Chapter 471: 401 Zhangg News!_2
After advancing to a Second-level Mage, Green and his wife returned to the ’Summoning Cottage’. Using the contributions they amassed through the information, magic materials, and gold coins they provided to the academy after their graduation, Green was able to contract his first Lord-Level companion—
The ’Water Element Lord’ from the Elemental Realm, greatly increasing his strength.
In the thirtieth year after graduation, Green returned with his wife to the Bilun Duchy, where Levia was from, and inherited Levia’s father’s commerce guild.
With the strength of Green and his wife, the originally small guild quickly expanded through maritime trade.
To commemorate his first contracted partner, the ’Bat Monster,’ Green, after gaining the consent of his father-in-law and Levia, renamed the guild to the ’Black Bat Commerce’, becoming quite renowned throughout Bilun Duchy and the surrounding seas.
A few years ago, they recruited an Independent Mage from the East Continent named ’Vigo’. Now, the ’Black Bat Commerce’ has grown into a major guild with three Second-level Mages and over a dozen First-level Mages, holding significant influence in the Bilun Duchy and the nearby seas.
This trip was to deliver goods across borders.
The steamship braved the waves fearlessly, surging forward. The sea was calm, showing no sign of disturbance. Yet, Green, standing at the prow, suddenly furrowed his brow.
"Green?"
Levia stood beside Green and, noticing his frown, inquired softly.
"Little Bat discovered two Mages battling each other in the waters ahead."
Green explained.
’Little Bat’ was the Bat Monster Green had contracted upon graduating. Forty years had passed, and this exceptional Bat Monster had kept pace with Green’s growth, now becoming a Lord of the Abyss. Whenever Green oversaw the fleet’s navigation on the sea, he often summoned the Bat Lord to patrol the skies as a watchful guardian.
The Bat Lord, with its ’Subsonic Detection’, was ideally suited to detect sudden developments on the ocean.
It was the Bat Lord who had now detected commotion in the distance and alerted Green.
"For several centuries now, the Three Continents have been in chaos, driving a large number of Low-level Mages to flee."
"In recent years, more and more Mages from the Three Continents have arrived in Valgrion. It seems the turmoil there is not subsiding but instead continues to intensify."
Vigo remarked with a sense of lament.
Having left the East Continent himself, he was well acquainted with the chaos of the Three Continents.
In recent years, the commerce fleet often encountered unfamiliar Mages while navigating the seas, most of whom also hailed from the East Continent. While their arrival brought vitality to Valgrion, it also introduced new uncertainties.
Recalling this, Vigo furrowed his brow slightly, pondered, and then said to Green, "A friend of mine, who arrived in Valgrion several months ago, brought some intel."
"What news?"
Green, still focusing through the Bat Lord’s vantage on the two Second-level Mages battling in the distance, instinctively asked when he heard Vigo speak up.
The ’Summoning Cottage’ was highly attuned to intelligence both within and outside the continent. Students like Green, traveling across the lands, were accustomed to noting down the information they heard and saw, sending it periodically back to the academy in exchange for rewards. Even seemingly insignificant details could sometimes prove invaluable once received by the academy.
Green and Levia’s ability to reach the ranks of Second-level Mages was closely tied to the rewards they had obtained through valuable intelligence, earning them some renown even among the first graduating class of the ’Summoning Cottage’, as well as among subsequent graduates.
In fact, after becoming Second-level Mages, the couple chose to inherit the family trade and operate the guild precisely to better gather intelligence, repaying the ’Summoning Cottage’ for nurturing them while also amassing resources for further cultivation.
As such, even though Vigo’s friend’s intel was about the distant East Continent, Green habitually asked about it.
However, Vigo’s response caused both Green and Levia’s hearts to skip a beat.
...
"A Holy Artifact?"
"Are you certain?"
At the ’Summoning Cottage’s’ Magic Tower, Chen Jichuan closed the report and looked up at the secretary general of the liaison office, ’Grant’.
"It’s almost certain."
