Academic gathering with Lich colleagues

Mr. Zhiyan was stunned for a moment, his mind not yet processing the information, before he subconsciously answered.

"Okay...okay, I don't know what happened, but if I can help..."

The reporter pointed at Zhiyan and screamed loudly.

"Executive! He's the mastermind; we were just following orders! He's confessed!"

The three people huddled around Zhiyan dispersed, revealing the person behind them. Iron masks seemed branded onto his skull, and iron gloves creaked as they were gripped. Appearing behind them was Mr. Law. He intended to arrest the three members of the Literature Club who had recently caused trouble again.

And the law "coincidentally" overheard their collusion.

"Zhiyan, can I understand this to mean that you will be held responsible for the five incidents of vandalism, three traffic accidents, and twelve illegal acts that they caused in the past few days?"

His elder brother was moving his shoulder joints, and Zhiyan knew that this was a sign of the law's anger.

"If I said I wasn't familiar with them, would you believe me?"

Law crossed his arms, tilted his head back, and looked askance. "What do you think?"

Before anyone knew it, the gentlemen and others had already stood beside Zhiyan, intimately embracing him. The gentlemen had their arms around his shoulders, seemingly trying to put their arms around his waist, while the reporter was clinging to his leg, as if to say...

Our best buddy, we can't go wrong by arresting him.

"You're under arrest, Mr. Zhiyan." The lawyer grabbed Zhiyan's spine with one hand and practically pulled him out from between the three men. The defenseless Mr. Zhiyan was hoisted onto the lawyer's shoulder, and he saw the three bastards pull out handkerchiefs from somewhere and wave goodbye.

"Mr. Zhiyan, please make amends at the Executive Committee meeting tonight, and we'll celebrate for you! MUA~"

Enraged, Zhiyan kicked wildly with his legs under the restraint of the law, but to no avail.

Feeling exhausted, Zhiyan tapped the back of his brother's head.

"You don't actually believe their nonsense, do you? We're not even that close."

“Of course I don’t believe it.” Mr. Law’s steps were steady. “But it’s more important now that you leave this academic gathering.”

"Why should I! I participated in the research, this is an honor I deserve, I have the right to stand with the dragons and receive everyone's praise."

"That still depends on fate. My foolish brother, can't you tell who's inside the barrier?"

“Of course I recognize them. They’re all presidents of big clubs. They were already quite famous when I left Andrei… You mean…”

“This academic gathering could turn into a battlefield at any moment. You need to leave immediately, rather than become cannon fodder like those three idiots.”

The words of the law sent chills down Zhiyan's spine.

"What's wrong with Andrei? Is there a large-scale civil war? Is there a problem with the power transition among Andrei's various organizations? Or has the Dean finally chosen centralized rule?"

"None of them..."

The law threw its own brother outside the barrier, watching him futilely pound on it.

“There’s just one important figure who’s allergic to dragons… Given his past actions, Andrei has to be careful. If I could, I’d actually prefer you to start running now.”

What did he do?

"He shattered the world of dragons. We have no doubt he will come again."

Chapter 582 Dark Revelation

Lyle, carried by the bandaged man, was brought to the edge of the gathering area. Mr. Dark sternly deterred several liches who attempted to approach him. Thanks to his reputation as a mad dog at Andre Academy, as well as the prestige of the Literary Society and its hidden connections, no lich felt it was worthwhile to offend him for the time being.

The two brooding individuals were given a chance to be alone, while Lyle was still basking in the shadow of his previous humiliation. He had seamlessly integrated into the literary society in front of all the academy's elite. The thought of having to chair an academic gathering later, under the watchful eyes of everyone, made Lyle feel as if his body would crack and his dignity would shatter.

Lyle looked at Mr. Darkness standing in front of him with resentment, wondering if the bandages were like Mr. Darkness's face, something he could throw away whenever he wanted.

"Lyle, I have something to discuss with you." There was no silliness, not even any childish lines; the dark man in front of him was extremely serious, so serious it was eerie.

"Um...please speak, Dark Boss."

"Do you remember when we first met?" The darkness leaned forward, its head drawing closer to Lyle, creating a sense of oppression. Lyle saw that the bandages on his chest and abdomen had been stretched, revealing gaps, and from the void, a dozen terrifying eyes sprouted from his body.

