This is a dilapidated Gothic ancient castle.
Due to long-term disrepair, large patches of plaster have fallen off the outer walls of the castle, and overgrown vines have taken over the entire structure.
In the main hall.
Two figures sat opposite each other. The dense vines blocked almost all doors and windows, casting the interior in deep gloom.
Such an environment clearly had no effect on the Undead.
Iville Ai cautiously looked at the figure opposite her. It was an Undead with two heads and six arms, radiating a potent aura of negative energy.
The terrifying negative energy made the brightness around the figure noticeably dimmer than its surroundings.
This was a truly formidable Great Death Mage of the Dark Night!
Iville Ai's heart grew heavy. The moment she saw the figure, she sensed that its strength was no less than her own.
"Hello, Iville Ai. I am a member of the inner circle of the [Abyss Body], nicknamed 'Abyss'. My name is Benjeri Ansis."
'Abyss' Benjeri observed the fellow Undead opposite him, gently rubbing a ring on his finger with his knuckles.
The power of detection magic spread out.
Nothing?
Or is it able to completely block detection magic?
'Abyss' Benjeri could not immediately determine.
Although Cassius Habakkuk had informed him that the mysterious Undead who wielded Eighth Tier magic had not accompanied her, He still needed to exercise caution.
"Uh... Abyss?"
Iville Ai's tone held a hint of surprise upon hearing the nickname.
Using the name of an organization as a title, it didn't seem difficult to infer this Undead's identity within that organization.
"Heh heh."
'Abyss' Benjeri let out a dry, benevolent chuckle: "Indeed, the [Abyss Body] was founded by myself."
"The initial purpose of its establishment was to facilitate communication among Undead like us, and to prevent conflicts of interest between each other."
This was indeed the original intention, though it gradually evolved into a secret society focused on "knowledge" and "mutual aid."
In reality, not just any Undead could join the organization. Over 400 years of development, the total membership of both the inner and outer circles was only 55 people.
This was partly because most Undead preferred not to interact with the outside world, and also because the members within the organization did not wish for the [Abyss Body] to be exposed, thereby attracting unnecessary trouble.
Alas...
'Abyss' Benjeri sighed inwardly. In the end, it had still attracted a major troublemaker.
Thinking this, 'Abyss' Benjeri's scarlet pupils, which glowed in the darkness, flickered as he looked at Iville Ai opposite him.
According to normal procedures, for an external Undead to contact a member of the inner circle or join the [Abyss Body], They would need to undergo assessment by several outer circle members, a process that could take several decades, before being allowed to interact with the inner circle members.
This was to guard against the possibility of bringing in danger.
However, the current situation was special.
No matter how great the risk, how could it compare to the danger posed by that Dragon Lord?
Especially after learning that one of the two external Undead actually wielded Eighth Tier magic, possessing the power to block Teleport Magic.
If such a powerful individual with such magical capabilities could be recruited to jointly confront that Dragon Lord, their chances of victory would greatly increase.
That's right!
This was precisely the purpose and reason for the founder himself to make the journey.
Iville Ai feigned understanding and nodded.
She didn't care about these trivial matters. What truly concerned her was the Dragon Lord hidden behind the [Abyss Body].
"My purpose for coming here, I believe Cassius Habakkuk has already briefed you."
Iville Ai's demeanor was somewhat cold, a negotiation tactic of creating distance to make the other party pay more attention and thus reduce suspicion.
"Regarding the loss of control due to high-tier invisibility magic."
'Abyss' Benjeri pondered for a moment, then gently shook his head: "I am not privy to the specific details. Could you elaborate further?"
Iville Ai relayed some of the information Tang Zheng had given her beforehand.
'Abyss' Benjeri tilted his chin up, his dry voice laced with surprise: "A higher-level version of the magic 'Invisibility' from the Mana system?"
"The fact that the one who wields Eighth Tier magic experienced a loss of control indicates that their research into this magic has reached at least Seventh Tier level."
'Abyss' Benjeri was inwardly shocked, feeling a degree of admiration for Tang Zheng's research capabilities, before falling into deep thought.
