Chapter 156 – Dolai's Epic Skills

Flames molded the bodies, while flowing thunder crackled and transformed into neatly arranged scales covering them.

With brilliant, shimmering pupils harboring destruction, after bombarding the hundred-meter-tall mountain peak several times in succession, the nine giant serpents tightly bound their target and erupted with extreme radiance upon their bodies.

—BOOM!

The dazzling brilliance contracted, flowing back like tides into Isloria’s fair palm, leaving only a spherical projection slowly rotating, faintly revealing the terrifying destruction the massive explosion had wrought on the surrounding environment.

“You actually know this technique too?”

“Mhm, I know plenty.”

Large-scale spells need to be tested beforehand to have confidence in their next use. Otherwise, casting an offensive spell might eliminate the enemy but also wipe out most of one’s own allies.

He had previously tested Blazing Sun, which shook heaven and earth, creating a massive crater that could serve as a lake. In fact, after several rainfalls, the crater now resembles a small lake.

Since Blazing Sun was already so formidable, truly testing a new large-scale spell would likely cause too much commotion.

Isloria suggested it wasn’t necessary to go through such trouble.

“It’s just calculating and deducing based on existing data, then manifesting it through illusion-type skills. Nothing difficult.”

Dolai exclaimed with “waku waku” sounds of amazement, which greatly pleased Isloria.

However, she noticed a key point: Dolai’s energy reserves seemed to be… just a tiny bit excessive!

Earlier, she had recruited two helpers. But since the Lord is, after all, the Lord, she didn’t dare use him too much, only having him provide minimal energy replenishment. Dolai was different – being a mage itself, under her command it poured out energy in massive gulps, with input seemingly not much less than hers.

Yet it was only slightly panting.

Quite interesting!

“Of course, Dolai, strong.”

It had secretly practiced for a long time and even received boosts from the Lord, dreaming of one day challenging Deadbone for the top position in Tianyuan.

However, the newly arrived junior was just a tiny bit too capable, leaving Dolai with almost no seniority authority.

How could it regain its seniority dignity?

Dolai pondered deeply, but couldn’t reach a conclusion.

“Why don’t you two spar,” Mu Yuan suggested. Sparring is more direct than simply displaying abilities, and it’s an opportunity to familiarize and adapt with each other. There will be plenty of cooperative missions in the future.”

In his view, Isloria had many aspects worth Dolai learning from – her techniques and ability application completely outclassed Dolai’s.

As for the breadth and variety of her abilities, even Mu Yuan wasn’t entirely clear.

Firstly, most of Isloria’s skills required combination and specific techniques to use effectively – even if he loaded the ‘Isloria mode’, he couldn’t master them quickly. Secondly, since Isloria had just joined Tianyuan Territory, their adaptation wasn’t deep enough yet – he could only borrow a relatively low proportion of her power, with many skills even unusable.

As soon as he finished speaking, the light blue hair on Dolai’s forehead stood straight up like antennas.

This suggestion works, guji~!

It was time for General Dolai to demonstrate its capabilities as a senior.

Isloria also thought it was acceptable.

Joining a territory and sparring – this was almost customary in current times, as she had heard from many veteran Heroes.This was both a display of strength and a way to better integrate into the territory.

Her opponent was the former strongest fighter of Tianyuan Territory, General Dolai.

…

A spar couldn’t begin immediately. After all, Isloria had just been drained, and she was still wearing plain clothes. If they really fought, an accident might occur with the slightest carelessness.

However, Mu Someone had placed an order last night, purchasing a rare-grade robe and a rare-grade staff for Isloria.

After all, she was a noble Hero—how could she be sent into battle empty-handed?

Other lords almost always treated the Heroes they recruited as treasures, granting their every wish. Here in Tianyuan Territory, Isloria was also highly valued… as a perfect tool, providing her with some equipment was necessary.

It wasn’t just her. As Tianyuan Territory’s wealth gradually accumulated, Mu Yuan had long equipped his generals—Seventeen, Red Robe, Bone Three Bone Four, Asun, and others—with at least one rare-grade piece of equipment each.

