"Using a Magician's wisdom and methods?"
Several High-level Mages frowned, looking at the Aether Controller of the Dark Aether Worldwhose gaze carried scrutiny. They knew this was clearly a test specifically for Magicians, left behind by the former master of the tower.
As for forcing their way through the void of the Dark Aether World, not to mention this Aether Controller, who appeared to be at least of Legendary rank, even that adult Green Dragon didn't last more than one round in front of this Controller before being easily killed.
Although they had prepared many magical means in advance, in front of this powerful Aether Controller, they would not be any stronger than that adult Green Dragon.
They were all Magicians of orthodox heritage and knew how powerful a true Legendarypowerhouse was. Although this powerful Aether Controller seemed to have a contractual agreement with the former Magician, it was impossible for him to be too lenient with the group.
Moreover, even if they could temporarily hold back this powerful Aether Controller with some means, the countless Dark Aether creatures in the void were also a big problem.
These Magicians had not been targeted by the Aether Controller of the Dark Aether World just now; otherwise, they wouldn't even have conceived the idea of holding him back. In front of a true Legend, without special means, it was like facing a God.
"Hehe, this is just a test that couldn't be simpler. As long as you don't try to force your way through this space, I can even give you a little hint. I have waited here for the Magician for a long enough time,"
"I also look forward to someone passing his test and receiving his legacy, and then I can obtain the knowledge I desire as promised,"
The terrifying aura of this Aether King of the Dark Aether, which he had when he first descended, had long since receded, revealing his body composed of Aether energy and void fragments.
Although the sound he emitted was through telepathy, Kalon detected a strange, familiar rolling-tongue sensation within it.
This Aether King had not descended in his true form but had used a spell similar to mental travel, which some Magicians used for astral exploration, projecting his mental construct into this Dark Aether World.
However, the abilities he displayed in this world were almost identical to his original self's descent. Therefore, this Aether Controller's appearance was not much different from his original self, and the form composed of his mental construct also bore the characteristics of this Aether Controller.
Kalon was not awed by the power and abilities of this Aether Controller, but he fell into inner doubt and shock when he saw the decoration on the Aether King's body.
It was a badge representing merit, and it also indicated that this Aether King of the Dark Aether might not belong to this world—no, perhaps using 'universe' and 'crystal wall system' instead of 'world' would be more appropriate.
This also corroborated some of Kalon's initial thoughts when he heard about those Ancient Magicians using the World Tree for research; those Ancient Magicians' experiments should have been successful.
Kalon really wanted to ask this powerful Aether King some questions, but he forcibly restrained his impulse. Rashly exposing himself was not a wise choice.
The Aether King's voice still carried an lingering rolling-tongue sensation. He said to the Magicians, "You only need to accurately calculate the spatial teleportation coordinates between these two constantly changing planes to successfully reach the continent in the void."
"I can even control all Aether energy to avoid interference with the plane teleportation channel. How about it, isn't it very simple?"
As soon as these words were spoken, not only did the several High-level Magicians, but even the Archmage Lapers's usually calm expression couldn't help but twitch.
Although the demiplane left by the Ancient Magician in front of them seemed to belong to the same world as the entire Dark Aether space, it was actually two planes that had been split and combined, not on the same plane.
Even if they were on the same plane, these Magicians would have to accurately calculate the coordinates of the teleportation destination if they wanted to construct a magic teleportation gate in an unfamiliar plane.
It was similar to relying on magical knowledge to find their relative reference points and reconstruct a calculation method similar to precise latitude and longitude coordinates.
Of course, the calculation system for most material planes was quite universal, but in unusual planes like the Dark Aether World, one could not follow past experience, but rather needed to re-establish reference points to calculate coordinates.
Otherwise, where you teleport to might be heaven, or it might be the abyss.
Therefore, magic and mathematics share some commonalities; both are disciplines built on the underlying laws of the world and require a lot of talent. You either have it or you don't, you either know it or you don't.