The atmosphere grew silent.
Iville Ai didn't disturb him. She knew perfectly well that the Crimson Dragon Lord was completely unaffected by the magic.
This was merely a reasonable entry point for contact.
"I apologize, but my knowledge has not yet reached this level of magical understanding."
Benjamin of the Abyss first shook his head, then changed his tone and spoke earnestly:
"However, our organization has a member who has also reached the power of Eighth Tier magic. If that esteemed individual could communicate with them, perhaps an answer could be found."
Benjamin of the Abyss placed his four lower arms on his legs, while his two upper arms rested on the table, fingers interlaced.
He actually wanted to make direct contact with that fellow member who mastered Eighth Tier magic. If he could pay a certain price, inviting them to join forces against the Dragon Lord would be ideal.
"I cannot make this decision."
Iville Ai gently shook her head. "I need to return and discuss it with my superior."
Benjamin of the Abyss nodded slightly, not surprised. After all, this was their first contact, and a degree of mutual distrust was to be expected.
"I heard,"
"That the Abyss Body is currently being controlled by a Dragon Lord?" Iville Ai suddenly spoke.
Benjamin of the Abyss's crimson pupils flickered like flames. If he were alive, his expression would surely be extremely grim at this moment.
"That's correct."
Benjamin of the Abyss's dry voice became hoarse. He hadn't expected her to already know about this, and lying now would be pointless.
Cassius Habakkuk must have leaked it!
If that were the case, his strategy for inviting them might not go as planned.
"It seems that is no ordinary Dragon Lord," Iville Ai exclaimed with an unidentifiable sigh.
Whoosh!
The flames in Benjamin of the Abyss's pupils flickered again, and the negative energy radiating from his body became even deeper and heavier.
A chilling aura washed over the entire ancient castle!
Even the lush vines that wrapped around and grew on the castle outside the windows were affected, gradually withering.
An ordinary person facing such negative energy erosion would likely be corroded and die in an instant, but Iville Ai, being one of the Undead, was unaffected.
In front of outsiders, Benjamin of the Abyss could not respond. Whether he admitted it or not would affect the other party's judgment of the Abyss Body.
"Do you know that the level of magic does not stop at the Eighth Tier, but that there is Tenth Tier magic?"
Iville Ai's voice, slightly high-pitched and gender-indistinguishable, came from behind her white mask.
—Astonishment!
Benjamin of the Abyss's two heads snapped towards her, and even his four arms resting on his legs subconsciously lifted, only to be quickly placed back down.
Why?
How could she possibly know this?
Two hundred years ago, the inner circle member "White Saintess" reached the Eighth Tier before anyone else, and even now, her goal was to break through to the Ninth Tier.
It was at that time that all members of the organization ignorantly realized that the power of Ninth Tier magic existed in the world.
And ever since the organization was subjugated by that Dragon Lord, The "White Saintess," as the most favored darling—no, that fellow didn't favor anyone; he only ordered them around according to his whims!
In short, They unexpectedly discovered that the highest tier of magic in the world was not the Ninth Tier—but the Tenth Tier!
Iville Ai narrowed her eyes, observing Benjamin of the Abyss's emotional changes. Watching his reaction, a hint of disappointment surfaced in her heart.
Did Crimson Dragon Lord overestimate him?
Just the news of Tenth Tier magic could make him so surprised that he couldn't even control his emotions.
"My previous analysis was correct..."
Iville Ai thought to herself, her tense and serious demeanor relaxing considerably.
The fact that "Tenth Tier magic exists"—
This was extremely secret information for ordinary people, even for nations. But an organization with energy like the Abyss Body should have been able to know.
The only explanation for this outcome—the Abyss Body's means of obtaining intelligence from the outside world were extremely limited!
"You, what exactly do you want to say?"
Benjamin of the Abyss was inwardly shocked but couldn't quite understand why Iville Ai suddenly brought this up.
Iville Ai organized her thoughts and asked, "Do you happen to know anything about the 'Sanctuary'?"
Sanctuary?
