His Bloodline Purification Technique had now reached a level of mastery. The Essence Blood he extracted contained a denser concentration of Extraordinary Genes.

If he put his all into Refining the Rock Bear Potion, its effects would surely see a major improvement, but he didn’t.

He had deliberately kept the Rock Bear Potions he’d recently traded at the same level as the original enhanced version.

He wasn’t that stupid. Cultivating a large group that could threaten his own safety would be suicidal.

With his current strength, he had also started to look down on the Extraordinary Genes of the Rock Armor Demon Bear.

His situation was somewhat special; he wouldn’t be affected by Magic Beast bloodlines, so he could consume Bloodline Potions without any worries. However, this potion’s potential was too limited.

Unless both the Bloodline Purification Technique and the Rock Bear Potion underwent Limit-Breaking, their combined effects might produce a qualitative leap.

’Hopefully, I can get a stronger Bloodline Potion formula in the future, but that will come down to luck. Bloodline Potions are extremely rare.’

Aside from these external preparations, he also exchanged for all the Witchcraft he saw on the exchange list.

Energy Shield, Repulsive Force Technique, Invisibility Technique...

His Contribution Points were accumulating so quickly that he felt a strange sense of unease if he didn’t spend them.

Finally, after spending his Contribution Points like water, he had successfully reached the Beginner level for the Concentration Potion last night.

[Concentration Potion: Beginner (0/400)]

Now, he could finally use potions to cultivate in peace, drastically increasing his cultivation speed.

In a single night, he would use up three Concentration Potions—a truly extravagant habit.

The result was a rapid improvement in his Realm, which could increase by 0.4 percent per day.

If he kept cultivating like this, he would soon reach the threshold of becoming an Official Wizard.

Time flowed slowly as Ian continued to build his strength. On his status panel, the Skill Levels of his various Skills rose steadily.

His current net worth was not just a large amount of Contribution Points; some Apprentices would also pay a portion of their fees with Magic Stones, replenishing his empty wallet.

Just as Ian sold his fortieth Rock Bear Potion, the attack from the Deep Red Royal Court finally came.

It was deep in the night. Outside the camp, dark red figures surged out from the shadows of the canyon like a tide.

Leading them were the temporary commanders of the Blood Bat and Shadow Stab divisions—two Official Wizards with formidable auras.

One was "Blood Blade" Sares, his face hidden behind a blood-red mask. The other was the "Shadow Warrior," Phantom, whose figure flickered erratically.

The intelligence they received stated that the "Furnace" camp had recently merged and its morale was unstable. Although its overall strength had increased, it still lacked high-level combatants.

This time, they had brought nearly twenty High Level Apprentices and more than sixty elite Middle Level Apprentices.

Comparing the two sides, Sares believed their chances of victory were extremely high, and it was the perfect opportunity to coordinate with the front line and wipe this group out in one fell swoop.

However, as the first wave of Deep Red Apprentices charged toward the "Furnace" camp’s walls with vicious grins...

BOOM!

Inside the "Furnace" camp, nearly thirty powerful auras erupted in an instant!

Hank was the first to charge, his muscles bulging, his skin faintly glowing with a rock-like sheen as he roared and rushed out.

Behind him were Poison Fang, Big Guy, Lina, Haral of the Iron Pine Clan, Lucas...

One after another, figures who had taken the Rock Bear Potion, all with strikingly similar auras, followed close behind.

Among them, those who were already High Level Apprentices now emanated shockingly powerful fluctuations, making them seem like humanoid Fierce Beasts.

An utterly absurd scene unfolded.

The would-be ambushers and plunderers ran headfirst into a group of "monsters" with soaring physical strength and ferocious momentum.

Hank didn’t use any Witchcraft. With a Shield active, he gripped his Wide-Blade Battle Saber and charged directly into the enemy ranks, swinging his great saber.

"Flame Slash!" The rampaging Power cleaved the enemy in front of him clean in two.

Big Guy carried a Tower Shield, advancing furiously like a moving fortress wall.

Poison Fang was so fast he was just a blur, landing one Curse Witchcraft after another on the enemy. He specifically targeted casters, striking and then retreating.