The profession of a Magician not only requires vast financial support but also outstanding talent. And the deeper a Magician understands the laws of the world, the more powerful he becomes, because this means the Magician can find common ground in the laws of different planes and worlds.
This is the difference between Magicians and those sorcerer-like spellcasters who are born with certain bloodline talents. Magicians become powerful through knowledge, with an extremely low lower limit and an extremely high upper limit.
This was also the hardcore test left by the Ancient Magicians. Magicians who had not reached a certain level were not qualified to receive their inherited legacy.
And trying to forcibly obtain the Magician's legacy, even if a Legendary came, would be useless. In this Dark Aether World, the Aether King's home ground, perhaps only descending gods and those powerful existences with god-like power would have a chance to obtain the Magician's property.
This might also be why the Magician's ruins could be preserved.
Although the High-level Mages all had very solid foundational knowledge, they still looked troubled, taking out a large amount of tools and materials from their magical props and beginning to try calculations against them.
But Archmage Lapers was the main force. The white-haired Old Magician set up a posture of deep research and calculation, beginning to pace on this terrace opened up by the Ancient Magician, searching for his reference points, while muttering to himself.
But judging from the magical light flowing between Old Magician Lapers's fingers, this Saint Realm Great Mage clearly also hoped to find a shortcut through his magic.
Kalon had not yet deeply engaged with this aspect of magical knowledge, but his sub-brain cluster was also searching through the relevant knowledge stored in his mind, attempting to calculate.
However, Kalon felt a lack of confidence for the first time. For other common magical knowledge, a considerable portion placed more emphasis on comprehension and inspiration.
But when it came to knowledge like plane coordinate calculation, which was more akin to mathematical rule calculation, even as diligent as he was, he had to admit that sometimes talent outweighed effort.
He could only hope that his sub-brain had become powerful enough during this period of evolution, as the purpose of the sub-brain at the beginning of its evolution was to exist for these very matters.
The entire open-air grandstand surprisingly fell into a bizarre silence for a time, with only the occasional frustrated cries from the Magicians.
"No, no, the reference point is wrong. The entire Dark Aether World and the Magician's demiplane are both in motion. I shouldn't just calculate the demiplane as being in motion,"
Squinty-eyed Mage Hsiusir frantically pulled out a small tuft of his hair, furiously tearing the thick stack of papers in his hand to shreds. His vexation intensified, especially when he saw Kalon, who looked utterly composed and was still resting with his eyes closed.
"No, I must calculate it to prove that I, Hsiusir, am a powerful Magician," Hsiusir took a deep breath and buried himself in calculations again.
Kalon had already transformed into his Dragonborn form at this time, sitting calmly on the ground. His sub-brain abandoned all other tasks and operated at full capacity, constructing a complete plane coordinate calculation system based on the knowledge Kalon had absorbed.
Meanwhile, Kalon's main brain consciousness was immersed in the exploration and research of his own power.
In the brief touch before, Kalon discovered that Heart Power and Domain could indeed effectively isolate and avoid the system cognition overlay and distortion from a Legendary powerhouse. Although he didn't know how much effort the opponent used, as long as it was effective, it was merely a matter of quantity.
Kalon also thus decided to establish his future cognitive system based on his own nascent Domain. This was an existing foundation, and Kalon naturally wouldn't start from scratch to add difficulty for himself.
However, just as Kalon was contemplating his future path, a strange sound entered his mental defenses. With his mind protected by Heart Power, the vibration of this sound was like knocking on Kalon's mental window, hoping Kalon would open a channel for communication.
Kalon followed the source of the telepathy and saw the powerful Aether King looking at him with a slightly strange gaze. So he released his Heart Power defense and communicated with the other party through his telepathic ability.
"Hehe, little fellow, you seem to be very composed. You recognize this badge on my chest, yet you managed to restrain your desire for inquiry," The strange rolling-tongue sound was transmitted into Kalon's telepathic frequency immediately.
Facing this powerful Aether King, Kalon could indeed be called a little fellow now, as neither his size nor his strength could compare to the other party.
