Mage Manual-Chapter 1378 - 1009: Descent into Hell

Ash has no voting rights concerning his ownership, just like spoils can’t decide who will claim them, or a delicacy can’t decide who has the right to taste it. Although he wanted to shout, "Everyone, stop fighting over me," he feared the arrogance in his words might provoke retribution afterward.

Unexpectedly, as Ash watched the battle anxiously, the situation gradually turned into the scene he most anticipated, with everyone still occupying a quarter each.

The reason is simple: the Sword Maidens couldn’t defeat Vishi.

In the battlefield of soul consciousness, Vishi’s advantage was not something these young girls could overcome, so they could only collectively force Vishi into a quarter corner. However, if they tried to further invade Vishi’s fundamental share, Vishi would launch a fierce assault on the weakest among them.

To avoid becoming the one with the smallest share, they could only allow Vishi to hold a quarter, and the situation became deadlocked—if they continued internal conflict, it might give Vishi an opportunity, which was almost an unacceptable outcome for them.

Although no matter who had a larger share, it was unacceptable to others, if ranked from best to worst, it should be Witch > Silver Lamp > Sword Maiden > Maid.

The Witch was the easiest to deal with, and even if she claimed more, they could slowly reclaim it. Moreover, she was the operator most accepting of sharing Ash, not afraid of her monopolizing. Next was Silver Lamp, though she probably has a strong desire to monopolize, because of her guilt, she wouldn’t stop Ash from having more happiness. As for Sword Maiden, if she claimed the most share, others could expect to be kicked out.

But at least the three of them treated Ash as a treasure or pet to cherish, whereas if Ash fell into Vishi’s hands, it would truly be like becoming a mere delicacy.

In a certain sense, Vishi’s overt "traitor" role forcibly turned Sonia and the others from "rebels" back to "loyalists."

If everyone were rebels, Ash would today definitely become someone’s exclusive possession.

Even though it’s not the true Four-winged Balance, Ash also felt the fear of Mages advancing to demigod status. The more mages gain from the Void Realm, the more the Void Realm owns them. Giving is mutual, and taking is equal; the debt mages owe the Void Realm can never be repaid, and in the future, mages will need to gain more love from the Void Realm. Therefore, balancing the Four-direction Will is the only way to maintain their free will in the cracks; otherwise, they would only become the property of one faction.

No wonder it’s the Demigod Promotion Ceremony; every step is filled with life’s philosophy. Ash felt he had learned quite a lot from the Void Realm.

But this was merely an insignificant episode, for the real challenge was just beginning now.

The evil wind howled, the air scraped into raging black flames, the Second Layer of Hell descended with a near-judgment stance, bringing resounding thunderstorms, the First Layer of Hell issued an almost mournful sound, and unimaginable might shattered their five souls into the finest particles once again, all thoughts shattered into an almost nihilistic stream of information.

Though Ash hadn’t lost his self-will, he was already unable to think, only able to idly observe the myriad things of the world. He merged with the world, unable to extricate himself, past memories and emotions like honey smeared on his lips by the Divine Being, merely insignificant transient flavors compared to eternity.

He was to integrate into this world, harmonize new colors, and establish new Law for all things.

But when he embarked on the irretrievable divine path, every fragment of soul’s sweet bitterness gradually blurred, his consciousness radiating with brilliance. He was no longer drawn to the colors, but rather the colors gathered towards him.

Ash once again condensed his soul body, the purple-red sword wings bearing the First Layer of Hell, the pink-gold time wings bearing the Second Layer of Hell. Compared to last time, his soul body was denser, within it, the Heavenly Kingdom of Souls began to appear various mountains and rivers, turbid qi sinking, clear qi rising!

"Sword Maiden, Witch, Weiser, Vishi!"

"I’m fine," Sonia’s voice was somewhat weak.

"Me too..." Diya replied shakily.

"No problems," Weiser said.

"Something’s wrong!" Vishi’s agitated voice traveled over via Void Wings: "Each Hell’s soul tempering should be the same, but now the Second Layer’s effect is tremendously stronger than the first... either this is a mechanism only encountered with multiple advancements, or the Void Realm is targeting us!"

"The Void Realm targeting us?"

"Don’t assume the Void Realm can truly deceive. We want to help you advance, only for the Void Realm to instantly impose five Layers of Hell on each of us; now you cleverly achieve the Four-winged Balance, how could the Void Realm let us so easily advance to demigod?"

"The Divine Lord steals the World Secret Domain, day and night plagued by heaven’s wrath; the demigod steals Hell’s knowledge, life hanging upon a challenge; Mages gather four-color Void Wings, must sail over ten thousand miles of sea, walk ten thousand miles of path, pass ten thousand layers of dreams, battle Ruby Mountain!" Vishi’s voice was solemn as if reading a Law Book: "To gain anything one must pay something, this is the only Law in Void Realm!"

"If we pay no price, then we ourselves are the price. But Ash, rest assured, for..."

"We are your price."

Space cracked like a spider web, Ruby Mountain shattered into countless fragments at this moment. Ash and the others couldn’t perceive the descent of the Third Layer of Hell at all, for it ignored trifling obstacles like time, space, and entropy and directly descended upon their timeline with undisguised malice.