Some were purchased from outside, while others were reforged by Master Er Niu using rare equipment obtained from previous battles.

Red Robe’s rare equipment was a bell that could make enemies dazed, complementing her illusions.

Even Tree Spirit Grandma was equipped with a pearl that could amplify her wood-element power.

As for Rakshasa, due to the difficulty in finding suitable equipment, he was still wearing plain clothes… or rather, completely naked in terms of gear.

The equipment configuration of Tianyuan Territory’s generals had roughly caught up to the average—the average of top-tier novice lords.

After changing into her new equipment, Isloria and Dolai did not go to the Training Ground to spar. Mu Yuan was worried that even a Level 2 Training Ground couldn’t withstand the aftermath of their battle.

So, he called them to the wilderness, about ten kilometers from the territory, in front of a barren mountain.

The two stood facing each other.

Mu Someone retreated to a kilometer away and summoned several Camera Falcons to observe from multiple angles.

Isloria was also observing Dolai.

Although Dolai looked foolish and might indeed be foolish… Dolai was no weakling.

After meeting Lu Liu, Seventeen, and other Tianyuan generals, Isloria was even more certain of this.

However,

she had even more confidence in herself.

She was the genius Isloria! Besides, Tianyuan Territory had only been established for a few months, and General Dolai had at most cultivated for a few months. If she couldn’t defeat him… if her competitors like Windsor found out, they would surely laugh themselves to death.

“I’m making my move. This is my signature spell, the Star-Embracing Art!”

As soon as she spoke, Isloria’s hair began to flutter. Hundreds of starlight particles, like fireflies, drifted from her clasped hands. These scattered starlight particles gathered behind her, forming three football-sized spheres in the blink of an eye—like miniature, breathtaking celestial bodies.

Within them, everything was contained.

Dolai also began its move at the same time, using its most familiar Fireball, a spell it had mastered through frequent barbecuing.

They shot out like a string of cannonballs.

This time, Dolai had made significant progress. The fireballs no longer traveled in straight lines but curved in different arcs, like meteors streaking across the sky.

But such techniques were, in Isloria’s eyes… merely elementary.

“Snap~!”

She lightly snapped her fingers, and the first spell sphere quietly turned a blue-purple hue.

“Like Thunder Style 002.”

Before her, thin, thread-like beams of lightning instantly condensed and precisely struck and intercepted all the fireballs.

Dolai attacked.

Isloria intercepted.Such exchanges continued for over ten seconds, with clusters of flames exploding mid-air, yet none could breach the defensive line.

“Dolai’s energy reserves are far greater than Isloria’s, but in such confrontations, Dolai’s energy consumption is over ten times that of Isloria’s.”

Clearly, the new employee excelled at micro-management and energy conservation.

However, Dolai wasn’t foolish either. It immediately intensified its output, and roaring fire dragons surged across the sky.

Snap~

The orb behind Isloria began to transform once more.

Blue, blue, yellow.

Her shoe tips lightly tapped the ground, tracing an arc in front of her. The scattered sand transformed mid-air into walls of rock, blocking the fire dragons’ roars.

Dust filled the air as rubble clattered down.

Dolai noticed the surrounding ground sinking, turning into mud-like sludge.

Pale, ghastly mud hands reached out from the earth.

So scary!

Dolai instantly leaped into the sky with a Leap Strike, strands of azure wind swirling around it.

Yet the hands emerging from the mud transformed into ash-gray birds in its eyes, flapping their wings and soaring upward at incredible speed.

“This is a combination of water and earth elemental spells with transmutation magic, though I added a little something extra,” Isloria said.

Unnoticed, the orb behind her had shifted to red.

The birds, swift as arrows shot from a bow, swelled in their abdomens just before reaching Dolai and exploded violently.

Clusters of flames burst in the air.

Chasing after General Dolai, who swiftly dodged with wings sprouting from its back.

“Scared me to death.”

Yet Isloria was even more astonished. This was one of her proud combination techniques—aside from controlling the explosive damage, she hadn’t held back at all, yet she couldn’t even come close to catching General Dolai.

