329: Chapter 322 Mission: Destroy the Evil Dragon

When Zhang Mu flew to the competition grounds on the outskirts of London, the sun had not yet peeked out.

Not far away, the temporary camp formed by spectators and reporters was brightly lit.

They seemed to have partied all night, showing no signs of fatigue, sitting around simple grills in small groups, beer in one hand and meat skewers in the other, eating heartily.

After a quick glance, Zhang Mu arrived above the competition grounds and began setting up the Magic Array.

He had long made arrangements for the final battle of the magic competition, which was intended to be a grand spectacle.

Building a "transcendent" scene on-site was quite difficult to achieve.

Not only would it consume a lot of resources, but being too hasty might lead to mistakes, and the subsequent cleanup would be a hassle, so he simply gave up and looked for another way.

Pulling everyone into "The World" was possible, but the currently completed areas in "The World" were only the Mountain Gate, Jinshui Town, Hogwarts, and Hogsmeade Town.

There was no environment suitable for the competition that was also spectacular enough.

After much thought, Zhang Mu finally decided to place a Magic Array on Blue Star.

The effect of the Magic Array was not to directly form an alternate space; even if such a Magic Array existed on the Saul Continent, it wasn't something he could access yet.

Its function was simple—amplification.

The target of the amplification was—the Shadow Technique.

Among all the magic Zhang Mu had mastered so far, the most frequently used were the Transformation Technique and the Shadow Technique.

They weren't lethal, but their uses were very broad, being effective in almost any situation.

Perhaps because they originated from the hands of a deity, although these two spells were powerful, their upgrades were exceptionally slow.

Zhang Mu's Fireball Spell and Solar Storm had broken through multiple times, but the Shadow Technique and Transformation Technique had only just upgraded for the first time.

The good news was that the new abilities after the upgrade were very potent.

First was the Shadow Technique.

The function of the Shadow Technique is to turn the target illusory, making it completely disappear from The World. This was the root cause of why various countries on Blue Star had failed to locate Zhang Mu despite multiple attempts to use radar and other monitoring equipment.

However, it also had a flaw: it only worked on objects wrapped in Zhang Mu's magic power.

It seemed fine for daily use, but it could be very dangerous at critical moments.

Because magic power that left the body would slowly dissipate over time.

Zhang Mu was only one person; if two or even more locations needed the Shadow Technique to save the day, how would he solve it?

Additionally, if he planned to establish a secret base somewhere and use the Shadow Technique to hide it, wouldn't he have to go back every few days to replenish the magic power?

How could he afford to waste so much free time?

With this upgrade, the former issue remained unresolved for now, but the latter was addressed.

The level two Shadow Technique can solidify a certain area; any creature entering it will have their five senses manipulated. It will be maintained unless Zhang Mu cancels it himself or a mage several levels higher breaks it with brute force.

Was there a mage stronger than Zhang Mu on Blue Star?

The answer was no, so he could confidently activate the Shadow Technique and pull everyone in the competition grounds into it.

The only tricky part was that the magic had just been upgraded and he wasn't proficient yet. Moreover, there were too many people. Controlling them all without leaving any flaws or letting anyone realize they were in an illusion was still not easy.

The audience and reporters were all ordinary people. Zhang Mu could easily handle a few hundred or even a thousand, but tens of thousands, or even fifty or sixty thousand...

It was inevitable that he might neglect one thing while focusing on another, being discovered by someone in the illusion.

Of course, after the competition, they would realize from the live photos released by various countries that everything they saw was an illusion.

Zhang Mu didn't care about the aftermath; he would provide the reason: "I will lead your souls to the final competition venue." If someone noticed during the process, the lie would be exposed.

To ensure this wouldn't happen, the amplification Magic Array was key.

"I'm not proficient, but it's not a big problem. As long as the quantity is stacked to a certain level, rough operation won't affect the result."

Zhang Mu moved quickly, and the materials had been prepared early on. Furthermore, the amplification array was one of the most basic and common Magic Arrays on the Saul Continent, with simple lines, so it only took half an hour to complete.

Placing the last magic crystal, he clapped his hands and stood up, looking at the tightly closed gates of the venue: "Done. Just waiting for them to arrive."

...

As the sky brightened slightly, the spectators who had stayed up all night showed no signs of lethargy. Each one was high-spirited as they put on their coats and walked toward the venue in groups.

They chatted with their companions and families about yesterday's events—which contestant was likely to win, how intense the battles were—while guessing how today's competition, the final, would be conducted.

