The mental power consumption required for a complete star chart deduction was so immense that even Ronan, whose mental power was a hundred times that of an average peak third-level wizard, found it difficult to sustain.
"To achieve this, I might have to wait until my mental power undergoes its third purification."
As for the incredibly advanced meditation technique contained within the "Ancient Star Scripture," Ronan still hadn't fully grasped it even now. He even felt that it might be something only wizards beyond the fourth-level Dawn Wizard could truly practice.
However, although he hadn't completed the deduction, Ronan had made significant progress in understanding Herams' inheritance over the past nine months using the "Ancient Star Scripture."
Nearly half of the vast sea of runes within the armlet space had been absorbed and comprehended by him, and the core [Law-Controlling] rune had been understood to almost one-third of its depth.
Ronan estimated that if he could maintain this pace, it would take him about three years to fully "master" the entire [Law-Controlling] rune. For a third-level wizard whose average lifespan is measured in centuries, this speed wasn't considered slow.
However, he still hadn't found a solution to the problem of a single Mental Power Crystal being unable to bear the engraving of the [Law-Controlling] rune, so he could only take it one step at a time.
Ronan summoned his current character panel and scanned through the data line by line.
His age had increased from 21 to 22.
He hadn't wasted a single second of the nine-month waiting period, and the results were that the proficiency of the three skills—[Basic Meditation Technique - Clarity Realm], [Energy Missile - Particle Torrent], and [Ascetic Body Forging]—had all approached the master-level threshold of 1500, at 1491, 1478, and 1483 respectively. Additionally, the three earliest zero-level ice spells he had comprehended had all truly reached the three-stage law domain resonance, with a master-level proficiency of 1500. Upon reaching this point, Ronan began to feel that after a spell reached three-stage law domain resonance, the difficulty of further advancement would increase exponentially.
He spent six months training the three cornerstone spells of his ice magic system to a master-level proficiency of 1500 points, successfully entering the three-stage law domain resonance. However, in the following three months, despite his relentless efforts, his proficiency hadn't increased at all!
This was despite him possessing the Ancient Frost Hydra Bloodline, which gave him far greater talent in ice magic comprehension than the average person. It was clear how difficult it was for ordinary wizards to touch the "Taboo."
"No wonder the 'Forbidden Magic Domain' is named as such. Even Dawn Wizards beyond the fourth level find it incredibly difficult to comprehend. Even in the ancient times when everyone was a dragon, only true prodigies had the qualifications to step into this domain."
After reaching a master-level proficiency of 1500 points, the final hundred points were like ascending to a new realm with each point. Ronan even had a vague premonition that the time required to grind through these last hundred points might be longer than the time he had spent training up to this point.
Thus, Ronan now focused his main energy on the cultivation of [Energy Missile] and metal-based spells. The former had revealed a brilliant prospect—[Taboo. Black Hole]—and no matter how difficult it was, he had to push through. The latter, however, provided the most significant boost to his current combat power.
"Whoosh—"
A large mass of metal, dark with hints of red, surged out from under his Wizard Robe, accompanied by the fluctuation of spell energy, releasing an ancient and mysterious aura.
In the void, it seemed as if an invisible "Midas Touch" brushed over the Ithium body, transforming the Ithium into golden tentacles that bloomed in a bizarre and unique form behind Ronan.
A vast and intense law domain spread out, with scorching winds sweeping across the surroundings. The air was filled with a thick, heavy, and molten metal scent.
[Lingmoya Black Steel Tentacles]! This spell, which Ronan had started practicing the earliest and had spent the most time and effort on, had surprisingly developed a super law domain and officially entered the master level! The master-level [Black Steel Tentacles] could form a total of twenty-nine golden tentacles, though more could be formed depending on the total amount of Ithium alloy.
Each tentacle was like the purest and highest quality gold, with countless serrated golden suction cups growing on them, constantly rotating and exuding a terrifying aura of tearing and cutting.
Drops of molten gold-like mucus dripped from the tentacles, each drop creating a large crater on the hard ground. The soil was scorched and corroded as if by molten steel, forming fiery magma, above which a thin layer of golden flame flickered.
The super law domain derived from [Black Steel Tentacles] was named—[Golden Flame]! This was a unique metal-based spell flame, more domineering and powerful than most fire spells Ronan had seen before.