Therefore, Kalon did not have any thoughtless notion of being belittled. He just quietly transmitted his steady telepathic message, saying, "I am merely curious why a powerful existence like you would wear such an ordinary-looking badge."
The Aether King, surrounded by Aether energy, let out a chuckle.
He said, "Although I don't know why your soul has been recognized by the origin of this world, almost indistinguishable from these natives, in my eyes, your unique soul among these natives is like a crane standing out in a flock of chickens."
"The power within you is magical enough, but your strength is too weak to conceal your uniqueness. However, I am not here to investigate you; I am simply joyful to finally meet a similar existence. Even if we are not from the same world, we should be from the same type of world."
Kalon's mind perceived the emotions in the Aether King's voice, a feeling of slight joy and nostalgia.
Kalon knew he couldn't hide in front of such a powerful existence, so he dropped his pretense and asked with confusion, "Powerful existence, Aether King, can you tell me how you came to this world?"
The Aether King replied, "You and I both possess equal and free souls; there's no need to be so formal. I have my own name, Chekhov!"
"As for how I came to this world, it's because of the magicians of this world; their madness shocked even me," the Aether King Chekhov replied, and then his mental power fluctuated, transmitting fragments of images to Kalon's mind.
An indescribable sense of shock, accompanied by the transmission of images, filled Kalon's entire mind. In the transmitted images, he saw a colossal tree projection, tall enough to pierce countless planes and worlds, spanning the edge of the cosmic starry realm.
With an ancient, vast aura, that colossal tree, as if established at the dawn of creation and supporting the cosmic crystal wall, transcended the concepts of size and height before it.
Countless stars were merely tender fruits hanging between the branches of this colossal tree, endless material planes were but burls on the roots of this colossal tree, the astral realm seemed to be only nebulae rotating around the crown of the colossal tree, and the endless abyss seemed to be merely the pits where the colossal tree had deeply rooted itself.
Above the starry realm, the gods' divine kingdoms were also gems adorning the green leaves of this colossal tree's projection, and within the abyss, the territories of demon lords and devil dukes were merely nodes at the base of this colossal tree.
In comparison, the Green Field Forest plane where Kalon was located might only be like an ant on the projection of this colossal tree.
The distance to which the roots and branches of this colossal tree extended was boundless; even through the transmission of images, Kalon could sense an infinitely vast distance along the space extended by this colossal tree.
At an infinite distance, breaking through the barriers of worlds and the cosmic membrane, countless existences similar to this colossal tree stood in their respective universes.
Kalon didn't need to understand; he perceived the concepts and reality of these existences from the information in the images: that was the World Tree. On the giant trunk of this World Tree hung and clung nine immense kingdoms, and countless strange divine races and beings dwelled within these nine great kingdoms.
That was the Inverted Tree the qliphoth the Tree of evil and the kabbalah the tree of life,symbolizing the entirety of the universe's life, its ethereal form condensing countless concepts and laws.
That was also the Jianmu, the divine tree reaching the heavens, connecting the three realms of heaven and earth, towering into the clouds, with flourishing branches and leaves, and fruits as numerous as hemp seeds and leaves as sharp as awns, each fruit like a small world.
There was also the Tower of Babel, an endlessly tall tower connecting the human world and heaven, with countless devout and free humans climbing under this tower.
Kalon also saw many different kinds of World Trees, many elves of varying appearances, each gathered under a World Tree, praying, worshipping, and offering faith.
All sorts of infinite existences were connected and linked to this colossal tree; their essences were connected, their concepts were gathered, and their existences were bound.
The projections of these existences seemed to permeate the infinite multiverse, connecting the endless river of time, coexisting and co-dependent.
Some existences of the same essence that should have been destroyed were also pulled back from the river of time by this powerful force of connection, reappearing in the world.
Kalon's mental burden gradually became saturated; the amount of information he received was too immense, causing him to start feeling a splitting headache, as if too much knowledge was forcibly crammed into his brain, making it swell.
Kalon quickly and actively interrupted the transmission of images, but the shock in his heart still lingered, a shock that easily overshadowed his discomfort.
