Chapter 551: The Goddess

In less than one-thirtieth of a second, Li Mochen, moving as light, passed through the holes he had pierced and reached the twentieth floor of the 'Scepter of Destruction' magic tower.

He swung his long knife and thrust heavily, breaking through the last layer of magical energy barrier in front of Robespierre, placing the Sakura Blood Blade at the mage's neck, suppressing the latter's final struggle.

"Please put down your staff, OK? You lose, Mr. Robespierre!"

Li Mochen looked down at Robespierre with arrogant eyes—he was not yet fully developed, but already a head taller than this guy.

Height was this mage's weakness; beside him, Jennifer wasn't even wearing high heels. What a considerate woman.

"Shit!"

Rafael de Robespierre's face alternated between pale and green as he dropped the ruby staff to the ground, his eyes full of unwillingness: "I admit I underestimated you. If it were to happen again, the outcome wouldn't be like this."

"You brought this on yourself. If it were a real battle, you'd be dead now, Mr. Robespierre!"

Li Mochen shrugged, looking indifferent as he sheathed the Sakura Blood Blade: "If you want another round, I'm game. But I must warn you, your 'Scepter of Destruction' magic tower will be even more damaged. I held back, Mage!"

So the real destroyer was actually the man opposite him. Li Mochen had only slashed a few times with his knife—how much damage could that cause? It would be easy to repair. As for the vines and plants outside, they only damaged the outer layer.

But he had just estimated that this mage had lost at least four and a half billion gold shields.

Robespierre was stunned for a moment, then burst into curses again: "That's none of your concern, bastard! Once I repair the 'Scepter of Destruction' magic tower, I'll settle accounts with you."

But his tone was somewhat weak. Li Mochen's close combat and breakthrough abilities were so formidable that they left no room for friends. As long as he couldn't keep this guy outside the magic tower, huge losses were inevitable.

So before that, he had to master stronger defensive measures to keep the enemy at bay.

At this moment, Li Mochen turned to look at Jennifer Wiltonshire: "Jenny, I know our parents have always regretted and grieved over your matter, hating that they couldn't shield you from the wind and rain. You didn't want to see what happened over a year ago, right? I heard from your butler that you couldn't sleep during that time. He even found you secretly crying at night, holding our father's photo."

At this moment, Jennifer was silent, but her face was already streaked with tears.

Li Mochen smiled and reached out his hand to her: "And now your younger brother can be your strongest support, with enough ability to seek justice for you. So, Jenny, do you want to join? Return to this family, and together we'll reclaim everything that belongs to you!"

Jennifer bit her lip, and a trace of blood seeped from the corner of her mouth.

"A-Mo, I admit that the moment I heard of Father and Elena's deaths, I was already filled with regret. I'm also very happy that you came to find me; it made me overjoyed. But I know I'm a sinner, and I can never atone for it, nor can I ever forgive myself. I don't have the face to return to your side, to shamelessly act as your sister as if nothing happened."

Jennifer's voice carried an indescribable sadness. Then she glanced at Rafael de Robespierre: "Rafael is guiding me in magical cultivation and helping me practice swordsmanship. He is truly good to me. I will avenge myself and our parents; I refuse to be a bystander."

Li Mochen raised an eyebrow, then sighed. He was not at all surprised by Jennifer's answer.

...

At the same time, in Bessel Einstein's 'Supreme Truth' magic tower, the magical image had dissipated.

Einstein's observation magic could penetrate into another magic tower, partly due to this strongest mage's high proficiency in spells, and partly due to the magical beacon he had marked on Li Mochen.

But the moment Robespierre put down his staff and surrendered, Li Mochen had erased the beacon, which existed in the form of a spiritual imprint.

"It's over! It seems he doesn't want us to continue watching his soap opera."

The young mage, still unsatisfied, looked reluctantly at the soul gold coins on the table: "Goodbye, my property."

"That's just pocket change for you, isn't it?"

Christie Blade, smiling like a flower, collected the two hundred gold coins into her space bag.

These items were very valuable, circulating only among the top powerhouses of the Bright World. Each one was forged by gods or hellish archdukes or abyssal demon lords, extracting the purest part from thousands of souls.

Each of them could extend one's life by a year. So they were true hard currency, circulating not only in hell and heaven but also in the outer realms.