Some felt that a competition was just a competition and wouldn't have anything fancy; it would surely be like the previous two days, with strength doing the talking.

Others disagreed.

A competition at a Magic Academy should never be just about deciding a winner; it should also have educational significance, such as teaching students about unity and friendship.

The people around them laughed. "What kind of nonsense is that? You've been reading too many novels."

Chatting like this, the crowd, who had become much more familiar with each other, didn't scramble like on the first day but entered the venue in an orderly fashion.

Standing in their spots, they all took out their Mobile Phones and pointed them at the cloudless sky.

They were waiting for the teams from the three Magic Academies.

The contestants all entered on broomsticks. Although they had seen it for two days straight, the audience still felt they hadn't seen enough, hoping to capture more different flying postures to keep as treasures after returning home.

Soon, the morning sun peeked out from the east, casting a golden glow on everyone's faces.

The three teams, just like the previous two days, flew from afar on their broomsticks against the light.

"Whoo!" Cheers and applause erupted as everyone shouted the names of the contestants they supported.

The three teams smiled and waved back, landing steadily on the wooden platform in the middle of the arena.

After ten minutes, the motorcade entered, and the Queen and Toby's group of five got out of the cars in turn.

After two days of intense competition, most of the five freshmen from Hogwarts had been eliminated, with only Toby and Wino advancing.

Misha could have won too, but her opponent was the strongest among all the contestants from the three academies.

Despite the strong opponent, Misha still tried her best to hold her ground, narrowly losing after persisting for half an hour.

"Uncle Toby, good luck! Avenge Misha!" Amidst the applause from the audience on both sides, the group took their seats in the observation area, and Misha immediately grabbed Toby's sleeve.

"I'll do my best." Toby had watched Misha's battle; the opponent's strength was terrifying, and he didn't dare be certain of a win.

Wino, sitting on Toby's other side, looked around: "Where's the Headmaster? He arrived before us yesterday, why today... oh, here he comes."

Halfway through his sentence, Dumbledore's figure emerged, shifting from illusory to solid.

He first responded with a smile to the applause that almost shattered the air, then released his magic power to restrain the hands of the constantly clapping audience.

The arena fell silent instantly, and the old man finally spoke slowly: "Today is the final. I am very honored to meet you all, ladies and gentlemen, as the host.

First, I must inform you that the competition venue will be changed. As for the location, it is somewhat distant."

Distant? How far could it be?

Not only was the audience below puzzled, but the people on the Queen's side also discussed it among themselves.

"Back to Hogwarts?" Klaisi asked.

"That's unlikely. If the final was to be held at the school, why come to Blue Star in the first place?" Misha turned and replied.

"Stop guessing." Wino interrupted the two, looking at the wooden platform. "The Headmaster is about to announce it."

"I know you all wish to watch the entire competition, so I will lead you there. It's just... the method will be a bit novel."

"Hmm..." Seemingly troubled by how to explain it clearly, Dumbledore stroked his white beard and remained silent for a moment. "Considering the journey is indeed too far, your bodies might not be able to withstand it, so I plan to take your souls there."

"Souls..." The audience near the wooden platform looked bewildered. "Mr. Dumbledore, are the souls you're talking about the same as what we know?"

"Yes."

How was he going to take them? Would there be complications? For example, not being able to return to their bodies?

Dumbledore's statement was too shocking; the audience's brains were still trying to analyze and understand it, so for a while, no one spoke.

Realizing their doubts, he smiled and said, "Rest assured, there is no risk. And whether to go or not is entirely up to you.

Oh, time is tight, you must decide quickly. Those who want to go stay where you are; otherwise, you may leave the venue."

The crowded spectators looked at each other and then quickly made their decision—Go!

Only a fool wouldn't go!

Who was Dumbledore?

The Headmaster of Hogwarts, a powerful mage. If it weren't for his easygoing nature, humans seeing him once would be an extravagant hope. What did they have that would be worth his greed?

In other words, with the terrifying magic Dumbledore had shown, if he really intended to do something, could they resist?

"Mr. Headmaster, I can't wait to start the soul journey!" The Queen always called him "Mr. Headmaster" in public, so everyone followed suit.

"That's right! Let's get started!"

At the observation area, the butler behind the Queen bowed slightly: "Your Majesty, you..."

"Mm."

"Yes."

Dumbledore stood calmly and only spoke after five minutes: "The spectators remaining have all decided to go to the final competition venue.

Well then..."

His right hand clenched in the air, and the teaching rod staff appeared in a flash of light: "Let's depart."