"Green and Levia of the ’Black Bat Commerce’ were the first to report the information, claiming that a Second-level Mage from the East Continent told them that a Third-level Mage, also from the East Continent, had stumbled upon a Holy Artifact by chance. A few months ago, this Mage fled the East Continent and eventually arrived in Valgrion."
Grant tried to keep his tone steady, but there was an unmistakable glint of excitement in his eyes. "While we were dispatching teams to verify and investigate, six other sources independently reported similar intelligence about the Holy Artifact. Based on all this, it is now almost certain that someone has brought a Holy Artifact to this continent."
Legendary tales of Holy Artifacts and Divine Artifacts on the Divine Throne Continent had always been abundant and never ceased.
Even in the Three Continents, Holy Artifacts were exceedingly rare.
In Valgrion, there were only rumors that the few Legendary Mages who commanded the continent might possess Holy Artifacts. But these Legendary Mages were shrouded in mystery and immensely powerful, standing at the pinnacle of the continent. Even ordinary Third-level Mages found it challenging to approach them, let alone confirm whether they actually possessed Holy Artifacts.
Such rumors remained just rumors.
Even if true, Holy Artifacts in the possession of Legendary Mages posed an extraordinary threat, combining personal might with artifact power, deterring anyone from risking a move against them.
But this situation was different.
The person who brought the Holy Artifact to Valgrion was merely a luck-blessed Third-level Mage. This meant that as long as one could locate this Third-level Mage before the Legendary Mages got involved, there was hope of acquiring the legendary ’Holy Artifact’.
The temptation was immense.
"Send my orders to Green and others to track down the Holy Artifact’s whereabouts to the best of their ability, following the intelligence sources. Grant them six summoning incantations. If they discover any trace of the Holy Artifact, they are authorized to summon the Six Great Sovereigns. Also, inform Morris and Mina to prepare for deployment at any time."
Chen Jichuan sat up straight.
Having been on the Divine Throne Continent for more than a century and operating the ’Summoning Cottage’ for over forty years, he finally had a big opportunity within his grasp. He revitalized himself, preparing to make the most out of this venture.
"If this succeeds, a Holy Artifact will yield more than enough resources for my External Realm ascension."
"It might even allow me to elevate the ’Najia Divination Method’ to the third realm."
Chen Jichuan’s eyes gleamed with anticipation.
Reaching Fourth-order Ascension required vast and costly resources.
To progress rapidly after reaching the Fourth-order, luck, perseverance, and wisdom were indispensable, but foundational resources were absolutely critical. Furthermore, Chen Jichuan not only sought personal cultivation breakthroughs but also had long-term plans requiring immense resources for various Divine Skills. No matter how wealthy he became, it would never feel sufficient.
Thus, he aimed to capitalize on the Divine Throne Continent to amass great fortunes and channel them into bold advancements, paying particular attention to this opportunity.
Years of painstaking effort in operating the Mage Tower were about to be put to the test.
"The Six Great Sovereigns?"
Hearing Chen Jichuan’s orders, Grant couldn’t help but feel a jolt of surprise.
Forty to fifty years ago, when he first followed Chen Jichuan, the latter commanded only the ’Demon Lord’ and the ’Griffin Monarch’. After the ’Summoning Cottage’ was established, a ’Qi Element Monarch’ was added. Over the years, the ranks had swelled to include the ’Bat Monarch’, the ’Bone Dragon Monarch’, and the ’Water Element Monarch’.
Grant wasn’t certain if this represented the full extent of Chen Jichuan’s forces, but authorizing Green and the others to summon all their visible power suggested a serious commitment.
Moreover, mobilizing the ’Summoning Cottage’s’ core operatives, including himself, in a full-stakes maneuver clearly showed the gravity of the matter.
It was the first time Grant had seen the Dean so serious.
"Understood, I will prepare immediately."
Suppressing his excitement, Grant quickly moved to notify all parties.
On the same day.
The ’Summoning Cottage’ was on full alert, ready to take action.
...