Chapter 897: Silhouette
“Don’t think about it. Do you think Brahere would make such a stupid mistake?” Lin Li muttered as he took out some herbs and bottles of liquids with different colors from the Ring of Endless Storm. With great skill, he mixed them together and used magic flame to warm them up.
“Bom!”
The concocted liquid was thrown at the gate together with the potion bottle. Next, everyone was surprised to see the seemingly st.u.r.dy Purgatory Adamantine gate dissolve like warm wax.
When the expedition team entered the gate with full concentration, they had finally arrived at the core of this mausoleum. When the team saw what was in here, they froze and their jaws dropped. Even Lin Li was a little dazed at what he saw. Any words would be insufficient to accurately describe how extravagant this place was.
Lin Li had seen a Sky Castle and Osric’s mausoleum before. However, those couldn’t compare at all to here. Although the materials used here might not be more advanced or precious compared to the other two, Brahere’s expertise and taste in art had played an important role in the construction of this palace.
While the floors of the three were all adorned with precious magical gemstones, Brahere’s clever design made this palace feel like it was in the clouds. Gemstone pillars so huge that they required five people to circle around them were connected to the floor that felt like clouds and the ceiling that looked like the starry night sky. Although there weren’t any complicated designs on the pillars, it just made them more solemn and elegant.
The walls at the sides of the palace were painted with large and exquisite murals. Not mentioning the valuable materials used to paint them, they depicted scenes such as the birth of the High Elves from the Tree of Eternity, the High Elves honoring the Tree of Eternity, and the Sky Castles floating in the clouds. Each grand, extravagant, and glamorous mural highlighted the High Elves’ history from the birth of their civilization to their domination of Anril. One could not help but be in awe upon seeing these murals.
It was insufficient to just describe this palace as extravagant, however, as the design and decor gave people a sense of magnanimity. People felt guilty just stepping into this palace as it felt like only G.o.ds had the right to live in a palace like that. Any mortals stepping in would be blaspheming the G.o.ds.
Since Lin Li had reached the Sanctuary-realm, his mentality now would be different from ordinary people’s. Thus, he soon awakened from the awe the palace had brought him. As he released the pressuring aura of a Sanctuary powerhouse, the rest of the team felt like a bucket of cold water was being thrown at them, and they snapped back to their senses. Without any charming spells, the pure expression of art had already mesmerized everyone. The team couldn’t help but admire Brahere’s expertise in art; he was almost comparable to G.o.ds.
Lin Li didn’t forget Sindera’s advice that the three spirits were still guarding here. Thus, he ordered the expedition to slow down and move with caution, though it was confirmed that there weren’t any magic traps in this palace.
Soon, the expedition team saw three crystal coffins appear in their line of vision. The coffins were already opened, and three mage-like High Elves stood in front of them, staring at the approaching team coldly.
“They are the palace mages of the High Elves!” From the clothing of the three High Elves, anyone with a little knowledge of the High Elves’ history would know who they were.
Are they the three spirits Sindera talked about? Lin Li was more astonished after sensing the magical waves coming from the three High Elves. He had thought that Brahere would appoint loyal and powerful subordinates for such important positions. Moreover, Sindera had warned Lin Li that it would be dangerous even though Lin Li had already reached Sanctuary-level. This all proved that the three spirits should be at least Sanctuary-level in terms of abilities.
However, Lin Li felt that the three High Elves standing in front of him were only approaching Sanctuary-realm. This meant that their power now was similar to Lin Li’s before he had reached Sanctuary-level: the peak of level-24.
In addition, Sindera had mentioned three spirits, and thus Lin Li thought that they were likely to be Undead creatures. After all, it was not uncommon for High Elves to practice Necromagic. Since Prince Brahere had arranged the Humerus Wyrm Legion to guard this place outside, and even turned Iceblast Wyrm Sindera into a Humerus Wyrm to lead the legion, it wasn’t so strange for him to appoint three Undead creatures here.
However, Lin Li could sense an aura of life from these three High Elves. That was something Undead creatures wouldn’t possess. This meant that the three High Elves were alive, and had lived in this isolated mausoleum for thousands of years!
Honestly speaking, this fact was more shocking to Lin Li than encountering Undead creatures. Although the High Elves practiced Necromagic, it was still the Tree of Eternity that gave them life, and they were naturally drawn to freedom and light like plants in nature. If the three High Elves had lived in this dark mausoleum for thousands of years, they would have probably gone crazy.
Back at Osric’s mausoleum, Osric’s two most trusted subordinates aside from Angelano were both High Elves. However, one of them was converted into a Lich, while the other had become a sinister abnormality to the High Elves—a mage a.s.sa.s.sin wandering in the night. Could it be that these three High Elves had also been converted to other forms? After all, there were many maniacs among the High Elves.
However, Lin Li didn’t have to hold himself back since these three High Elves were only Legendary-level, be they dead or alive. Seeing that they had already created their respective Magical Domains, Lin Li only waved his Helios’ Scepter, and three Light and Darkness Swords immediately appeared on top of the High Elves’ heads, piercing towards them mercilessly.
A huge thud sounded, and the three High Elves’ Magical Domains were all torn in half by the Light and Darkness Swords.