...

The side that should have been on the defensive was now slaughtering everyone in their path!

High in the sky, "Blood Blade" and "Phantom," who had been preparing to dive in for an attack, were also stunned by this sudden turn of events.

Just as they were about to move, they suddenly felt a surge of Energy from the camp below, followed by a sharp, piercing sensation on their skin.

It felt like a sharp blade was pressed against their necks, ready to slice down at any moment!

Their expressions changed slightly as they hastily flew higher to evade, looking down.

"Rune Crossbow Cannons! And two of them!" Sares exclaimed in a low voice, his eyes flickering.

The Crossbow Cannons alone weren’t a major threat to a Level One Wizard, but if someone were to pin them down...

At that moment, two figures rose into the air from the Central Stone Tower opposite them. It was Sterling and Eleanor.

Sterling’s face was still a bit pale, but his eyes were sharp.

Eleanor held a sapphire-inlaid Magic Staff in her one arm, a biting chill radiating from her as she blocked the Shadow Warrior’s path.

"Sterling, and that crippled woman from Ziluo?"

"Blood Blade" Sares’s voice was hoarse, his words as provocative as ever.

Sterling wasted no time on words. Facing two opponents of the same level, the threat of the Rune Cannons alone was not enough.

He flipped his hand over, and a familiar small vial appeared in his palm once more, filled with a viscous, dark gold liquid!

"Heart of Magma!"

The pupils of Sares and Phantom constricted abruptly. They had both heard that Lilith had suffered a devastating defeat from this Potion, fleeing with grievous injuries.

"Sterling, do you dare use it again?" Sares stared intently at Sterling’s palm, his body tense.

Sterling didn’t reply, merely watching the two of them coldly.

"It seems your Shadow Moon Tower has truly decided to throw itself completely into the embrace of the White Witch these past few years?"

Sterling looked at Sares, his eyes filled with contempt.

"Our philosophies are simply different. There’s no need for more words. The Tower Master’s grand strategy is not something the likes of you can fathom."

High in the sky, the four Level One Wizards were locked in a stalemate. Neither side wanted to make a move.

Meanwhile, the battlefield below had become completely one-sided.

The Deep Red Apprentices were completely routed. They fled in panic, leaving behind more than twenty corpses, including three High Level Apprentices.

Just as Hank and the others were about to give chase, Sterling shouted for them to stop.

"Hmph! You won’t be celebrating for long! We’ll be back soon!"

After Sares spoke, he and Phantom flickered and vanished into the distance.

Their parting words made Sterling’s and Eleanor’s hearts sink.

It was a resounding victory, and the camp erupted in celebration!

All the combatants were immersed in incredible joy and the excitement of their surging Power.

The Middle Level Apprentices looked at Hank and the others with eyes full of envy and fervor.

Ian sat in his Alchemy Room, his mind linked to the invisible eyeball high in the sky. Watching the cheering crowd, he also breathed a sigh of relief.

’My plan worked. The camp is truly safe now.’ He chuckled softly and walked into his bedroom.

However, this joy lasted only half a day.

「The next morning, the early mist had not yet dispersed.」

Two figures, their auras weak and their conditions utterly wretched, stumbled straight into the camp’s warning perimeter.

Sterling and Eleanor flew out at once to meet them.

"Warren, Barrett, what happened to you...?" Horror filled Sterling’s eyes.

The Warren and Barrett he spoke of were both Level One Wizards from the "Furnace" front line. They now looked terrified and utterly miserable.

Half of Warren’s body was charred to a crisp, and he could barely stand.

Barrett’s state was even more frightening. His lower body was gone, as if severed by a sharp blade, and his aura was extremely weak.

"Sterling... Eleanor..." Warren managed to stand, his voice hoarse and desperate.

"It’s over... The defensive line on the main battlefield, Falling Star Plain, has been breached. Our ’Furnace’ front line was crushed in the process. The front... is lost!"

Sterling froze as if struck by lightning.

"Defeated just like that? Impossible..."

Sterling couldn’t believe his ears. How could the mighty Shadow Moon Tower be defeated so quickly?