The five inherited spells of [Golden Flame], [Black Steel Tentacles] represented absolute offense on both physical and energy levels, [Silver Body] symbolized absolute defense on physical and energy levels, [Brass Head] was a mental and willpower-based attack, [Diamond Heart] protected the mind, and [Golden Soul] armed the soul.
When all five spells were cast, they could summon Lingmoya, one of the seven pillars of the [Golden Country], to descend into the world! This was described in the inheritance given to him by the "Schbiert Alchemist."
As for how strong the true form of the [Golden Flame Lingmoya], one of the seven pillars of the Golden Country, was?
Ronan still didn't know, but judging from the power displayed by the individual spells, it shouldn't disappoint him.
"Buzz—"
One of the golden tentacles suddenly disintegrated, transforming into countless thin black metal threads that gathered in front of Ronan.
Ronan raised a finger, and a drop of crimson blood seeped from his fingertip, gently flicked into the intertwined black metal threads.
With a fluctuation of spell energy, the countless metal threads infused with Ronan's blood slowly wove together to form the outline of a human figure.
Body, hair... As time passed, a lifelike human figure was born.
Except for the slightly dull eyes, the cold and hard demeanor, and the lack of body temperature and heartbeat, the appearance and aura were almost identical to Ronan's.
This was an "accidental product" of Ronan's nine-month spell training.
Due to his intense cultivation of metal-based spells, the [Living Metal] spell Ronan had been practicing since level one had unknowingly surpassed the master-level threshold of 1000 points, entering the two-stage law domain resonance. The [Living Steel] derived from it had become even more powerful, and when combined with the soon-to-be master-level [Mirror Soul] spell, it could create a true spell clone.
The strength of this spell clone wasn't particularly high, roughly equivalent to a second-level wizard, but its ability to deceive was extremely effective. In certain situations, it could be quite useful for creating confusion.
This was a rather practical little trick Ronan had developed.
Waving his hand to disperse the spell clone and the golden tentacles, the Ithium reattached itself to Ronan's Wizard Robe, marking the end of his training for the day.
With a snap of his fingers, a rustling sound soon came from the nearby forest.
Shortly after, a limping gray goat happily emerged from the bushes, quickly running up to Ronan and affectionately nuzzling his feet with its furry head.
Ronan casually patted the gray goat's neck and then stored it back into his space ring.
Since the Ice Crystal Demon Serpent had been possessed by Hekalto, this mechanical gray goat named "Dordor III" had become Ronan's only pet, and he often let it out for a walk.
Over the past year, the two had developed a rather deep bond, and Dordor III had become extremely dependent on him.
Just as Ronan was about to leave, he suddenly felt a disturbance in one of the Message Stones within his space ring. Taking it out and checking it, he quickly replied and then stood still, waiting.
Not long after, a figure arrived through the air.
"The mental power amplification array and the inheritance secret realm within the Magic Ring are freely open to you, the Ring's Saint, yet you always prefer to come to this energy-scarce wilderness to train..."
The newcomer had flowing golden hair, a handsome appearance, and a cold silver robe—it was O'Ryan, who had become quite acquainted with Ronan after the Genius Competition.
"Just a habit..."
Ronan casually responded and then asked O'Ryan, "Have you come with news from the central region?"
For nearly a year, Ronan had been waiting for the wizards from the central "Elemental Ring" who were supposed to come and fetch him. O'Ryan was also one of the geniuses recommended by the Silver Magic Ring to the headquarters, so any news from the "Elemental Ring" was usually relayed to Ronan by O'Ryan.
"There is news."
O'Ryan nodded, "But it's not good news."
"What do you mean?"
"Just contacted the headquarters. The wizards who set out from the headquarters a year ago to fetch us from the south encountered a minor accident.
So the headquarters has sent another group, and we might have to wait a bit longer..."
"An accident?!"
Ronan couldn't help but frown.
O'Ryan explained, "You underestimate the difficulty of crossing two continents. The vast spatial distance can give rise to all sorts of unexpected situations. Getting caught up in something and being unable to break free for a short period is quite common..."
Ronan nodded and didn't say anything more.
O'Ryan, however, took out a palm-sized metal box from under his robe and handed it to Ronan.
"My mentor asked me to give this to you.