Truly worthy of being Tianyuan’s number one!

In the sky, having dodged all the bird assaults, Dolai shouted, “Be careful, General Dolai is about to go all out.”

A terrifying thunderfire dragon coiled around its body, crackling and sizzling.

But Isloria responded, “In that case, I’ll also reveal my true power.”

The battle entered its second phase.

Behind her, the orb shimmered with resplendent starlight, and even Isloria’s entire body began to glow. Conspicuous blue patterns, resembling electronic circuits, emerged on her exposed arms and neck, shining brightly—both imposing and eerie.

Mu Yuan: “!!!”

No wonder he always felt something was off when borrowing Isloria’s template.

Her appearance, her posture—to be honest, the Eagle Kingdom branding her as a Witch might, perhaps, possibly, not have been entirely unjust.

Isloria had modified her own body!

Using her physique as an engine, she channeled immense power, significantly enhancing the potency of any spell she cast.

Even when Dolai later summoned the ‘years-trained’ Thunder Spear, it still clearly fell at a disadvantage.

“This isn’t reasonable!”

How is this newcomer so fierce?

It, Dolai, is the senior here!

“I must use that move, or else if I lose to a newcomer…”

Dolai recalled a night from a few days ago.

That night, it had stealthily, under the Lord’s baptismal radiance, taken a brand new step.

Not only did it evolve into ‘Epic Dolai,’ awakening an incredibly powerful skill, but it also comprehended on its own—this self-comprehension deserves special emphasis—it finally grasped a field skill.

Dolai landed.The earth, vegetation, and surrounding mountains suddenly took on an incongruous white glow. Within this circle of white terrain, a pitch-black serpent emerged, slithering about.

Wherever it passed, trees vanished, and incoming spells disappeared as well, as if devoured by some invisible force.

The serpent, appearing to exist only in two-dimensional form, extended its body inch by inch, accumulating power.

“This is… a Domain skill!”

Although Isloria herself possessed a Domain skill, even she, who considered herself a genius, had spent a long time researching and creating her own Domain.

But Dolai… how long had it been cultivating?

Truly worthy of being Tianyuan’s strongest, it had once again surpassed her expectations.

In that case…

Isloria also activated her Domain skill.

“Astrolabe Array!”

A massive, star-track-like array spread out beneath her, standing in opposition to Dolai’s ‘Infinite Serpent’ Domain.

Her Domain leaned more toward that of a traditional mage, serving as an extension of her power.

At the nodes of the star tracks, energy surged and intertwined, constructing towering structures that continuously emitted flames and lightning.

Defensive towers, a crossfire formation!

A super-powered firing mode constructed by harnessing the power of ley lines and the heavens.

Now, it fired relentlessly.

Meanwhile, the serpent, seemingly existing only in two-dimensional form, eerily devoured all energy.

Dolai and Isloria continued to exchange spells in an ongoing duel.

Once again, they seemed evenly matched, as if they could fight until the Dao itself was worn away.

But this,

of course, was impossible.

Isloria judged that if the battle continued, her energy would likely be depleted first.

General Dolai’s energy reserves were… astronomically vast!

“I never imagined I would be pushed to this point.”

It wasn’t that she was weak, but rather that Tianyuan’s strongest, Dolai, had reached a level of power beyond imagination.

And so,

Hum—

An intangible force, an intangible presence, and an intangible essence spread outward from Isloria.

Her eyes shone like stars, reflecting all things in the world.

The ‘Astrolabe Array’ Domain imprinted on the earth seemed to transform as the intangible Domain unfolded.

“Rotate.”

Isloria flicked her wrist, and the earth tilted.

A barren mountain on one side became level ground, while the earth continuously tipped and slid away. Even the bizarre black serpent, existing as if in two dimensions, slipped into an endless abyss as space inverted and all phenomena shifted.

At this moment, the entire space resembled a Rubik’s Cube, constantly flipping and turning in Isloria’s hands, like a world held in her palm!

In the application of Domains, Isloria was stronger.

At the very least, she was far more skilled than Deadbone had been during his battle with the Great Serpent!

