Wizard: My career panel has no upper limit

Chapter 473 The Traitor's Offspring
"Wait...did you guys feel that the ground shaking is a bit strange?"

As a holder of lava bloodline, Edwin is exceptionally sensitive to geological changes.

While he was exploring the way, he vaguely sensed a subtle rhythm coming from under his feet.

He initially thought it was the pervasive resonant vibration within the keel network, but now it seems that this vibration is clearly not a natural phenomenon.

Laku frowned, squatted down, and placed his palms on the sand:
"This vibration... feels like something is moving on a large scale underground. Moreover, the frequency is very regular, unlike geological activity."

Patricia circled once in the air, observing the surrounding environment from above:
"Looking down from above, the color distribution of the sand in this area is strange. Some areas are noticeably softer than others, like..."

"It's like it's been reburied."

Ron picked up on her words, a sense of foreboding beginning to creep into his heart:

"We may be standing in the middle of a huge trap."

As soon as he finished speaking, the ground began to change drastically.

The seemingly solid sand suddenly collapsed like a sponge.

Countless circular sand pits, each about two meters in diameter, extended outwards from them, densely covering every possible foothold like a honeycomb.

"Damn it! These guys have hollowed out the entire ground!"

Edwin angrily unleashed a pillar of lava.

However, as soon as the high-temperature magma was injected into the sand pit, it was quickly diverted and cooled by the pre-arranged heat dissipation mechanism.

Clearly, the trap designers had studied their abilities and characteristics beforehand.

From those collapsed sand pits, large numbers of agile native warriors began to emerge.

Their skin is a dark yellow, like sand, and their bodies are covered with a protective layer of keratin, like scales.

"It's the Sandwalker tribe again..."

Laku recognized these underground specialists:

"This time they had already modified the battlefield in advance, and our mobility advantage was completely negated."

The Sandwalkers' tactics were indeed extremely ingenious.

They were not in a hurry to launch a frontal attack, but instead used the terrain to their advantage to wage guerrilla warfare.

Sometimes it leaps out of the sandpit like a spring, launching a surprise attack;
They would occasionally peek out from the caves in the side walls and throw weapons, causing constant harassment.

Even more frightening is that these sand pits are clearly connected by a complex network of underground passages.

When members of the Sand Sea School attempt a targeted attack, the target is always able to quickly disappear underground and then reappear from a completely different direction.

Edwin's lava attack, though powerful, has a very low hit rate in this environment.

Although Patricia's wind blades were precise, the enemy always managed to sneak underground to avoid them.

Just as the Sandwalkers' harassment reached its peak, a new threat descended from the sky.

"Huhuhu..."

Dozens of visible wind blades descended from the sky, but these attacks were not aimed at the members of the Sand Sea School, but at the air around them.

The sharp whistling sound produced when the wind blades cut through the air was like the neighing of thousands of horses, instantly enveloping the entire battlefield in a piercing noise.

"The Wind Whisperers Tribe!"

Patricia gritted her teeth and said, as a wind elementalist, she immediately recognized the brilliance of this tactic:
"They're not trying to cause harm, they're trying to disrupt our tactical coordination!"

This is true.

Under such intense noise interference, language communication among members of the Sand Sea School became extremely difficult.

The instructions were also greatly reduced in effectiveness due to obstructed vision.

Even more critically, this sound interference also affects their accurate judgment of spatial orientation.

The originally clear sense of distance and direction becomes blurred under the impact of noise.

Edwin attempted to contact his teammates via telepathy, but discovered that even his mental fluctuations were being interfered with by some mysterious force.

"They have other methods!"

Just then, heavy footsteps began to sound from the ground.

The sound was as deep and resonant as thunder, and it remained clearly audible even amidst the noise created by the Wind Whisperer.

The heavily armored warriors of the Stoneheart Tribe have made their appearance.

These burly natives, standing over two meters tall, are covered in natural armor as hard as rock.

Their skin is dark gray with natural stone-like patterns on its surface.

Each one exudes an aura of steadfastness, like a mountain.