A flicker of confusion crossed Benjamin of the Abyss's eyes.
"Of course, it might not be called that. It could be a legend from a certain country, or perhaps a place."
Iville Ai spoke again about the content Tang Zheng had asked her to inquire about:
"The country where this place is located has likely already been destroyed and replaced by a new one. You could also understand it as a special magical phenomenon."
"Perhaps it's a location associated with frequent celebrations or rituals."
Iville Ai blurted out all the possibilities.
After saying all that, Iville Ai felt her mind was a bit muddled, sensing that the more she spoke, the more unclear things became.
The Crimson Dragon Lord was clearly looking for a specific place, but she didn't know why it was so important.
[Abyss Body] Benjerry pondered this information, and a place mentioned by an outer circle member suddenly flashed through his mind.
Since its establishment, the members of the [Abyss Body] organization had basically been divided into two factions.
One faction expanded their influence among the living and used this influence to achieve their goals—these were the Undead. The other faction did not interact with the living, hiding behind the world and quietly pursuing their own objectives.
However, the Undead had always been enemies of the living.
Expanding influence externally inevitably created enemies, so as time passed, the first faction's members gradually dwindled.
But during that period, the organization did obtain a considerable amount of intelligence and information from these members.
"May I ask why Miss Iville Ai is inquiring about this?"
[Abyss Body] Benjerry did not answer directly. Instead, he suppressed his earlier agitated emotions and his tone softened again.
He hadn't forgotten that she had first mentioned the "Dragon Lord" and then "Eighth Tier Magic," which didn't seem like casual remarks.
Huh?
She actually knows!
Iville Ai was stunned and looked at [Abyss Body] Benjerry, who was enveloped in black negative energy with four scarlet eyes flickering, with disbelief.
"I am asking on behalf of our lord."
"The current situation of [Abyss Body] is self-evident. If you can provide this intelligence, our lord can assist you... in mastering the power of Tenth Tier Magic."
Iville Ai's voice trembled slightly at the end.
Tenth Tier Magic!
This was a power that only legendary gods could wield.
Iville Ai didn't know if the Crimson Dragon Lord was boasting or truly possessed such ability.
Boom!
The air vibrated!
[Abyss Body] Benjerry suddenly stood up from his seat, an invisible wave spreading out to form a gust of wind that made the furniture in the entire hall creak.
In the already dim environment, it was instantly shrouded in a dense, profound negative energy.
"Soundproof Barrier"
"Detection Defense"
"Blockage"
[Abyss Body] Benjerry raised all three of his arms simultaneously, and the mouths of his two heads opened and closed, surprisingly releasing three different magical spells in an instant.
The fluctuations of magic rapidly spread.
Within a single breath, the magic had enveloped the entire area within a barrier.
Iville Ai's pupils contracted deeply, and she stared at the opposite side in astonishment.
So strong!
She had known for a long time that his strength was by no means weaker than hers, but she hadn't expected him to be able to cast three spells at once.
The battle of Magic Casters was a confrontation of magic, and for him to cast three spells at once was like one person fighting three!
"You're not joking, Lady Iville Ai?" [Abyss Body] Benjerry asked excitedly, his negative energy aura involuntarily vibrating as he spoke.
To counter that Dragon Lord, the members of their inner circle had secretly held countless meetings to discuss it, but they had never been confident.
If they could obtain the power of Tenth Tier Magic, perhaps they could truly defeat that bloodsucking parasite that controlled them!
"Cough, we have no reason to deceive you." Iville Ai said righteously, her voice also containing a hint of uncertainty.
She actually felt that it was too generous for the Crimson Dragon Lord to offer such a reward to the other party, whether it was a deception or not.
"Indeed, regarding what you called the Sanctuary, I might know a little."
[Abyss Body] Benjerry recalled briefly and then said with slight uncertainty:
"However, according to the old saying, it wasn't called Sanctuary, but Buddha Domain."
"If I remember correctly, the people of that country seemed to worship a deity called Buddha God, and they also called that place 'Spirit Mountain,' a rather strange name."
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