295: Mysterious Desolate Tower

The young men and the three Archmages momentarily forgot to breathe.

The black-haired youth stood with his back to them, in the fierce winds atop the mountain, his clothes flapping wildly. The grey-black mist, capable of instantly devouring the Soul of a ninth-rank Archmage, now behaved as docilely as a pet cat, lingering three feet behind him, not daring to cross the line.

"You... you are..."

The blonde youth, the one who had been clamoring to take photos earlier, now spoke with an uncontrollable tremor in his voice. He stared intently at the figure's back, a flash of lightning striking his mind.

Global live broadcast, Kunlun Academy, Sword Opens the Heavenly Gate, the descent of the Thunder Dragon... and that god-like young Principal, suspended in the center of the Martial Arts Training Ground, announcing the start of the final selection!

"Principal! It's Principal Li Heng of Kunlun Academy!" A girl named Emily was the first to react, letting out a scream mixed with adoration and excitement.

This scream was like flipping a switch, and the young people instantly shifted from extreme fear to fervent worship.

"My God! It really is him!"

"Mr. Principal! I'm your fan! Could you give me an autograph?" The blonde youth tried to rush forward in one stride but was blocked by an invisible wall of Qi, unable to advance an inch further.

Li Heng paid no attention to the commotion behind him.

His gaze pierced through the churning grey mist before him, looking towards its depths, the source of that malevolent power. The corrupting nature of this power was even stronger than the wriggling flesh beneath Mount Fuji in Japan.

It seemed the process of Earth's Spiritual Qi recovery was faster than he had anticipated.

Troubles scattered across the world were beginning to surface one by one.

He withdrew his gaze, not sparing another look. The next second, his entire being vanished into thin air, as if he had never appeared.

"Where is he?"

"Where's the Principal?!"

The blonde youth was still pushing forward forcefully, but then his vision went blank, and he almost tumbled headfirst into the snow. He looked at the empty space before him, his face filled with disappointment and regret.

"My autograph..."

The three Archmages only now recovered from their immense shock. They exchanged glances, seeing the horror and bitterness in each other's eyes.

Is this the power of the Principal of Kunlun Academy?

They couldn't even get close; that terrifying Secret Realm power was like a docile pet before him.

The leading gaunt old man sighed deeply; his previous pride as an Archmage had long been shattered. He looked at the mountain climbers, who were still immersed in regret, and sternly instructed, "This is not a place for you. Leave this mountain immediately and never return."

After speaking, he no longer paid attention to these Mortals. He gently tapped his staff on the ground, and a light blue halo enveloped the three Archmages. With a flash of light, the three also vanished from the mountaintop.

Only the bewildered mountain climbers were left, disoriented in the cold wind.

"Hey! They just left?" The black youth grumbled in dissatisfaction, "Aren't they Magicians? Couldn't they have given us a ride? How are we supposed to get down the mountain?"

"Exactly!" The blonde youth also reacted, stomping his feet in anger, "Being able to use Spells is no big deal! They have no public morality whatsoever! Bad review! Must give a bad review!"

Emily shook her head helplessly at the two clowns and urged, "Stop complaining. The Principal and the Magicians have all left. There must be dangers here that we don't know about. Let's get down the mountain quickly!"

Only then did the group realize the seriousness of the situation. They dared not delay any longer, hastily packed their gear, and scrambled down the mountain... Meanwhile, Li Heng's figure appeared at the source of the evil Qi.

It was a deep cave located halfway up the mountain, its entrance half-covered by ice and snow, dark and black, like the gaping maw of a giant beast. Thick, almost tangible, grey-black evil Qi continuously surged from the depths of the cave.

The concentration of evil Qi here was so dense that even a Cultivator in the Foundation Establishment Stage would likely not last longer than the time it takes an incense stick to burn before their mind was corroded, turning them into a monster that only knew how to kill.

Li Heng's Spiritual Sense swept through, easily penetrating the obstruction of the evil Qi.

Not far from the cave entrance, he "saw" several already cold corpses. They wore special robes, and residual magical energy fluctuations lingered on their bodies, clearly indicating they were the "Lionheart" vanguard team dispatched by the European Magicians Association.

They hadn't even managed to truly delve deep, being completely wiped out near the cave entrance.

Li Heng stepped forward, preparing to enter the cave.

The surging evil Qi seemed to find an outlet, transforming into countless twisted tentacles, wildly sweeping towards him. However, this evil Qi, capable of easily corroding steel and devouring Souls, instantly melted away silently upon contact with Li Heng's body, like spring snow encountering scorching sun.

For him, it was merely a breeze... Europe, Avalon Sanctuary.

Inside the Round Table Council Hall, a young Magician's assistant, holding a report, reported to Archmage John with a pale face.

"Chief, the latest monitoring data just came in. The Secret Realm's expansion range... has increased by another three percent! It has completely engulfed the 'Kiss of Death' peak and is still spreading towards the town below the mountain!"

John rubbed his temples, his face full of fatigue, but his eyes were unusually calm.

"Understood."

The assistant looked at the Chief Archmage's unperturbed demeanor, feeling even more anxious: "Chief! This is no longer a disaster we can handle! If this continues..."

"I know." John interrupted him, "This matter, from the moment Gregory and his team lost contact, was no longer something our Magicians' Association could handle."

Upon hearing this, the assistant's face showed an expression of disbelief.

Archmage John, standing before him, was hailed as the most talented Magician in the association in nearly a thousand years, the one everyone believed had the most hope of breaking through the ninth rank and reaching the legendary "Sacred Domain" Realm.

If even he said so, didn't that mean the entire Europe would face a catastrophe?

Looking at the assistant's expression, as if the sky had fallen, John shook his head, a wry smile forcing its way to his lips: "I have already invited the only person who can solve this problem."

"Mr. Li Heng, the Principal of Kunlun Immortal Cultivation Academy."

"I believe everything will be over very soon."

...Li Heng walked through the deep and winding cave.

The surrounding rock walls were covered with a slimy, biological tissue-like moss, emitting a nauseating stench.

The further he went, the wider the space became.

When he rounded a giant stalactite, his vision suddenly cleared.

The expected end of the cave did not appear; instead, there was a dim yellow sky and a vast, boundless wasteland.

He had been teleported to another independent space.

Li Heng looked around. Several Yao Beasts, resembling hyenas but covered in bone armor, were observing him from afar. These Yao Beasts emitted the same evil Qi as the outside world, but their strength was pitifully weak, at most only at the third or fourth stage of Qi Refining.

They seemed to sense Li Heng's terror, only growling softly, not daring to approach.

Li Heng paid no attention to these small fries.

His gaze was directed towards the very center of this space.

There, an ancient, dilapidated black stone tower stood silently, piercing the dim yellow sky.

The source of all evil Qi pointed to that tower.