The Wizard: From Zero-Ring Wizard to Almighty Lord.

"Blazing Golden Sunflower, the entire area is ablaze!!"

He practically yelled it out through gritted teeth.

Facing the overwhelming tide of powerful beings from the divine civilization below, the Soul-Slaying Wizard knew that if he didn't fight desperately, he would truly die here.

With this roar, the extraordinary plant that hadn't even had a chance to fully manifest when fighting Lynn, the Fiery Golden Sunflower, burst forth from the sky.

"Boom!!"

The sound wasn't just a simple explosion; it was as if the entire space was being forcibly torn apart.

The void behind the Soul of Slaying Flames collapsed instantly, and cracks spread outwards. Then, a huge, dark golden sunflower that blotted out the sky suddenly bloomed!

It was so big that it took up the entire sky as soon as it appeared.

The petals unfold layer by layer, as if cast from pure gold, heavy and sharp, yet the edges flow with a viscous magma luster, as if they are still "alive".

At the very center of that flower plate was not an ordinary flower stamen, but a blazing furnace, with flames rolling and surging within, as if they would never go out.

Almost the instant it manifested, its enormous flower disc suddenly spun around, locking onto the great sun in the void.

A torrent of energy, barely perceptible to the naked eye, was forcibly drawn from the star and poured into the burning flower-shaped furnace.

The next moment, the fire exploded.

Flames poured out like a burst dam, instantly engulfing the clouds and turning the entire sky a fiery red.

The temperature soared wildly, the air began to distort and churn, and there were even faint signs of it being burned through.

In just a few breaths, the sky above the entire capital city transformed into a true "purgatory dome".

This is the ultimate power that the Soul of Slaying Flames holds back.

However, strangely enough...

The followers of the magic network below, upon witnessing this scene, not only did not panic, but instead laughed.

Wizards dedicate their lives to one thing: taking a particular path to its extreme.

The Soul of Slaying Flames is the most typical example; he has penetrated "fire" to the very core of his being and into the depths of the rules.

And the spellcasters of the divine civilization? They follow a completely different logic.

They are not "researchers" but more like "users," with the magic network behind them being the core.

That thing is essentially like a "pre-made spell library" that covers all laws, containing countless spells that have been perfected to the extreme.

They don't need to understand, they just need permission.

Simply offer your faith, and you can directly access the most suitable "answer".

Faced with fire? Then we must use the optimal solution that "counters fire".

There is no process, only the result.

"Law Correction... Frost Judgment."

A cardinal in red robes, draped in a silver robe, spoke coldly. He didn't even make any extra movements; he simply raised his hand and lightly tapped the air.

It's as simple as clicking on an option.

But the next instant, the phantom of the magic net high in the sky suddenly trembled.

A certain inhibitory sequence targeting "flame" was instantly activated.

At this moment, the rules and parameters of the entire battlefield were forcibly "adjusted".

Immediately afterwards...

"Otyluk's Frozen Orb!"

hum!
A giant, deep blue ice ball materialized out of thin air.

That wasn't ordinary ice.

It was a kind of "absolute zero ice" blessed by divine law, so cold it was unreasonable, and could even freeze fluctuations at the soul level.

With the continuous infusion of energy from the magic network, it quickly took shape and then crashed down!

The ice hockey puck, trailing a dark blue flame, crashed down from the sky.

Along its path, even the flames spread by the Soul of Slaying Flames were forcibly torn open with a narrow slit, as if a knife had cleaved the sea of ​​fire apart.

The chill and the heat collided wildly in mid-air, evaporating large plumes of white mist, causing the entire space to tremble violently.

But that's not all.

On the other side, several high priests had already begun chanting in unison.

Their voices overlapped, like a precisely choreographed program.

The light of the magic network has changed once again.

"Rainbow Jet!"

The next moment, eight beams of light tore through the air, traversing the battlefield like a rainbow piercing the sun.

Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet, and a nearly transparent yet most dangerous beam of light of a different color.

