134. Power and Madness
Mage Towers, the epitome of arcane studies. Mages, in many ways are stronger than cultivators and with the assistance of Mage Towers, even a Nascent Soul can be eliminated from a vast distance. That has always been the case until one day, a cruel reality that cultivators are vastly superior. And this is primarily because of a mysterious power called Dao which to this very day eludes the brightest of mages.
There are thousands of researches conducted to explain this mysterious power and almost every one of them ended the same, no conclusive findings.
During the invasion, the demons wanted to conquer the entire Muir-Kaada Continent but it was thanks to the timely emergence of Goblins that the demonic faction realized that the presence of Mages is a necessary existence they must be allowed to live. The demons realized that they may be able to exterminate all mages but they cannot erase the presence of Mana. They can technically destroy the Mana Veins buried deep within the earth but even they knew that this may create an imbalance in the environment and may become detrimental to them in the long run.
Mages, with the help of cultivators had always ensured that corrupted magical beasts are cleansed but during the war, these beasts had been left undisturbed allowing the birth of Goblins.
Even a fully powered Mage Tower can barely do any damage to an Elder Dao Demon, yet these Goblins can even come out victorious when faced with these demons. Mages have better advantage when killing Goblins and this is the only reason Elves and humans on the east can continue living.
There was a point in time when Mages tried to nurture Goblins to fight on their side yet their existence is proven to be even more dangerous. Demons see other races as nourishment yet Goblins see other races as means to reproduce and improve their lineage.
Since studying Dao has always yielded no results, Mages can only rely on studying Goblins powers. Their powers is not based on Dao but derived on the combination of Qi and Mana and for thousands of years, the best they can produce are Yin-Yang soldiers, an inferior version of Goblins. There is a theory that the combined efforts of 20 Yin-Yang soldiers can subdue a Dao Demon but this have yet to be proven as the Dao Elders of the demon faction no longer shows up on the battlefield.
Currently, there are three major problems inherent to Yin-Yang soldiers. While their powers can resist Dao practitioners, since their power is not derived from Dao, any cultivators can fight and subdue them. The second problem is their lifespan. Similar to Goblins, they are short lived. And lastly, the third problem is their method of production.
The unrelenting efforts of mages for the past 40 thousand years had primarily relied on human experiments as they have the fastest reproduction. From time to time, slaves or criminals especially women are brought in and tested as incubators for these soldier.
Today, a monster came to visit one of these facilities where these human experiments are being conducted.
Similar to King castles, Mage Towers have similar architectural designs derived from a Tier IX offensive and defensive mana arrays called Hexagonal Astral Bulwark. Laid on a 10-kilometer circular flat land, six castle wall rooks are perfectly constructed to form a hexagon. These towering rooks and individually operate but can be activated all at the same time to become an extension of the Head Mage but its real power is revealed when it activates synchronously with other Mages Towers within the continent.
Even when unmanned, these towers will activate especially when it detects sneak attacks and today, it detected an unknown mass of dangerous energy which is rapidly approaching from above like a meteor that fell from the sky.
In an instant, 12 beams of laser-like attacks were launched to intercept the approaching object. The precision of those attacks has an accuracy of 99.99 percent and considering the speed at which the object is descending would make it even more impossible to evade.
*Boom!
The simulations projected by the artificial intelligence operating within the Tower calculated that the object should have been eliminated yet the velocity of the falling object did not change. After another calculation, it sent out another set of bombardment then activated a barrier before sounding an alert throughout the tower.
*Boom!
The falling object is none other than Clay. It has been a minute when he flew from the south over to this area. Within his arms is the unconscious Merea which is protected by Clay’s Dao Power.
As he was descending, he felt a burst of energy which wanted to intercept him but he easily deflected them. Clay activated his Godly Eyes and understood where the attacks came from. He protected himself again on the second set of attacks and when he was at least a kilometer above the Mage Tower, he shaped his aura into tentacles that forcefully pierced the barrier.
*Crash!
