiss!”
“To think that I, Black Beard Queller, despite being the Great Commander of the Supreme Red Legion, the ruler of the Black Beard Army, who followed the Supreme Red through countless worlds in unrestricted conquest full of boundless fervor—-
Now—to now be humiliated by a mere human, what a monumental disgrace, this is utterly preposterous—-
I, Black Beard Queller, cannot swallow this indignity; I must devour that human, slowly crush that human sorcerer into bits, only then can I erase this humiliation from my heart!”
The Black Beard Lord’s form materialized from nothingness into reality, and his voice converted from ethereal to echoing throughout the entire small world, making the winds and thunder tremble in all directions.
In his rage, the Black Beard Lord involuntarily waved his black beards and tentacles about. Due to his excessive force, old wounds were torn open, spurting out streaks of dark green blood, which evaporated into the air before hitting the ground, vanishing without a trace.
This embarrassing state only fueled the Black Beard Lord’s fury even further.
“The glory of the Supreme Red Legion must not be lost, that human must die!”
“Just wait, human sorcerer, what belongs to me, Black Beard Queller, is not so easily possessed.”
Thinking of himself barely clinging to life, the Black Beard Lord forced himself to calm down, but the anger in his heart had not subsided one bit.
“Those fools are of no use.”
Then, he thought of his foolish insect slaves and became even more agitated. At this moment, those fools were only useful as food; they were definitely incapable of dealing with that human sorcerer.
“Human sorcerer, I will be watching you, always——”
That human sorcerer had cultivated a technique specifically passed down by himself, and was destined never to escape from his clutches in this lifetime. As long as he found the right opportunity, the sorcerer would inevitably become prey in his stomach.
Around the small world were several sealed space portals; the Black Beard Lord stared intently at one of them, unable to let go.
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Time was a knife, each moment cutting away at life.
In Enkate City, within a three-story tower, Ivan was immersed in his ambitious exploration of the Meditation Method for over two months.
“The Light of Wisdom is completely consumed, and this Meditation Method that befits me has finally been deduced.”
“I never imagined that the transformation memory of the Black Scythe Lord would be of the greatest help to me.”
“The essence of a Meditation Method is to allow a cultivator to draw closer to powerful beings, and taking inspiration from the Black Scythe Lord’s transformation is certainly feasible.”
Inside the meditation room of the high tower, only Ivan sat cross-legged on a soft couch. At a certain moment, after a long period of stillness, he finally opened his eyes, which were filled with a brilliance teeming with wisdom.
He sighed with a touch of melancholy.
This deduction actually had a core appeal, which was for the sake of advancement, encompassing the promotion of both Level 3 Sorcerers and Level 4 Sorcerers.
For this reason, he gave up on pursuing greater power. The new Meditation Method was established solely for the sake of advancement, and, as it turned out, the experience that gave him the deepest and most insight was the transformational experience derived from the Black Scythe Lord.
Apart from the transformational experience, he also integrated the Ant Beings Sacred Altar, the Ant King Rebirth Cocoon Array, and others.
Based on these elements, the main thrust of the new Meditation Method emphasized ‘transforming through insects to pursue the Witchcraft Path.’
The second appeal of this deduction was to counter the Black Beard Lord, to avoid falling into the trap of the Black Beard Chapter Meditation Method.
“Without contemplation, one remains unaware, but fully studying the complete Black Beard Chapter reveals just how deeply rooted its essence is for me.”
“Luckily, I changed my line of thinking in time; as long as the effects are reversed from the Black Beard Chapter, I can even turn the tables.”
Reflecting on the twists and turns of the deduction process, Ivan smiled with some satisfaction.
After investing a large amount of Light of Wisdom and Light of Great Wisdom, he combined the Black Beard Chapter, the String Control Sacred Heart, the Ode to Spring and Summer, among other Meditation Methods, and also drew on the Black Magic Wind Fire Array, the Ant King Barrier Array, the Power of Earth, and the half-lord Black Beard’s elements, even taking reference from the Knight Breathing Method.
It was only by using all of his wits that he gave birth to a Meditation Method that matched himself, which was also the path of advancement he had tailor-made for himself.
“After so much effort, it deserves a resounding name. Let’s call it the ‘Black Demon Ritual’ Meditation Method.”
“As for the accompanying advancement sorcery array, the intermediate runes sorcery array with 30 bundles of runes can be called the ‘Black Demon Ritual Rebirth Cocoon Array.’ With this Formation, one can transform through insects to pursue the Witchcraft Path, using a pre-defined transformation to replace the sorcerer’s advancement.”
After a moment of reflection, excitement twinkled in Ivan’s eyes as he set names for his accomplishments.
He certainly had reason to be excited; from then on, the path to becoming a Level 3 Sorcerer was opened. Unless something unexpected occurred, he could reach the limit of Level 3 in one fell swoop.
Moreover, he also had a preliminary concept for advancing to Level 4, needing only to follow this road steadily onward.
In this regard, he undoubtedly surpassed a large number of Level 3 Sorcerers.
However, continuing down the set path wasn’t an easy task either. Take the upcoming advancement to Level 3 Sorcerer: this advancement required completing a fairly difficult transformation.
For Ivan, it was akin to a minor Nirvana.
Only by undergoing this minor Nirvana and adjusting both Level 1 and Level 2 Solidification Magic accordingly, could he truly embark on the path of the ‘Black Demon Ritual,’ laying a solid foundation for advancing to Level 4.
“The materials for advancement are key; I need to find a vibrant material that primarily harnesses Earth-type power, with Wood-type and Fire-type powers secondary, and it has to be of the peak Level 3 hierarchy. There are quite a few other small requirements too; it’s not a simple matter.”
While Ivan was considering the primary particles for the Level 3 tier, he thought about Water-type, Earth-type, and Space-type.
The power of the Space-type was too profound and obscure, making it difficult to integrate smoothly into the Black Demon Ritual. After much deliberation, he gave up on it first.
Between the Water-type and Earth-type, considering his own affinity and Jennie’s profound understanding of the Power of Earth, he ultimately chose Earth-type particles as his main power for Level 3.
As he stood up to leave the meditation room, he habitually glanced over the Academic Prodigy panel.
“It turns out that the Light of Wisdom hasn’t been entirely exhausted; there’s still one piece of newly obtained Level 9 Light of Wisdom left,” Ivan’s eyes lit up as he spotted an isolated Light of Wisdom.
After deriving the new Meditation Method, [Meditation Method] had also been upgraded, from Level 8 to a Level 9 subject.