After all, she had mastered her Domain for quite some time, and her accumulated knowledge and theories were far beyond what Deadbone, with only three months of cultivation, could match.

In the inverted and flipped Domain, Dolai let out a series of startled cries—

At this moment, Isloria wielded a dominating level of power.

Even a War-General-level expert falling into her Domain would be at her mercy, life and death in her hands.

No matter what techniques Dolai employed, within the Domain, they were all futile—easily dissipated or redirected elsewhere. In contrast, Isloria’s attacks could effortlessly reach right in front of Dolai’s face.

“Finally, it’s over.”

Isloria wiped the sweat from her brow. She had never imagined this battle would be so arduous.

Fortunately, she had still emerged victorious.This battle established her as the Lord’s right-hand aide.

Yet the next moment,

Crunch! Crunch! Crunch—!

A sound, not loud but clearly echoing in her ears as if something was being gnawed on, abruptly rang out.

Space suddenly froze.

The Domain froze.

Isloria’s eyes froze.

Everything, everything was like insects trapped in amber, with only the crunching sound still echoing.

Within the frozen, ice-like vast space, a clearly visible bite mark was chewed out.

A series of faint, aligned bite marks extended from a dozen meters in front of Isloria, and then…

Bang!

Like shattering glass, the ground, soil, rocks, vegetation, energy, particles—everything in front vanished. Even the Domain, which wasn’t physically real, was…

She could clearly sense that her Domain…

Had a large chunk bitten off and devoured!

Formless and shapeless, the Domain, a higher Realm than the Concept, had actually… been devoured too!

Wasn’t it said that only a Domain could oppose a Domain? Then what was that just now?

She was certain it wasn’t any Domain, but rather some kind of… indescribable, inexplicable terrifying killing move.

And now, as the killing move faded, the giant maw had devoured everything in front, leaving only a massive spatial gap with jagged, bite-mark-like edges slowly healing.

General Dolai, panting, appeared on the other side of the spatial rift left by the giant maw.

From its body, an indescribable pressure of a higher life form over a lower one faintly emanated.

“I… lost?”

She had indeed lost, though Dolai had held back.

Isloria wasn’t one to deny reality, but General Dolai had once again… far, far exceeded expectations.

If she wasn’t mistaken, General Dolai was likely the legendary… Epic life form!

Back in the day, she had never heard of an Epic life form in the entire Eagle Kingdom, though the neighboring kingdom was said to have a Crimson Dragon Guardian. However, that kingdom had to offer annual tributes to the Crimson Dragon, and even the king sometimes had to offer his own consorts to it.

This showed the might of an Epic life form!

“As expected of Tianyuan’s number one, General Dolai. I lost without any injustice.”

“You’re also very powerful gurgle… Wait gurgle, since when was Dolai Tianyuan’s number one?”

Although it had indeed fantasized about it, it still had a clear sense of its limits. Having nearly lost to a newcomer, how could it dare challenge Dead Bone Boss?

Isloria was stunned. She replayed her memories over and over, finally confirming an unbelievable truth.

Such a formidable General Dolai actually…

Wasn’t even Tianyuan’s number one!

Could it be…

Her eyes widened as she looked at the composed Lord in the distance. No wonder the Lord was shrouded in mysterious golden radiance—case solved!

“Now you should understand that our territory has the capability to delve into the Wicked City for rescue, right? No need to worry about unnecessary concerns anymore.”

So this was the true purpose of the sparring match.

The Lord’s every move indeed held profound meaning!

Mu Yuan always felt this girl had misunderstood something, but he couldn’t ask. Through the spar, he not only gained a more precise measure of the Epic version of Dolai’s combat power but also a deep understanding of Isloria.

Indeed, this girl’s combat prowess was formidable.

Especially her mastery and application of spellcraft—she had nearly reached the Peak.Unlike Deadbone.

The Undead General’s skill lies in returning to simplicity, incorporating countless techniques into seemingly ordinary and simple moves to determine the outcome of a battle.