Although there was already a tinge of Sanctuary-realm rules hidden in a Magical Domain created by a mage at the peak of Legendary-level, the Magical Domain still shattered like gla.s.s under the strike of the Light and Darkness Sword. Everyone in the expedition team, especially the Legendary-mages, all gulped upon witnessing this sight.
This was the power of a Sanctuary powerhouse! Even a mage who had just entered the Sanctuary-realm could crash Legendary powerhouses like ants! Almost all the Legendary powerhouses couldn’t help but be in awe. For Claus and Joseph, their desire to cozy up to Lin Li was even stronger after seeing this.
As for the three High Elven mages, disbelief appeared on their faces, but it turned to a rather joyful smile soon afterwards. Their sudden smile not only made people feel rather strange, but also a little eerie.
After that, the High Elf gaping a little while standing in the middle remarked, “Thank you. Finally, we can be free from here!”
With that, his body collapsed onto the floor heavily, but with a smile on his face. The other two High Elves didn’t say anything, but they also looked relieved before collapsing to the ground one by one.
That was it? Lin Li couldn’t believe it. Although he had used the powers of Holy Light and Gloomy Dark to the maximum on those three, they were still Legendary powerhouses, after all. Even if their Magical Domains were broken, it didn’t make sense for them to just die.
Recalling the sense of relief and smiles on the High Elves’ faces, Lin Li suddenly thought of something. When he was flipping through Brahere’s diary on the way to this mausoleum, he chanced upon a pa.s.sage that mentioned performing some ritual to prolong the lifespan of people.
The three spirits that Sindera mentioned were now three living people. Brahere mentioned that he had conducted some ritual to prolong people’s lives. Sanctuary-realm abilities became only the peak of Legendary-level after 1,000 years… After piecing the information together, an answer flashed across Lin Li’ mind: Eternal Slumber.
Eternal Slumber was a magic ritual that could make a person enter a long slumber. The functions of his body would almost completely stop so as to prolong his lifespan. He could only wake up under specific conditions. Evidently, Brahere had performed the Eternal Slumber ritual on these three High Elven mages, making them guard his mausoleum and that relic. They would only wake up when intruders had come, and continue to sleep when the intruders had been killed.
However, the so-called Eternal Slumber wasn’t truly eternal. Nothing was really immortal in this world. Moreover, they couldn’t meditate during their slumber, and thus their powers would be lost uncontrollably even though their bodies aged much slower. This was why they were only at the peak of Legendary-level now. They might be able to recover their strength very fast, but Lin Li didn’t give them that chance.
“Let’s continue! We may soon meet His Highness who has brought us so many surprises.”
The three High Elves were unimportant to Lin Li now. He was just a little surprised at their appearance and their abilities. Since he had already figured out what and why, there wasn’t anything else that deserved his attention. What was most important to him was the item the Immortal King had gifted the first High Elven queen. Although it was unlikely to be the Stars of Fury, Lin Li wouldn’t give up on any clues regarding the Immortal King.
The three High Elves’ corpses were placed back in the crystal coffins. The expedition team walked around the coffins and continued deeper into the palace. However, before they could walk far, they stopped right after they had reached the door behind those three crystal coffins.
Behind the door stood a platform with a considerable surface area. However, what was around this platform weren’t walls, and what was on top was also not the ceiling. Instead, it was a s.h.i.+ning stretch of nothingness. Even this platform seemed to be floating in the middle of nothingness.
Considering Brahere’s t.i.tle, Master of Arts, Lin Li immediately spread out his mental strength to test if the starry sky was a real thing or just an incredibly authentic piece of artwork. He got his answer very soon. The platform wasn’t in the same dimension as where they had been just now.
Fortunately, the door the team had come from was still there behind the platform. One would see the palace behind that door. In the front of the platform lay a few steps floating in the midair. The steps led forward to a circular platform that seemed like an isolated floating island.
The circular platform was surrounded by 16 pillars, each s.h.i.+ning a mild magical glow with gentle magical waves. The center of the circular platform seemed to hold an altar. The altar wasn’t tall, and only reached a person’s knees. There was nothing on it, though—neither Prince Brahere’s coffin nor the relic Sindera had mentioned.
“Master Felic, should we send someone to take a look?” Joseph seized this chance and made his offer to Lin Li.
“No need.” Lin Li shook his head and continued towards the steps at the edge of the platform. With his current power, together with the s.p.a.cetime magic robe he was wearing and the debris of the stars Nothingness he was holding now, he was confident that nothing could trap him. Moreover, he felt a strange connection to his own soul from the strange waves emitted by the pillars on the circular platform.
Lin Li stepped on the first step gently. As if he was stepping on water, ripples spread out from where he trod. Feeling that the floating steps could really hold his weight, Lin Li moved on to the second step, and he was standing on the steps completely now.
Just then, Lin Li felt the connection to his soul getting clearer as he ascended. At the same time, a faint silhouette seemed to appear on the altar at the center of the circular platform. However, it was hard to make out what it was in the nothingness.
Lin Li took another step forward, and everything seemed to be clearer. However, the change was so light that it wouldn’t be visible without paying close attention. This change seemed to be a.s.sociated with his ascending the steps. Lin Li hesitated no longer and continued with his third step, fourth step… until he reached the 10th step.
By then, Lin Li could see that the silhouette on the altar seemed to possess the characteristics of the High Elves. However, he still couldn’t see its features.