Part of the core inheritance of the Magic Ring was originally intended for you to decide upon after entering the Elemental Ring headquarters. Now that the journey is delayed, he asked me to bring it to you in advance.
You haven't fully condensed your Soul Runes, have you?"
Listening to O'Ryan's description, Ronan's expression shifted slightly. He took the metal box and opened it directly, finding a few rune stones placed inside.
"Thank you."
Ronan stored the metal box and thanked O'Ryan.
O'Ryan simply shook his head, leaving a faint "Contact me anytime if you need anything," before turning and leaving.
Half an hour later, Ronan slowly descended into a secluded valley.
With a gentle push of his mental power, he parted the silver curtain-like waterfall, revealing the moss-covered stone wall behind it. However, Ronan wasn't in a hurry to enter. Instead, he stood there, thoughtfully staring at the rune stones in his hand.
As O'Ryan had said, these rune stones recorded the core inherited spells of the Magic Ring, as well as a series of Soul Runes related to the [Omnipotent Magic Ring] system, along with some related cultivation insights.
The spells and insights weren't particularly important to Ronan. With the inheritance of the [Golden Country], he naturally wouldn't switch to the "Crystal System" spells created by the ring masters of the Silver Magic Ring. Ordinary third-level elemental spells were also useless to him. What mattered was the [Omnipotent Magic Ring] Soul Rune.
Ronan had long known that the [Omnipotent Magic Ring] rune wasn't a single entity but was composed of a series of runes.
"[Wind's Rhythm][Earth's Breath][Fire's Pulse]..."
Ronan now had seven runes of different elemental categories.
"Combining at least three runes can form the most basic [Omnipotent Magic Ring], which increases the power of specific elemental spells by thirty times for a certain period."
After reaching the peak of the third level, Ronan still had four Mental Power Crystals left empty. This meant that if he chose to use these four crystals to condense the [Omnipotent Magic Ring], he could achieve a forty-fold increase in spell power under certain conditions.
"If I hadn't received Herams' inheritance, and without a more suitable rune to condense, I might have truly taken the path of the [Omnipotent Magic Ring]..."
Ronan looked at the rune stones in his hand, murmuring to himself, the light in his eyes growing brighter.
At this moment, countless sparks of inspiration flashed through his mind like lightning.
—
He had been troubled by the problem of how to condense the [Law-Controlling] rune into a Soul Rune. Now, the unique rune system of the [Omnipotent Magic Ring] had given him great inspiration.
"A single Mental Power Crystal is too small to engrave the complete [Law-Controlling] rune. Even if it's barely engraved, once activated in battle, it wouldn't be able to withstand the hundred-fold energy impact."
"But what if I split the [Law-Controlling] rune?"
Just like the [Omnipotent Magic Ring], split it into different runes, and then combine them into a complete [Law-Controlling] rune! "This path might work!"
Ronan took a deep breath, already catching a glimpse of the long-awaited dawn.
Although the [Omnipotent Magic Ring] was also powerful, it had many limitations. To maximize its power, one had to continuously cultivate more elemental spells, and in all aspects, it couldn't compare to the [Law-Controlling].
As long as there was a sliver of a chance, Ronan would unhesitatingly choose the [Law-Controlling]. It wasn't just a matter of a several-fold increase in spell power; it also concerned the future grade of his Primal Spirit.
"I currently have four blank Mental Power Crystals, so I need to split the [Law-Controlling] rune into four parts..."
"Even four parts might still feel insufficient. I might have to sacrifice a few of the less significant existing runes to make room for the split [Law-Controlling] rune."
Of course, the best outcome would be not having to erase any existing runes, as the five Soul Runes Ronan currently possessed were crucial to his major spell systems. Losing any one of them would diminish his abilities in that aspect.
"If only I could step into the Mist Forbidden Zone, I could condense one more Mental Power Crystal, providing an additional slot for the split..."
Once he confirmed this line of thought, Ronan felt an almost irresistible urge to try it out immediately.
But he forcefully suppressed it.
He had only comprehended one-third of the [Law-Controlling] rune so far. It would be best to decide how to split it after fully comprehending it.
With this in mind, Ronan calmed his emotions, stepped through the moss-covered stone wall, and entered Benigo's private secret realm space.
(End of Chapter)