These are not single attributes, but composite killing moves: polar frost suppresses flames, thunderous roars tear through defenses, deadly poison corrodes the mind, gravity distorts space, and there is even some inexplicable force that quietly "strips away" the target's stability.

From the moment the Soul-Slaying Wizard tore through the void and descended, to the moment he was surrounded and killed in mid-air by the powerful beings of the Gods Civilization, only a few breaths passed.

Even the top experts who were truly stationed inside the capital of the earth were stunned for a moment.

That one mistake caused them to miss the best opportunity to provide support.

Ultimately, the first thought that came to mind for the wizards in the city, who were pushed to their limits, was not "danger" at all when the spatial rift was first torn open. Instead, it was that reinforcements had arrived.

The commotion at that moment was enormous.

Space shattered, lightning danced wildly, and an aura swept across the entire battlefield; by any measure, it was the prelude to a large-scale interdimensional attack.

But who could have imagined that all this hype would be so extensive?

As they were finishing up... someone fell down.

Alone and all alone, the contrast is almost outrageous.

Many people in the city didn't even realize what was happening for a moment, their thoughts still stuck on "Where are the reinforcements?"

In that brief moment of stunned disbelief, the civilization of gods had already made its move, launching a direct attack to encircle and kill them.

By the time the wizards in the city fully realized what was happening, the situation had already turned into one where the newly arrived compatriot was being pinned down in mid-air and beaten up by everyone.

"Go out of the city to provide support!"

Someone gritted their teeth and growled.

The problem is that it's impossible. The current capital city is no longer the fortress that people could freely enter and exit.

Under the relentless suppression of the Demon Network followers, the entire city has been completely sealed off.

Outside, the offensive was relentless; inside, the defenses were taut. At this moment, the capital city resembled a cage that had been sealed off from the outside.

Trying to tear a hole from the inside and break through the firepower from the outside is almost as difficult as a suicidal breakout.

The battlefield, which had already reached its limit of stalemate, was completely ignited at this moment because of the "chess piece" that Lynn casually tossed aside.

It's like a pot of oil that's been boiling to its limit, and suddenly a drop of ice water is poured in.

It's not just a simple "sizzle," but the whole pot explodes.

....................................

In this unpredictable extraterrestrial plane, the conventional arrays used by the Natural God Dynasty for remote surveillance have basically become obsolete.

If you really want to see the situation inside the occupied area, the method is actually very primitive: send someone there.

This was precisely Lynn's true intention.

Besides being used as a "waste" and a "deterrent," the Soul of Slaying Flames and the Power of Conflict also serve as his spies.

Before they were thrown in, Lynn had already planted a mark deep within their souls, making them Lynn's long-range vision.

At this moment, in the Natural God Dynasty, the Western Yuan Forest Domain, the Lord's Mansion, and the teleportation plaza, space trembled slightly.

Lynn stood there, with the Sea Emperor standing quietly beside him, his azure eyes fixed on what Lynn was holding.

It was a petal, from the Crystal Lantern Flower at the heart of the "Ring of Life," as thin as a cicada's wing, with light flowing across it.

At this moment, the petal is projecting a scene of light and shadow that is both illusory and incredibly clear.

Blood and fire intertwine, energy clashes, and space is torn apart; the scene depicts the battlefield of the capital city.

The entire process of the Soul of Slaying Flame being surrounded and killed was presented to the two of them without reservation.

At the same time, in the center of the teleportation plaza beneath their feet, the enormous star disk was humming softly, with extremely complex runes spinning, recombining, and calibrating at high speed like stars.

The entire device is constantly "focusing".

As more and more starlight converged, the pointer that symbolized the coordinates had firmly gripped a certain point.

Pano dimension, locked.

All that remains is Lynn's command for the army to proceed to the Pano plane.

Meanwhile, the Sea Emperor of Surging Waves, standing to the side, licked his lips as he watched the almost unrestrained and rampaging magical energy in the light and shadow, seemingly eager to try it out.

Lynn's gaze pierced through layers of illusory light and shadow, not looking at the specific battlefield, but rather looking down at the figures beside the battlefield.

The first thing that caught his eye was a group of "old acquaintances".

