“Scented Butterfly, you and Wind Moth take good care of the house, we’re leaving now.”
Three days later, inside the Rapid Wood Tower, a group of people prepared to set out on their journey again.
After her transformation into a Level 3 creature, coupled with her learning ability, growth, and personality, Scented Butterfly had clearly become capable of handling things on her own, so she was left to look after the Rapid Wood Tower this time.
“The one who really should stay behind is you.” Ivan appeared in the living room, and upon hearing this, he unceremoniously said to Locke.
“Heh heh, I actually really wanted to stay and oversee everything, but the situation is special, so I reluctantly decided to follow the boss.” Locke said with a grin.
Ivan ignored his clowning around, gave a few instructions to Scented Butterfly, and then led the group away from the Rapid Wood Tower.
Having left East Capital and after over ten days of travel, they arrived once again at the Dode Magic Stone Mine. There were still guards outside the mine, not the Seventh Combat Team of the Rock-Dog Camp, but still members of the East Blade Fourth Legion.
After a brief encounter with the guards, Ivan hurriedly entered the magic stone mine.
“This place is still so deserted.”
“An empty underground mine shaft, it’d be strange if it were bustling.”
“Look at you, I was just livening up the atmosphere, and you, Jenny, took it seriously.”
This trip to the magic stone mine wasn’t for mining or clearing out anything; instead, after careful consideration by Ivan, he finally chose the Dode Magic Stone Mine as the site for his advancement.
There were multiple reasons, the most important being that the environment here was conducive to transformative advancement.
As the complementary Formation for the Black Magic Meditation Method, an integral part of the advancement, the Black Magic Wind Fire Array had been incorporated with the essence of the Black Magic Wind Fire. Naturally, being within the magic stone mine would provide an additional benefit.
The more beneficial things there were for Ivan, the better, just like how he brought along Jenny and Locke.
The two were his Secret Method Body Doubles, with a close relationship with him, allowing him to share a great deal, including using the doubles’ power for repairing his body, healing his spirit wounds, and perhaps bringing him even more unique assistance.
The swamp ant and Silkworm Queen could help with other tasks and keep watch for him, also included in the group.
Without a doubt, Ivan had to give it his all for this advancement transformation.
“Let’s not dwell on small talk, I presume you all understand why we are here, no one better drop the ball, got it?”
Soon, the group reached the depths of the magic stone mine. The magic stones mixed in with the mountain rocks were visibly clear, and as usual, Ivan stepped forward to say a few words to boost morale.
“Boss, you can count on us. This is a critical matter, and if anyone drops the ball, I, Locke, will be the first to not let them off the hook.”
“You don’t have to be the first, I’ll be watching throughout, hopefully none of you wants to test the sharpness of the Pan Iron Root.”
“Good, everyone’s spirited, then let’s get started.”
With Ivan’s announcement, the dim magic stone mine was suddenly bustling with the figures of rapid wood silkworms and ant sentinels moving back and forth, quickly becoming a hive of activity.
The first thing Ivan needed to do was not to set up the Black Magic Wind Fire Array but to adjust the earth stone formation covering the magic stone mine.
The earth stone formation, an intermediate Earth-type runes sorcery array, with energy gathering, protection, monitoring, and destruction effects.
This had been in place before receiving the magic stone mine, set up by others. He hadn’t dealt much with Earth-type power before and had no choice but to leave it be, but now he of course needed to reinforce and adjust it to eliminate any unforeseen risks.
With Jenny and the swamp ant’s full cooperation, Ivan quickly reshaped the earth stone formation into the one he hoped for, reducing the risks in this area.
The second thing, the Black Magic Wind Fire Array, could not afford any mistakes.
Likewise, Jenny and the swamp ant were the main helpers, while Locke, Silkworm Queen, and the others were there to assist with miscellaneous tasks.
Time, like water, flowed by, day by day, and the Black Magic Rebirth Cocoon Array gradually revealed its complete form.
“The boss is truly incredible, it’s just that the pattern of the array looks a bit odd, like—like—”
“Like an insect’s nest piled up with earth and stones, and it’s of the demonized ant kind, isn’t it?”
“Mhm mhm, Silkworm Queen, what you said is very vivid. I didn’t expect you to have such insight.”
Locke and the Silkworm Queen only needed to do some miscellaneous tasks; most of the time, they were the kind who directed other creatures to work. Of course, the two had plenty of spare time to hide not far from the scene of the array’s construction, watching the activity and waiting for new instructions.
“It’s not that I have insight, but it bears a resemblance to the campus area of the Mongna Ant Land Cottage. It’s almost as if it was cut from the same mold.” The Silkworm Queen shook its little head.
“The Ant Being barrier?”
“Right, the Ant Being barrier. But the Ant Being barrier is much, much bigger than this. Back then, when the Ant Being barrier was severely damaged by a powerful individual, not a single sorcerer could repair it— not even the Lidia family that controls the Enchantment Group.
It was Ivan who stepped forward.
With Ivan’s repairs, not only was the Ant Being barrier restored to its former state, but it was also elevated by a significant level.
Let me tell you, Ivan managed to secure the most abundant underlying wealth within the Ant Being barrier right under the noses of all the sorcerers, including Dean Watkin, who was a level above him—”
“Come on, tell me quick, in detail.”
“——“
“The boss is truly the boss. Faced with such a predicament, he found a path to become a Level 2 Sorcerer and even had the audacity to trap that old guy. Compared to him, the other sorcerers in Mongna Ant Land Cottage are all mediocrities, not worth mentioning.”
Just as Locke and the Silkworm Queen saw, the newly constructed Black Magic Rebirth Cocoon Array strikingly resembled a miniature version of the Ant Being barrier.
In deducing the supporting array for the Black Magic ritual, Ivan naturally drew on and integrated things he was familiar with. It can be said that he pondered and referred to any piece of knowledge that could be utilized.
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He took the essence and discarded the dross.
The Black Magic Wind Fire Array, the Ant King Rebirth Cocoon Array, the Ant Beings Sacred Altar, the Ant Beings’ secret vault, the Ant King Barrier Array, and so on.
He didn’t overlook even the aspect of shaping the Ant Being barrier itself.
Combining the transformation experience of the Black Scythe Lord, after a deep contemplation and comparison, he based the foundation for his lofty construction on the Ant Being barrier and the contained Ant King Rebirth Cocoon Array.
It can also be said, this was the germination point of the inspiration for the supporting array.
Originally, at the Mongna Ant Land Cottage, he had delved deeply into every aspect of the Ant Being barrier, consuming quite a bit of the Light of Wisdom and the Light of Great Wisdom, with which he was now extremely familiar.
Based on the exceptionally familiar Ant Being barrier, he combined it with other aspects of knowledge that he had already mastered and was in the process of mastering.
According to his own demands, he refined them all into one furnace.
Eventually, the Black Magic Rebirth Cocoon Array was born.
The structure of the Black Magic Rebirth Cocoon Array consists of two parts: one part is the lower ‘ritual area,’ resembling the school campus area under the cover of the Ant Being barrier; the other part is the upper ‘birth area,’ akin to the Ant Beings’ secret vault within the Ant Being barrier.
The Ant Being barrier was constructed by the Tidal Flats Ant Beings for the transformation of their race.
The Black Magic Rebirth Cocoon Array was constructed by Ivan for his own advancement and transformation.
The central theme of the Black Magic ritual emphasizes ‘transforming insects to practice witchcraft,’ making this distinctively ant-styled array undeniably complementary.
As time ticked away, the Black Magic Rebirth Cocoon Array progressed toward perfection at a speed visible to the naked eye.