"If you mean when you appointed me as one of the Four Dark Kings, I think I'll never forget that moment in my life." The beginning of my dark history.

“Our first meeting was when we were playing riddles together,” Mr. Darkness corrected his answer.

A riddle? Lyle recalled that when he first entered the Literature Club, Mr. Dark disguised himself as a door shaped like a Sphinx and tricked him with a riddle about killing Mr. Raymond.

“I remember, and I also remember Mr. Raymond’s scoundrel leaving you speechless.” Lyle recalled Mr. Dark’s absurdity once again. “So, are you planning yet another guessing game?”

"That's one way to put it, Lyle. I have a new question for you: how do we stop Raymond?"

The air seemed to freeze; the commotion behind him and the strange shadows dancing outside the barrier ceased to exist in Lyle's senses. In Lyle's eyes, Mr. Darkness was like a contemplative sculpture, casting an unsolvable mystery upon him.

"I...I don't know, Mr. Darkness." As if his mind were being controlled, Lyle hadn't considered this question since witnessing Raymond's repeated displays of power. Who would constantly be wary of a friend? Even if their abilities could easily destroy you... Biological instincts made Lyle avoid the question. Awakened by darkness, Lyle realized the problem and also found the issue hidden in his subconscious. The dragon he created might hold extraordinary significance for Mr. Raymond.

Am I at odds with Raymond? Lyle's mind went blank, but his body trembled under his own gaze. Lyle truly felt Raymond Melok's suppression of the Andrei Lich.

A bandaged hand, carrying corrosive void energy, slapped Lyle across the face. The cool, healing slime brought Lyle back to his senses. The Dark Lord cupped Lyle's head in his hands, forcing his dazed eyes to stare directly at the flames in the void.

“I’ll tell you the answer, Lyle. I’ll tell you how to stand up to Raymond.”

"Okay... okay."

"When Raymond erupts, rush forward to the front and use your own body to block Raymond's attack. If you have time, you can also shout 'Please forgive me' or 'May the light have mercy.'"

Lyle was a little confused; this didn't sound very plausible.

"What is the purpose of those two incantations?"

"It will make Raymond hesitate for a moment when he eliminates you, or feel even more pain after killing you."

"I'll die?" Lyle was well aware of Mr. Raymond's care for him. In Andre's life, he often bumped into Mr. Raymond, much like Ralph had in medical school. Mr. Raymond had special feelings for Lyle. Would someone like Mr. Raymond kill Lyle?

“Yes.” Mr. Dark’s words were filled with darkness. “Raymond Merlock was an idealist who dedicated his life to the pursuit of justice, the justice of humanity. The righteous Raymond was terrifying; he was powerful and focused. If anyone stood in his way, he would destroy them, whether they were his successor or his brother. Such light was too blinding.”

"Is this your obsession?" Lyle seemed to understand something.

“No, I will not live for others, you fool.” Mr. Dark chuckled. “When you are executed by Raymond, his heart will be shrouded in darkness, and justice will be tainted. Only then will I have the opportunity to kill him when he is weakened and let this world sink into the rule of darkness.”

"It's better for the world to be plunged into darkness than for it to be destroyed by light, isn't it?"

"Say what you will..." Mr. Dark looked around, gathering a ball of shadow power in his hand. "Just in case, let me plant a soul suggestion in your mind. When this situation arises, your body will think faster, before the rift becomes irreparable. Sacrifice yourself to protect the world, Lyle, this is precisely the work of the Salvation Council, hehehehe."

This was a heavy burden, but Lyle had no choice but to accept it. He was the one who created the dragon and fulfilled his mentor's wish. He was also the one who angered the righteousness of his predecessors.

"I'll let the ominous sign plant a seed of suggestion in my mind, so I won't trouble the Dark Lord."

"Hehehehe..." With a strange laugh, Mr. Darkness transformed back into the madman of the literary club.

After Mr. Darkness left, Lyle was brought back to his senses by the call of the Dragon Mentor. He moved his feet and breathed on Lyle's back with the dragon skull.