He glanced at it, his expression not changing much.

In his past expeditions beyond the realms, he had clashed head-on with the fanatical followers of the Goddess of Magic Network more than once.

He was naturally familiar with the system under the command of the Goddess of Magic Network.

At its core is the Church of the Magic Network.

An absolute power center is both the origin of faith and the scheduling node of the entire "spell distribution system".

Surrounding it are three iron-blooded pillars, the "Mysterious Fire Knights".

There's not much to say about this group; they're simply propulsion machines.

Heavy armor, enhanced armor, and divine magic buffs—they crush everything in their path, their sole purpose being to pulverize any resistance. The "Star Hunters," a clandestine organization, specializes in dirty work. Reconnaissance, infiltration, assassination—they are virtually omnipresent.

Many planes were already riddled with holes by them before the war even began.

And the "Sons of Stars Poets Association".

Their names sound artistic, but they're actually a group of sophisticated brainwashing machines.

The key to the rapid expansion of the Demon Network system lies in its role in spreading doctrines, distorting perceptions, and disseminating beliefs.

These four forces, when combined, constitute the "industrialized divine authority machine" of the Goddess of the Magic Network.

And they all share a common mark: Lynn's gaze sweeps lightly across the battlefield.

Sure enough, countless figures wore the same badge.

The background is deep blue, with a touch of cold white starlight dancing on it. The color is not conspicuous, but it is very easy to spot in the environment of the battlefield.

Once you catch that cool blue-white luster, you can basically pinpoint its identity.

Look down again.

At this moment on the battlefield, the largest number of people were indeed the clergy of the church system and the heavily armored units of the mysterious Fire Knights.

One is responsible for output, and the other is responsible for implementation.

A typical combination of direct suppression.

As for the Star Hunters and the Star Feather Child, they have hardly made any appearances.

Lynn only glanced at them and was too lazy to continue searching. These two types of people never belonged to the "open battlefield".

At this stage, they are less likely to show themselves.

However, just as he was about to continue his analysis, something suddenly came into his view.

It was a flag; in the chaos of the battlefield, it wasn't particularly conspicuous, but it certainly wouldn't be overlooked.

The flag fluttered in the wind, and the central design was simple: a pale human left hand with its five fingers spread out, the fingertips pointing straight to the sky.

Its outline was defined by a layer of cold, blue-purple spiritual fire, neither fiery nor gentle, but rather carrying an unsettling "chilling" feeling.

Lynn stared for two seconds, and soon he noticed that most of the mage units on the battlefield, whose auras were clearly deeper and heavier, were wearing the same emblem.

Not badges, but... marks, engraved on robes, branded on protective gear, and some even floated directly beside the body in the form of magic.

This doesn't seem right.

In the civilization of gods, flags and emblems were never decorations; they were the outward manifestation of authority and the extension of the will of the gods.

Lynn had never seen this pattern before, but he wasn't going to guess; he had a more direct way.

He lifted his fingertips and gently placed them on his brow.

The mark that carried a massive flow of information, the primordial seed, heated slightly the moment he touched it; it was warm and gentle, yet also carried a hint of burning.

As consciousness descends, the information begins to "flip"—not searching line by line, but rather entire fragments of memory are rapidly retrieved, filtered, and compared.

It's like flipping through a book, except this book is ridiculously big.

In a split second, Lynn's eyes flickered.

"It turned out to be him."

He said it in a low voice, his tone revealing a hint of understanding.

"The chief servant of Mystra, the goddess of magic... the god of mages, Azus."

As the fingertips left the space between the eyebrows, the light of the Primal Seed quickly receded and disappeared back beneath the skin, as if it had never existed.

But he already knows everything he needs to know.

This information is quite significant.

Lynn looked again at the battlefield in the light and shadow.

The Goddess of the Magic Network not only poured her main army into this plane, but also the power of her subordinate gods.

In other words, the level of this war is higher than it appears on the surface.

....................................

The power structure of the divine civilization has never been about "equality".

It is more like a supreme pyramid built layer by layer with divinity and authority.