Isloria’s techniques, on the other hand, are a feast for the eyes. When she fights, she resembles a dancing butterfly—perhaps related to her academic background. Academic mages always emphasize visual appeal. However, while Isloria’s spells maintain this aesthetic quality, the hidden lethality and efficiency of power conversion are in no way lacking.

This is the pinnacle she has reached—the effortless mastery of myriad spells.

If Dolai were at the same level and rank as her, Dolai would stand no chance. However, it must be noted that even at the Three-Star Excellence stage, Dolai’s combat prowess was already transcendent, perhaps not inferior to weaker Epic-tier beings.

Although Mu Yuan had never encountered a living Epic-tier being, by comparing General Dolai and the underwhelming Bone Two at the same rank, he could roughly surmise the difference.

Even if Dolai advanced to the Epic tier, without using its ultimate trump card, it would still lose.

—”Space Devour”!

This was a top-tier skill Dolai awakened during its evolution. Unlike Deadbone’s profound and versatile Undead Holy Mountain, Space Devour focused on solidifying space and devouring everything within its range—even including intangible concepts like Realms that don’t physically exist in the material world.

Simple. Brutal.

But for Dolai, perhaps this straightforward and violent ability was the most suitable?

He looked at the somewhat dejected Isloria. “You too possess limitless potential.”

So, now that the fight was over, it was time for the girl to get back to work.

…

Mu Yuan opened the troop statistics. Currently, there were only 500 Human Race troops. At this accumulation rate, it would take over twenty more days to gather enough points for Isloria’s evolution, during which all other evolutions would have to be paused.

That was quite a long time.

However, having recently exchanged contact information with the second-generation heirs, he could use their channels to purchase some Remnant Souls and facilitate transactions through intermediaries like public Secret Realms.

He took out an ancient-looking parchment scroll.

This was a tool given by a certain rich guy—a communication device—where anything written or drawn on it would be transmitted to the other end, to the holder of the matching parchment scroll.

Compared to forums or real-world mobile phones, this communication method was much more cumbersome, but it had the advantage of being secret and… not reliant on the real world.

Clearly, heirs like Jiang Someone had been preparing in advance, adapting to life as Blue Star integrated into the Eternal World.

At that moment, another communication device in Lord Mu’s study made a sound.

It was a palm-sized bronze mirror.

He pressed it gently, and Liu Miumiu’s face appeared on the bronze mirror.

“Big shot, big shot, have you eaten?”

…

“The taste is really good.”

Mu Yuan had come to the Elven Courtyard again and was enjoying Cantonese dim sum here.

“It’s really good, right?” Liu Miumiu said. “Big shot, if you want to eat, come often! You can get a 40% discount.”

“What? It’s not free?”

“After all, it’s my sister’s business.”

Mu Yuan was just joking. If it were really free, he wouldn’t dare come often. The dishes here resembled those in the real world, but the ingredients were countless times more Advanced.

Just the dishes he ate today even contained ingredients at the Excellence tier.

Even if it was just a small piece cut from an Excellence-tier Treasure, it was still incredibly precious.

The prices were, of course, quite steep. Well, with charges like that, he might not dare come often either.The Cold Moon City Lord appears to be more than just skilled in fighting and killing; she also understands the ways of making money.

The Elven Courtyard, a secret realm, was unusually lively today, as if a trading fair was being held—this was a common use for public-type secret realms, serving as trading grounds. Though the number of players here wasn’t large, each one was an outstanding lord, hailing from all corners of the world.

Mu Yuan glanced at it from afar.

It wasn’t that he looked down on it—he just couldn’t afford it.

A poor man had to spend his money sparingly.

“Cold Moon City Lord!”

“Cold Moon City Lord is actually here today!”

Some lords spotted that figure from a distance.

She was like the most dazzling light, drawing countless gazes the moment she appeared. Yet, perhaps due to the overwhelming aura of the “Cold Moon Rich Lady,” the lords only dared to whisper and watch from afar.

They watched as Cold Moon City Lord entered a Cantonese restaurant and sat down opposite a young man.

“Who is he? Damn it!”

“Ten minutes—I want all the information on this man!”