Unlike the Sandwalkers' guerrilla tactics, the Stoneheart Warriors employ the most direct frontal assault.

They formed a wedge formation and advanced towards the Sand Sea School's position like bulldozers.

Edwin's lava attacks landed on them, leaving only shallow scorch marks on their stony skin, doing nothing to stop their advance.

"This level of defense... it's almost unbelievable for a body of flesh and blood!"

Edwin was shocked to discover that his prized high-temperature attacks were of little effect against these naturally occurring rock life forms.

But what troubled Ron the most was not these obvious threats.

Under the observation of "spirit vision," he saw an even more dangerous scene.

All the native warriors participating in the siege had thin, thread-like rays of light connecting their heads.

These rays of light converged at a central point—where stood several mysterious figures whose appearances constantly shifted.

"The multifaceted..."

Ron said in a deep voice, finally understanding the true horror of this siege:
“They are using a collective consciousness network to coordinate the actions of all tribes.”

The Faceless Tribe is one of the most mysterious indigenous races in the Shifting Sands.

They are born with multiple personality traits, and an individual can simultaneously carry dozens of different modes of consciousness.

Even more terrifying is that they are able to connect this multiple consciousness with other organisms, forming a collective consciousness network similar to swarm intelligence.

Under the coordination of this network, the tribal warriors who were originally fighting independently now work together like different organs of an organism.

The Sandwalkers are responsible for harassment and containment, the Windtalkers provide remote support and interference, the Stoneheart Warriors are the main attackers, and the Faceless Ones act as the brains to give unified command.

The precision of this tactical coordination even surpasses that of many well-trained regular armies.

"The conventional divide-and-conquer tactic will not work here."

Ron calmly analyzed the situation:
"As long as the collective consciousness network exists, they can maintain perfect coordination. This network must be destroyed first."

He began to activate his newly acquired "Elemental Disorder" property, combining it with the "Disorder Disturbance" property of Psychic Blast.

Ron subdivided his mental energy like silver needles, and then slowly permeated it along those invisible lines of consciousness.

This requires extremely precise control skills; the slightest mistake could be detected and countered by the collective consciousness.

When his mental energy touched the core node constructed by the Multifaceted Clan, Ron sensed an unprecedentedly complex consciousness structure.

It's like a huge mental labyrinth, woven from countless thought circuits.

Each circuit represents the consciousness of a native warrior.

Under the coordination of the multifaceted group, they formed a kind of collective intelligence that transcended individual wisdom.

"it's here……"

Ron identified the most critical load-bearing nodes in the network, which were the core of maintaining the stable operation of the entire system.

He began to implant “noise” into these nodes—chaotic signals at the level of consciousness created by the disordered properties of elements.

The effect is immediate.

Significant delays and errors began to appear in the collective consciousness network.

The originally precise coordination instructions have become vague and unclear.

Some soldiers received outdated orders from the previous round, while others received no instructions at all.

"No... the connection is being jammed... I can't hear anyone else's voices..."

The multifaceted clan member acting as the coordinator let out a painful groan.

Their forms began to flicker and shift erratically, and their previously freely switchable multiple personalities began to clash violently.

The changes on the battlefield became immediately apparent.

The Sandwalkers' guerrilla attacks began to be poorly timed.

They often launch attacks at the wrong time and from the wrong location, thus exposing themselves to counterattacks.

The Wind Whisperers' interference also lost its target, and some even began to harm their own allies.

Although the Stoneheart Warriors were still advancing, their formation had begun to loosen, and they had lost their previous unstoppable momentum.

"It's now!"

Edwin astutely seized the opportunity.

He took a deep breath, pushing the lava dragon bloodline within him to its limit.

Hot lava gushed from beneath his feet, not shooting upwards, but spreading rapidly along the network of underground tunnels dug by the Sandwalkers.

—An underground lava river!
This is a new skill he mastered after his deep bloodline awakening, which allows him to spread lava over a wide area in liquid form.

High-temperature magma surged into the underground tunnels like a flood, leaving nothing but scorched earth in its wake.