The low temperature stimulated Lyle's nerves, and he turned his head to see his mentor's concerned gaze.

“You’re too nervous, my student,” the dragon laughed heartily. “Don’t worry, I’ll always be behind you.”

"They're all watching you, Mr. Host."

Lyle turned around and saw the Andrei liches standing in neat rows. They nodded to Lyle and gave a loud round of applause to welcome the start of the academic gathering.

Lyle's lich colleagues are eagerly awaiting his performance.

A smile appeared on Lyle's lips.

He followed the dragon to the center of the venue, where he was greeted with applause.

"Dragon Mentor".

"Ah."

"This time, I will stand at the forefront."

The dragon raised its forepaws and clapped in a human-like manner.

"We look forward to your academic performance, and we will be behind you, supporting you."

Lyle stood in the center of attention, about to begin his performance.

"Distinguished guests have arrived." The Dean chuckled, watching the enormous portals opening one after another in the sky above Andrei. Without any defensive barriers, the portals made no attempt to conceal their power. Supported by nothing, they resembled bleeding wounds in the sky, pouring rich, ancient magic into the land of Andrei. The roars of dragons seemed to echo from antiquity, the chariot of time drawing the embers of the past to the land of the dead.

The dragon priests have arrived.

Chapter 583 The Dragon is Dead

The enormous teleportation portal, supported by powerful magic, has exceeded the limits that those time-space mages could study.

Teleportation spells create a passageway through folded space between two distant locations, an emergency route cleared by mages from dimensional rifts. This passageway is filled with disrupted spacetime forces; clumps of spacetime sand, formed from chaotic magical energy, are the primary cause of interference with teleportation spells. These indistinct, amorphous, and dangerous clumps, if they come into contact with anything in the passageway, act like an eraser, wiping away the contact. This is why, when a teleportation spell fails, fragments of the caster simultaneously appear in various locations.

After continuous experimentation by spellcasters, teleportation magic developed in two directions. One was short-distance, efficient instantaneous movement, minimizing the potential dangers of traversing space. Spellcasters could also use spacetime sand to unleash dangerous dimensional blades. This elevated space mages to combat units. The other direction was long-distance, stable portals. Carefully drawn teleportation arrays created spacetime anchor points, and magical energy was artificially infused to construct stable passageways. As portal magic became increasingly sophisticated, it became the most convenient mode of transportation for spellcasters, although it could cause dizziness and vomiting. The aftereffects of such long-distance jumps could even affect the souls of the dead.

But no matter which direction the teleportation spell originated from, none could compare to the enormous teleportation portal before them.

Teleportation spells are used to construct an efficient passageway connecting two locations.

But every witness understood that the portal before them was a way of bringing together two distant spaces.

That portal between time and space was like a mirror, allowing everyone to clearly see the other world—a grain of sand dancing in the air, a drop of dew on a leaf. Lyle stood at Andre Academy, gazing at another world.

It was like a miraculous sight created by the god of magic.

Hiss hiss hiss...

Scalding hot sand fell from the doorway.

A scorching wind swept through the academic gathering, and a giant dragon shrouded in black mist extended its claws.

The Black Dragon Priest, Ormhead, with his hunched back slightly bent, nodded to the Dean and slowly walked to the left wing of the dragon.

The second door was frozen solid, truly becoming a mirror of ice, beyond which lay the dark depths of the sea. A figure slowly emerged, the slender body of the dragon priestess further enhancing her chilling beauty.

She walked across the ice as if stepping out of a mirror, and behind her, in the dark currents, several shadowy figures emitted a dreamlike shimmering light.

Priestess of the White Dragon, curtsied, picked up a snowflake, and walked to the dragon's side. Ice crystals grew on her pearl mask, as if to isolate everything.

The third door is melting; in the fiery red world, the scorching heat has blurred the once clear portal.

Steel and fire emerged before the portal was destroyed.

The Red Dragon Priest, Freyheimer, snorted, casting a disdainful glance at the nearby bone totem pole—a gesture befitting a master blacksmith. He bowed to Andrei and the others, then stepped behind them.

The fourth gate, a world of flowers and leaves, the fishy smell of grass made Lyle's nose itch.