“Did Cold Moon City Lord come all the way to this secret realm just for him? Shocking!”

“Wait, this person seems to be… Tianyuan!”

“He’s Tianyuan?”

“Even if he is Tianyuan, so what… no, to be fair, Tianyuan is pretty impressive, but why does my mouth taste like damn lemons!”

…

Liu Xiyue strode over and sat down directly, scrutinizing Mu Yuan up and down, making him feel a bit uneasy.

“Not bad, worthy of being the junior I value.”

He had earned her quite a bit of face~!

Especially when she saw some people secretly regretting not having tried to win Tianyuan over earlier, it felt as refreshing as drinking iced honey tea.

“Since you’ve brought great honor to our Taixuan Alliance this time, I managed to freeload… secure some benefits from the old-timers for you. Here, these are for you.”

The Cold Moon Rich Lady took out another storage ring, and with a flick of her finger, all the items inside were displayed.

Mu Yuan’s eyes immediately landed on a pearl shimmering with a blue halo.

「Obscuring Pearl」!

Its effect was similar to the “Domain Jammer,” but it was more focused on individual protection. The two could stack and work together.

Such protective measures were always the more, the better.

Aside from the pearl, there was only one other type of treasure, but in large quantities, piled up into a small hill.

“It’s actually Divine Radiance Crystal Prisms!”

Cold Moon City Lord really understands me!

This was almost the treasure he most desired at this stage, bar none.

“Hmph~”

Of course, Liu Xiyue understood.

The more outstanding a lord was in the early stages, the more they needed Divine Radiance Crystal Prisms. She had desperately craved them back in her day—how could she not understand the thoughts of young people now?

And these Divine Radiance Crystal Prisms were most suitable for use when subordinates were advancing from the Professional Tier to the Elite Tier.

…

Indeed, with these treasures, subordinates like Rakshasa, Red Robe, and Lu Liu would have the opportunity to break through to the Elite Tier in a short time, increasing their chances of entering the Wicked City by a tiny bit more.

Mu Yuan accepted them without any guilt.

He had indeed contributed significantly at the Festival Grounds.

“Speaking of the Festival Grounds, I’ve recorded a lot of information on the unrecruited heroes.”

Mu Yuan took out the materials he had worked on overnight.

He had long intended to submit this information, and now he could use the Cold Moon Rich Lady as a conduit. It would both enrich the Taixuan Alliance’s database and earn him some Contribution Points—why not do it?

After Cold Moon City Lord arrived, Mu Someone managed to freeload another meal.

Perhaps because he had eaten too much at the Festival Grounds yesterday, even using the Dolai template, he still felt somewhat full.

Mu Someone was quite regretful.

After expressing his thanks and bidding farewell, he left the secret realm.After Mu Someone had left, Liu Xiyue picked up the bound hero materials. The workmanship appeared rather crude, clearly rushed to completion.

She flipped through the pages.

“So there are three more top-tier heroes who haven’t been recruited. This information is surprisingly detailed.”

Of course, for someone of her stature, even the top heroes from the Festival Grounds were merely small fry.

At most, they were small fry with exceptionally high potential.

Recalling the various heroes she had encountered at the Festival Grounds three years ago, Liu Xiyue continued browsing. Sure enough, familiar titles appeared before her eyes one after another: Holy Light High Priest, Blind Nun, Valkyrie…

A nostalgic smile graced her lips.

Though, the information attached beneath each title was… excessively detailed! The Blind Nun’s Concept was actually this profound? She hadn’t paid much attention to it back then.

This Tianyuan fellow observed things far too meticulously.

“Could it be that his performance at the Hero Festival truly surpassed mine from back in the day?”

Liu Xiyue fell into deep thought.

Liu Miumiu: (→⌒→)

Sister, you’re seriously underestimating yourself here. When it comes to the Festival Grounds alone, Tianyuan didn’t just surpass you by a small margin—he completely outshone you.

Merged two chapters into one since they were hard to split—7K super chapter (normally would be two 3k chapters).

Update’s a bit late today QAQ

(End of Chapter)