Those underground passages that were originally meant to provide cover for the Sandwalkers instantly turned into death traps.

"Ah! The tunnel is sealed off!"

The Sandwalkers were forced to emerge from underground.

Their once-proud advantage of the terrain vanished, leaving them with no choice but to confront the Sand Sea School head-on in the open. Without the coordination of their collective consciousness network, these once well-coordinated tribal warriors quickly revealed their weaknesses, fighting individually.

Patricia seized the opportunity to unleash "Storm Spiral," lifting a large number of Sandwalkers into the air before harvesting them with a barrage of wind blades.

Laku manipulated the sand to create quicksand vortexes, trapping the immobilized Stoneheart warriors in place.

Ron, meanwhile, focused on continuing to disrupt the Multifaceted Clan's consciousness network, ensuring the enemy could not reorganize an effective coordinated attack.

But just as the Sand Sea School was about to break through, a deafening dragon's roar echoed from the sky.

The voice carried an absolute pressure emanating from the depths of one's bloodline.

Even the native warriors who were fighting stopped and instinctively looked up at the sky.

The shaman, the leader of the natives, muttered to himself:

"Hopefully, these dragonborn will keep their promise and get rid of all these troublesome guys from the Sand Sea School first."

"This is... the true pressure of the dragon race?"

Edwin's expression changed drastically.

Although he possessed dragon blood, he still felt a deep sense of awe and fear when faced with this level of pressure.

The Burning Scale Clan's forces also appeared.

Five tall figures clad in magnificent dragon-scale armor slowly descended from the sky.

The leader was a middle-aged man who looked to be in his thirties.

His pupils were golden-red, gleaming with a dangerous light like molten gold.

The most striking thing was the ancient stone slab he held aloft.

It was a fist-sized, deep red crystal, inside which were sealed a dozen or so huge, translucent dragon shadows.

"Ancestral Soul Stone..."

Ron recognized the Burningscale Clan's prized possession.

Each dragon soul sealed within is the most powerful ancestor in the clan's history.

"Your Majesty!"

The leader of the Burning Scales team roared like thunder:
"Kneel before the great dragon bloodline!"

As he spoke, more than a dozen ancient dragon souls within the Ancestral Soul Stone simultaneously awakened.

Their phantoms were as huge as mountains, each radiating an absolute pressure from ancient times.

This kind of pressure is not a simple mental suppression, but a fundamental oppression at the level of bloodline.

Any creature with dragon blood flowing through its veins will feel an irresistible urge to obey when faced with the pressure of a purer, more ancient dragon race.

Edwin was among the first to be affected.

When facing these ancestors, the lava dragon bloodline within him exhibited a severe "bloodline suppression" phenomenon.

The once blazing dragon breath became as faint as a candle flame, and spiderweb-like cracks began to appear on the sturdy lava armor.

Although Laku and Paitui did not have dragon blood, their movements became sluggish in the face of such powerful pressure, as if they were carrying a heavy burden.

"An interesting combination."

The leader of the Burning Scales team scanned the four members of the Sand Sea School, his eyes revealing the look of a predator scrutinizing its prey:

"A bastard with pseudo-dragon blood, a lizardman skilled in earth element, a hybrid birdman of wind element, and..."

His gaze lingered on Ron, his brow furrowing slightly.
"Strange, I can't see through your bloodline."

Among those present, Ron was the only one who did not show any obvious fear or obedience when faced with this level of dragon might.

He remained calm, even carefully observing the specific characteristics of the ancient dragon souls within the Ancestral Soul Stone.

"why?"

The leader of the Burning Scales team, bewildered, increased his pressure output:

"Why are you able to resist the pressure of the ancestral soul?"

Ron's lips curled into a mocking smile.

Through the fragments of historical knowledge he had just "hunted" in the Howling Corridor, he had learned many truths about the dragon bloodline.

These so-called "pure-blooded descendants" are nothing but a laughable imitation in the face of true history.

He took a deep breath and began to activate the deep connection he had established with Azalea.