"Truly, utterly insane!" Kalon remained silent for a long time, then with difficulty squeezed out a few words from his throat.
Kalon finally understood why those magicians were directly erased from the world by the gods' joint efforts. Doing such a thing could no longer be considered poking a hole; it was directly overturning the heavens.
Even though he deeply understood the power of a Legendary Mage, he didn't understand why these magicians could achieve such a degree. Besides marveling at their madness, he also felt a sense of admiration for them.
Such a degree, breaking through the barriers of infinite crystal wall systems, even powerful deities couldn't do it. Kalon could only attribute it to the power of knowledge, which must surpass the power of deities.
"No wonder the many deities were completely preoccupied. The contact between different worlds might be a disaster for ordinary creatures, but for these deities, it's an opportunity where crisis and opportunity coexist."
Kalon sighed.
At this moment, he also thought of his own birth; perhaps it was also related to the influence of the Ancient Magic Empire.
However, another thought quietly emerged in Kalon's mind and occupied most of it: perhaps, one day, he could find the direction and path home, he could return to his original world and take a look.
"So you unexpectedly came to this world through this method. Does that also mean that there are other existences in this world, different from this world?"
Kalon temporarily put aside his own thoughts. It was rare to encounter an existence that could answer his questions, so he needed to seize the opportunity.
"I was summoned by a magician and descended into the Ethereal world; the situation is quite special. However, it doesn't rule out that many creatures and powerful existences from other worlds have already descended upon this world,"
Chekhov nodded, saying with some profound meaning, "Powerful as deities, they cannot personally cross the world's barriers, being resisted by the many deities of this world."
"But it doesn't rule out that they might smuggle themselves in as Saints or by other means. There are also some existences not weaker than deities; at least I have seen several outsiders wandering in the Ethereal plane."
"You can't discover them now simply because your scope of activity isn't large enough, similar to, hmm, survivor bias. I learned this term from one of those outsiders,"
Chekhov looked at the solemn Kalon, then smiled and said, "The essences of these World Tree-like existences are interconnected; even deities cannot destroy them, unless all worlds containing this essence erase it from the real world at the same time."
"But these passages are sealed by the deities and guarded, so I cannot easily pass through and find the way home. That's why I signed a contract with this magician, promising to help him guard his legacy. In return, I will obtain knowledge in this area and find my way home."
"Therefore, I very much hope that you and these magicians can successfully obtain the magician's legacy. I have already given you the equivalent of an entire ocean of water."
"Thank you for your generosity, Chekhov," Kalon nodded. Although he also wanted this knowledge, he did not have the conditions to exchange for it.
Although their conversation seemed pleasant at the moment, in the eyes of an existence of this level, temporary friendliness did not mean one could push their luck.
The King who controlled the entire Dark Aether World naturally accepted Kalon's gratitude, but at the end, this Aether Controller still gave Kalon a warning.
"You must be careful not to delve too deeply into the powerful and mad magician's legacy and knowledge. You might fall into the shackles and guidance they left behind due to that desire. Those magicians have a greater goal,"
"Although I am not clear about the true purpose of those magicians, this is just the first step of their plan. This is also what that Ancient Magician told me. Be careful, hmm, a young man who can barely be considered a fellow countryman, do not fall into a trap because of greed and desire for knowledge."
Chekhov's purple face also showed a solemn expression. He said, "Those magicians are unexpectedly mad!"
This was only the first step of those magicians' plan, and it had already almost turned the entire world upside down.
If it weren't for the deities taking action to seal and isolate all influences, Kalon could even imagine what kind of chaotic scene the entire universe would be in now.
Since Kalon's birth, the sum of his shock and emotional fluctuations had never been as great as today.
Although he thought his will was already firm enough, in the face of the mad actions of these magicians, he felt that he still needed to strengthen his psychological resilience.
"Damn it, truly, the greater the ability, the greater the mess!" Kalon finally couldn't help but complain.
Erm, there's been a lot going on recently, so I've written a bit less!