In that eternally standing main temple, the hierarchy of the gods is itself the source of all rules.

The supreme god is the supreme god.

His will is not only above all living beings, but directly covers the rules themselves, even the movement of stars must give way to it.

There, so-called talent, personality, or even sheer strength are actually secondary considerations.

What truly determines everything is which floor you sit on.

Even if you are a once-in-a-millennium genius.

As long as the authority you hold in the clergy is subordinate, your life is destined to bow down to the glory of those in higher positions.

It's not because you're not strong enough.

It's because that's how the rules are written.

Like that supreme being who holds sway over life and nature, Chang Tiya.

Her authority touches the very foundation of all things and is one of the sources of the entire natural system.

Under her there are countless gods.

Those gods who each govern the changing seasons—spring brings life, summer brings prosperity, autumn brings harvest, and winter brings rest—each possess considerable power.

Regardless of their own magical power, they must unconditionally obey the divine law, because their authority originates from her.

Conversely, the wizard civilization represents almost the other extreme.

There are no pre-set divine thrones here, nor any "natural sequence".

No one is born destined to stand on a particular level.

There is only one rule here, simple, brutal, and absolute: the strong prevail.

If you're strong, you'll stand on top; if you're not strong enough, you'll be trampled down.

Both paths have their advantages and disadvantages.

The path of the gods may seem to have rigid hierarchies, but the path itself is clear.

Power can be transferred.

With the fall of the old gods and the vacancy of divine positions, anyone who seizes that power, even if they were unknown just a moment ago, can ascend to the throne over ashes the next.

This completes a power transition that is almost like a "format restart".

The path to becoming a wizard is not so "convenient".

Starting from the very bottom, groping forward amidst chaos and the unknown.

Every step involves trial and error, every step involves consumption—resources, time, effort, even life itself—all must be poured in.

On this path, very few people can reach the top.

But once someone truly reaches the pinnacle, that kind of existence is no longer a "sitting in a seat" strongman.

Rather, it has become an irreplaceable existence in itself.

They do not rely on authority; they are part of the rules themselves, which makes them even harder to fall from grace.

Thinking of this, Lynn's gaze fell back on that patch of light and shadow.

“Now that Mystra has made his move, he can’t just throw in one Azus.”

"Those legendary mages who walked the edge of the magic network, and her seven daughters..."

"Even if they haven't reached the level of a main god, they are all among the top tier."

In the wizarding system, this is at least at the Dawn Star level, and the best among them are even approaching the upper limit of the sixth-level Dawn Star.

If beings of this caliber were to begin appearing on the battlefield in large numbers... that would be incredibly troublesome.

Just as he was getting into the swing of things, the Sea Emperor of Surging Waves suddenly spoke up.

"There's a problem. Didn't you send two people in?"

He glanced at the light and shadow.

"Why is this the only battlefield we can see right now?"

There was a hint of doubt in his tone.

Lynn's expression remained unchanged after hearing this, and he casually replied:
There are two coordinates.

"The capital of the earth, and the kingdom of the ocean."

He paused for a moment before continuing:

"Now there's only one signal left... which means the other one has been lost."

"'The Might of Conflict' was a bit unlucky; it's likely it was killed directly by the people from the Civilization of Gods..."

The purpose of making an example of them was to instill fear in the old nobles, because the battlefield outside the borders was no joke; there was a real risk of death. Otherwise, they wouldn't be so obedient.

Just then, messages kept coming in from outside the lord's manor.

Lynn's eyes flickered slightly; Old had finally finished what he had been asked to do.

Pre-battle preparations, logistical assembly, and troop organization—everything that needed to be done has been completed.

Under his command, the elite forces under the command of the various Morning Star nobles have been reorganized into an army capable of directly overturning small planes.

Now, all that's left is to wait for Lynn's instructions.

Lynn didn't look at the light and shadow again. He slowly turned around and glanced ahead. Rows of Morning Star Wizards with solemn auras were already fully prepared.

"Everyone, the hunt begins. Target... Pano Plane, move out." (End of Chapter)