The soul of the silver-scaled dragon began to resonate with his consciousness, and an ancient and pure dragon aura slowly rose from his body.

"Great Dragon Souls!"

Ron roared loudly in the dragon language he had just learned:

"Open your eyes! Look at what these so-called descendants have done!"

The resonance of the dragon's language shook the entire battlefield like a thunderclap.

Those ancestral souls that were originally exuding overwhelming pressure suddenly stopped releasing their pressure and turned their attention to this seemingly ordinary human youth with suspicion.

Ron continued to roar in pure dragon language:

"They used your bones to cultivate their bloodline!"
Use your deaths to achieve your own glory!

These bloodlines are all artificially synthesized fakes!

"Thok'tar mor vey! Mal'dorei kess thalan!"

(The offspring of traitors! Insects that blaspheme their ancestors!)
The leader of the Burning Scales team turned ashen-faced instantly.
"Impossible... How could you... speak dragon language..."

At this critical moment, Azalea's spirit manifested from Ron's body.

The silver outline of the dragon soul slowly unfolded in the air, exuding an ancient majesty truly from the Second Era.

The aura emanating from her was even purer and more powerful than any of the dragon souls in the Ancestral Soul Stone.

“Fellow people, this human is right.”

Aseria spoke in the purest dragon language, each syllable resonating like thunder:

"Take a close look at the aura of these so-called bloodline inheritors..."

The dragon souls within the Ancestral Soul Stone began to carefully observe the members of the Burning Scale Clan.

With Azalea's prompting, they finally noticed the deliberately concealed traces.

The subtle characteristics of artificial bloodline modulation, the energy imprints left by genetic modification, and the false powers gained through ritual enhancement...

All deception is exposed in the face of true dragon perception.

"Artificial modification!"

The oldest dragon soul roared in anger:

“These bloodlines show signs of artificial modification! They are desecrating our heritage!”

"what?!"

The leader of the Burning Scales team changed his expression drastically, and cold sweat began to bead on his forehead:
"Impossible! Our bloodline has been passed down for thousands of years! Every generation has undergone rigorous bloodline verification!"

But the dragon souls have been thoroughly enraged.

They felt an unprecedented sense of betrayal and humiliation.

The oppressive force instantly shifted.

The absolute pressure originally used to suppress the Sand Sea School was now being poured onto the members of the Burning Scale Clan.

"You descendants!"

"How dare you deceive the souls of your ancestors!"

"Sinners who desecrate sacred bloodlines!"

The rage of more than a dozen ancient dragon souls surged like a tsunami, and the members of the Burning Scale Clan were simply unable to resist this level of pressure.

Their once-proud bloodline power was completely suppressed in the face of the true dragon judgment, and even began to show signs of reversal.

"No...this is impossible..."

The leader of the Burning Scales knelt on the ground, and the Ancestral Soul Stone in his hand began to emit a blinding red light:

“We are the true descendants…we have the purest bloodline…”

But the reality is cruel.

Under the scrutiny of Acelia and the other dragon souls, the bloodline myth that the Burning Scale Clan had meticulously maintained for thousands of years was utterly destroyed.

Taking advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, Ron quickly broke free from the encirclement.

The enraged dragon souls were still judging the kneeling Burning Scale Clan, while the indigenous tribal warriors, now without unified command, were plunged into a state of bewilderment.

He went to his teammates. "Let's go! Let's go now!"

Ron helped the still somewhat weak Edwin to his feet and signaled to Lac and Patrice to retreat immediately.

"Shouldn't we take this opportunity to reap the benefits?"

Edwin pointed to the Burningscale clan members who were in disarray.

"This is not our war, there is no need to care about them anymore."

Ron said calmly:
"The weight of the truth is more deadly than any weapon; let them bear the consequences of their deception."

The four-person team from the Sand Sea School quickly left the battlefield filled with lies and anger, leaving behind chaos and shattered faith.

Behind them, Azalea's silver figure slowly dissipated, but her words still echoed in the air:

"Truth will ultimately triumph over lies, just as light will eventually dispel darkness..."

(End of this chapter)