The moment his voice fell, everyone felt their vision suddenly turn pitch black, but it only lasted for a short while before distorted colors lit up around them.

Where is this? A spatial tunnel?

They felt no abnormality in their bodies, nor did they feel uncomfortable, so they had the leisure to observe their surroundings.

It looked a lot like special effects in movies.

Watching the complex colors surrounding them swirling together, they couldn't help but recall the science fiction movies they had seen.

"Everyone, we've arrived."

The strange hues vanished instantly, and the normal world re-entered their vision.

"God..." Coming to their senses, the spectators turning in circles were absolutely certain that their souls had traveled to another world, because the environment before them definitely didn't exist on Blue Star.

They were standing in a primeval forest, with weeds by their feet reaching their waists, and dense trees all around.

Strangely, the trees weren't scattered randomly; instead, they seemed to have been planted by humans, arranged neatly on both sides and extending into the distance.

If it were just that, it wouldn't be so extraordinary; after all, similar forests existed on Blue Star, and more than one.

But the reason they were sure their souls had traveled was entirely because of a towering tree that pierced the clouds on the horizon directly ahead.

Its canopy was hidden in the clouds, out of sight, but its trunk was as majestic as the Tower of Babel, like a wooden pillar supporting the sky. The lushness and density of the canopy were not unimaginable.

"What is that?" The Queen walked forward a few steps, searching every corner of her mind for words to describe it: "Is it... The World Tree?"

"Right now, I just want to know if we are in Hogwarts." Toby gazed at the tree.

"Probably not." Wino stood side by side with him, also looking at the tree. "We've been at Hogwarts for almost a year and have gone out for classes. If there were such a tall tree, how could we not have seen it?"

"Clap clap—"

The sound of clapping suddenly came from overhead. Everyone interrupted their wonder and looked up.

Dumbledore stood on a branch as thick as a thigh: "As for admiring the scenery, I will leave some time for you all after the competition.

Now, let the competition begin!"

"Begin? Begin what?" The advancing Toby and Wino looked around, searching for their opponents.

"The condition for winning: eliminate the Evil Dragon and bring back its head." Dumbledore explained, "There are no restrictions on the method!"

The words were brief, and the task process seemed easy enough. However, Toby and Wino keenly sensed the underlying bloodiness and cruelty.

What did "no restrictions" mean?

It meant they could attack other contestants, right?

"Depart!" Dumbledore shouted.

Toby and the other stopped thinking and didn't ask for more detailed mission information. They quickly scanned their surroundings, picked a direction at random, and ran off, soon disappearing into the forest.

Besides the two of them, each of the other three academies had two contestants advance, making six in total.

The six of them whispered with their respective professors for a while and then followed Toby and Wino's lead, rushing into the woods and vanishing.

Now that everyone was gone, the audience couldn't help but buzz with discussion.

They've gone to eliminate the Evil Dragon; what about us?

Everyone came hoping to watch the competition, not to wait for the results in place. Otherwise, they could have just waited on Blue Star; why bother coming to another world?

They wanted to ask Dumbledore, who was standing on the branch, but they all looked at each other, no one daring to be the first to speak.

What if the Headmaster was in a bad mood and roasted them with a fireball? Who would they complain to?

The Queen naturally had no such qualms, and she was also curious about the contestants' current status, so she looked up and asked, "Mr. Headmaster, how will we know what is happening with the contestants?"

"Like this." The old man waved his hand, and a huge semi-transparent light screen appeared in the air in front of the crowd.

The light screen was divided into six equal areas, each live-streaming one contestant.

Seeing such high-definition images, the crowd dispersed happily, finding comfortable patches of grass to sit on or leaning against tree trunks on the roots.

Since the contestants had just set out and were mostly moving through the woods or crossing hills, everyone found it a bit boring and started studying their own bodies instead.

Is there a difference between the soul and the physical body?

They pinched the flesh on various parts of their bodies.

Dumbledore shook his head with a smile and raised his hand; the Queen and the butler, Li, flew to his sides.

"Don't worry about falling."

The crowd had dispersed, and there were no quiet places left. The Queen didn't know what to do, but in an instant, she was pulled onto the branch by the old man. She felt relieved: "Thank you, Mr. Headmaster. Your gentlemanly manner is as impeccable as ever."

He waved his hand to indicate the praise was excessive, then looked at the light screen with a solemn expression: "The task is very dangerous. I hope they can return safely."

An Evil Dragon... it should indeed be very dangerous.

The Queen muttered to herself, her gaze also shifting over.