Clay was anticipating another set of attack that would come out for the six prism-like towers but the attacks stopped as he floated not far from the center of the Mage Tower. He readjusted back his back power. He wanted to wreck havoc and force this place to cure Merea but a tidbit of sanity escaped from his mental confusion and breakdown.
“This place has experimented on this woman and I ask she be cured from..” Clay infused his voice with his Qi but before he could finish his sentence, an even louder voice echoed to his direction.
“I don’t know what you want and who you are and I demand you apologize for intruding my tower.” A High Elven 9TH-Circle Mage flew out from the tower and floated at least 100 meters before Clay.
“I come in peace and I ask your tower to cure this woman.” Clay eyes are empty and his cold voice emanated with murderous intent.
“I said apologize for intruding my tower and scram.” The 9TH-Circle Mage repeated himself. In the mean time more and more mages levitated to witness the disrespectful un-announced guest.
“Please don’t make me force my hand. I ask you and your tower to cure this woman.” Clay is doing best to control himself however he saw the most powerful mage of this tower summoned multiple sealing pillars. Clay’s instinct told him to prepare so he stored Merea’s unconscious body on the floating he constructed inside one of his spatial rings.
“For intruding my tower and for threatening me with your bloodlust after repeated warnings, I hereby announce that you are an enemy of all Circle Mages. I will not kill you directly but be proud to become my experiments.” Mage Baum, the 9TH-Circle Mage who leads the tower willed the twelve black sealing formation pillars to move and in a blink of an eye, they move to surround Clay.
*Argggghhh
Clay had been into multiple life and death situations that he can instantly respond to any attacks thrown at him but it did not occur to him that pillars did not send out attacks but instead sent out a type of mana waves that disrupted his circulation, the same type of attack he would always use to overpower his enemies. The only difference is that his aura is imbued with his Dao.
He wanted to restore his circulation but in less than a second, the pillars started to move towards him increasing the intensity of the distortion field.
Clay is still on the state of mental breakdown but his instinct willed his body to move and defend. To him, the pillars are moving to crush him and he wanted to exert his strength as a Peak Foundation Establishment cultivator yet he could barely guide his Qi. When the pillars where at least twenty meters around him, he spread his hand and salvaged the strength he could muster from the Qi circulation on his dantian which is around Peak Early Qi condensation. Thanks to his Dao Powers, the pillars slowed down however it looks like it is only a matter of minutes before he can stay on this position. He tried to will a tentacle made of his Qi but he realized how much he underestimated the distortion ability of the sealing formation. The tentacle could not even reach ten meters.
Never had he thought that one day it would be him whose Qi would be restrained.
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“I must commend your strength. You see, these tools prepared to counter an Elder Dao Demon. What makes you think you resist them? You’re not a demon and you are not a Nascent expert.” Mage Baum smiled. He had always longed to experiment on a real Dao practitioner and luck seems to bless him today.
Clay already knew he has no way of resisting the sealing formation’s ability to restrain his cultivation and he was just about to accept death but when he heard Mage Baum, his instinct had been triggered again.
“So I could resist it if I am more powerful?” Clay muttered to himself. At this moment, the blank look on his face made him like a patient undergoing mental treatment.
Mage Baum was about to celebrate but he saw Clay used his aura to take out three bottles of reddish pills and eat them. His eyes squinted. As a 9TH-Circle Mage, he has rich battle experience. He did not know what would happen but he has a feeling their places will be reversed if he does not seal Clay’s cultivation soon.
He activated his mana and further fortified the pillars.
*Weng!
The black pillars surrounding started to move inches by inches.
Meanwhile, Clay just ate 9 Tier III breakthrough pills. He had indented to breakthrough only after ensuring that his body is well prepared but in an attempt to escape this predicament, he was left with only one option. If he failed today, he can always have a next life and hope to live and burn this place to the ground.
Clay felt the pillars slowly move to crush him and the ripples of distortion are increasingly becoming stronger as it moves towards him. However, the pills Clay just ate burst out on his dantian as well.
While it was ten times more difficult to control his circulation, he still managed to slowly guide the flow of energy towards his Qi Nodes.
Mage Baum started to sweat. He had always believed that the Sealing Powers of pillars could disrupt even the most powerful Dao Demon yet it could barely contain a human and a Formation Establishment at that.
He refused to believe that the product of thousands of thousands of years of research will end up ineffective and with no conclusive evidence again. He activated his full power to reinforce the pillars and without him realizing, three minutes had already passed.
The black pillars have already surrounded Clay and are at a five meter distance but no matter how much he willed it to move closer, the pillars did not seem to move. On top of that, he felt an unusual spatial distortion. He spread his mana sense and after a few seconds, he looked up into the sky.
“My god!”
Mage Baum wanted to flee. For the first time, he felt fear just by looking at the angry and gloomy dark tribulation clouds that formed miles above.
“I’m initiating General Order Code Zero Zero. Activate this Mage Tower now!”
Mage Baum shouted. He knew there is no turning back now. He wanted to fight Clay head on but knowing that the Sealing Formation is ineffective, he knew he will not stand a chance.
Fully activating the Mage Tower requires the permission of at least three 8TH-Circle Mages and doing so would send out a Class S distress signal throughout the entire continent. There are rules punishing recklessness that even he will be stripped of his position but he hopes to gamble and convince everyone that he was merely trying to contain a wild dog on the loose. Besides, he believes that what they are about to see is whether their Sealing Arts are really effective against Dao Practitioners.
*Zing!
The runic patterns laid on the ground shined with the activation of the Mage Tower and a beacon of light was generated activating the highest Class of distress signal which was never seen after 40 thousand years.
Mage Baum had little time but he is confident that he can subdue Clay with the assistance of the Tower itself.
An angelic circular halo formed at the back of Mage Baum as he connected himself to the center of the Tower and just as he was about to reinforce the Sealing Pillars one more time, he heard Clay spoke.
“Remember. I came in peace.” The voice reverberated like it came from the depths of hell.
Following that, the most destructive form of lightning anyone has yet to see was released above and descending from the heavens like an apocalypse.
*ZZZkkkkkk!
*BOOOMMMM!
When the bolt of lightning fell, it easily penetrated the circular ring restraining Clay. By that moment it hit his body, Clay activated his Dao Powers to its maximum output to protect his body and simultaneously guided the lightning energy within his body and released it outwards destroying the Sealing Formation and with the remaining residue, Clay guided the lighting and moved it towards Mage Baum.
*Youuu!
Everything happened in a split second but Mage Baum was still able to activate his life-saving treasure. But despite the protection offered by his most cherished artifacts, it still could not withstand the tremendous amount of attack which passed through him. His clothes had been burnt and even his limbs had been charred black and are releasing smoke like he was grilled.
Despite his severe injuries, the halo on his back is still shining. He wanted to escape now but before he could react, he saw two gigantic hands made of Qi moved towards him.
*Clap
*Splash
Mage Baum was crushed like an insect and fell to the ground.
Clay retracted his Qi and spoke again. “There is twenty seconds before the next tribulation descends. Anyone who can cure the side effect of Hineya Solution, speak now and you will be spared.”
“You dare kill one of us? Wait until reinforcements will arrive.”
“By waging war against us, you are waging war against every mage throughout the continent!”
“Repent now before it’s too late!”
“Glory to Circle Mages!”
“Glory to Kaada!
Clay silently floated in the air and ignored the bravery of the surroundings. Series of attacks were bombarded to him but none has penetrated to his Qi barrier.
Clocked ticked and when the second lightning tribulation descended, Clay guided the flow of energy releasing multiple arcs of Dao-imbued lightning striking the Mages behind him.
*Zzzkkkk!
*Boom!
Deafening sound was created upon impact.
“If there is anyone of you who can cure the side effect of Hineya Solution, speak now and you will be spared.”
“Glory to Circle Mages!”
“Glory to Circle Mages!”
The mages were undeterred and continued to bombard Clay with attacks and after another few seconds, the third lighting tribulation descended.
*Zzzkkkk!
*Boom!
“Glory to Circle Mages!”
“Please spare us. We will do our best to find a cure!”
As time ticked, Clay had already gone mad and the only thing he wanted to hear is someone can cure Merea. Every time a tribulation descends, it would hit him and he would channel the energy to strike random mages within the Mage Tower including those who wanted to retreat.
*Boom!
Another thick bolt of lightning hit Clay then finely channeled into multiple arcs hitting any mage on sight.
“Speak now if there is anyone of you who can cure the side effects of Hineya Solution.”
“Please spare our lives. We can become your slaves.”
“Let us live your lordship.”
In the meantime, more and more Mages and cultivators showed up to answer the call sent out by the highest level of distress signal. Those reinforcements expected the presence of a Kulfagar Elder Demon but when they arrived, what they saw is human going berserk and at the same time, undergoing his Core Formation tribulation. They all wanted to rescue the pitiful mages within the Mage Tower but even the 9TH-Circle Mages and Nascent Soul expert who arrived earlier did not dare move closer.
Standing even at the distance of 15 kilometers is already a feat. The terrifying ripples created by the Dao of the human at the center of the tribulation is already making them unable to properly control their strengths and they all wish to know what really made this human lose it.
“Anyone…. Anyone who can cure the side… the side effects of Hineya Solution. Please step forward.”
There are a total of nine lightning tribulations and the 8th tribulation is about to descend and Clay has yet to hear that someone can offer a cure. He has already killed 90 percent of the mages within the towers. Even those hiding underground including the innocent experimental subjects had not been spared.
*Zzzkkkk!
*Boom!
Almost every building within the Mage Towers is already releasing smoke and Clay looked down towards the remaining Mages.
“Please tell me you have a cure.” Tears run down on Clays face hoping that hear them say they can cure Merea.
At this time, at least eleven Nascent Soul experts and at least 16 9TH-Circle Mages have arrived. They are all waiting for a Mage from Kaada Central Command before making a move. They are all experienced veterans and they all knew that it is futile to engage the mad human. If it was a demon, they would have had all combined their strength even if it means death.
None of them dared to move but right at this moment, they all saw a 6TH-Circle Mage approached the center.
“This idiot!”
“You retarded buffoon!”
Some of them cursed as it might aggravate the rampaging monster but after a few seconds, they were surprised that the mad human allowed the mage to approach him.
The mage was none other than Ver Sosa who Clay had wanted to meet the in first place.
Clay’s eyes is dimming as he tried to contain his emotions and the fact that no one is moving forward to offer cure is pushing the metal stress in his mind to the extreme. In fact, he no longer know what to do. He felt like crawling in corner and cry and beg god to heal Merea.
“I don’t know what this place has done to you but I hope this friend will come to his senses.”
Clay slowly lifted his head and looked at the familiar figure. He is barely holding on to his sanity.
“They experimented on my maid and they can’t seem to cure her. Tell me old friend. Do you have a remedy for Hineya Solution side effects?”
Ver Sosa looked into Clay’s empty face. The desperation radiated with extremely horrifying Dao Power is making him unable to properly control his breathing but he still bravely composed himself.
“There is no cure, but … if you’re still open to ideas, I can give your maid a good life.”Ver Sosa estimates he has less than two minutes before he will become affected by Clay’s deadly aura but he hopes to console and pacify Clay.
“Please cure my Merea.” Clay’s face could not be painted and on the verge of crying.
“Curing her is physically impossible but I can place here on deep illusion. In that illusion, she can have the life she or you wanted. May this friend come out from his senses and I promise to help out.” Ver Sosa wanted to remain calm and positive but the last tribulation is about to descend. He can only hope Clay will listen to him.
*Zzzkkkk!
*Boom!
The last remaining mages within the Mage Tower had been decimated.