In the Bright World, the current black market price was thirty million each. Two hundred coins meant sixty billion gold shields.

Currently, drugs that could extend life by ten years cost about one hundred million. But the preciousness of soul gold coins lay in their effectiveness even for demigods and gods.

However, Christie Blade knew that these coins were nothing to her two seniors. Both had become master alchemists decades ago, one specializing in artifacts, the other in potions. Though not yet mages, their wealth was more than ten times hers.

"Pocket change? I spent countless days and nights in the lab for these."

The young mage smiled bitterly: "Fortunately, I gained something this time. After consulting the teacher, I plan to go into seclusion. In three to five years, I might be able to condense a divine authority."

At this moment, he suddenly noticed something wrong: "Where is the teacher?"

Bessel Einstein, who had been at the small round table nearby, had vanished without a trace—he had no idea when the man left.

"A guest has arrived, at the top of this magic tower. It's someone the teacher must go to pay homage to, no matter what."

The middle-aged mage was now using his magical power to replay the battle footage from the beginning—he had recorded everything from start to finish.

"Someone he must pay homage to, no matter what?"

The young mage's eyes narrowed: "The Goddess of Magic?"

At this moment, what appeared at the top of the 'Supreme Truth' magic tower was indeed the Goddess of Magic—more precisely, an avatar of the Goddess of Magic.

Her form was that of a human maiden, with waterfall-like long hair, curved eyebrows, plump cheeks, full lips, and snow-white skin that seemed transparent under the lamplight, exuding unparalleled charm and beauty.

When facing Bessel Einstein, she showed no pride or arrogance as a deity; instead, she appeared respectful, like a student before a teacher.

"Einstein, what happened here? I sensed powerful magical fluctuations near San Francisco, but when I tried to investigate, I found nothing. Was it you, Einstein?"

"Something did happen, related to Rafael de Robespierre."

Einstein said frankly: "Please forgive me, Your Highness. I have an agreement with someone not to disclose the details to you."

"Robespierre? You've piqued my curiosity."

The maiden shook her head, as if suppressing her own curiosity.

"Let's get to the main business. Just now, Thomas Milan, the God of Alchemy, Machinery, and Craftsmanship, has asked for my help. Bound by the covenant, I must commit some forces."

"I won't stop you, Goddess."

Einstein replied calmly: "But I suggest you hold back and have a backup plan to ensure the safety of our people."

"Hold back?"

The maiden blinked and probed: "Are you pessimistic about Thomas's side? Or is it for your disciple Anthony?"

"I believe my loyalty has been tested."

Einstein's voice remained flat: "Even for Anthony, I would hold nothing back."

"I understand."

The maiden fell into deep thought. After a long while, she wrote three names on the small table before her: "Though I don't know what led you to this judgment, I trust you. So, will these three do? As you can see, their combat abilities are decent, and their escape skills are quite good."

"Three demigods?"

Einstein was somewhat surprised: "Just that?"

"Should I send the professor? My covenant with Thomas Milan is only this much. He only forged two mythical items for me, and those were at the expense of his followers."

The maiden shook her head: "You know my stance, Einstein. Compared to Thomas Milan, I would prefer the Bright World to have a native, more powerful God of Machinery and Craftsmanship, which would help us deal with future disasters. But Thomas is not to be trifled with; he has prepared very strong forces, with two true gods standing with him. My opinion is actually the opposite of yours; I think Thomas has the advantage. So, you understand?"

Einstein smiled bitterly, then bowed slightly with gratitude: "Thank you for your favor, Goddess. I will relay this to Anthony."

"I don't intend to make him grateful."

The Goddess of Magic smiled: "Einstein, if you think I've treated you well, then please use your wisdom and strength to help me. The next few years are crucial for me."

"Still the magic net? I'll help you, but this really isn't a good time."

At this moment, Einstein frowned: "Your idea is good, but it will face huge backlash."

"I know, but I've spent so long preparing. Yet this is the only way I can think of to keep divine wars out of the Bright World, and it's the foundation of my future existence. Let me try—"

The Goddess of Magic clasped her hands together in a pleading gesture: "Time is running out. The god-kings of the outer realms are all ready to descend into this world again. So in America, I can only rely on you, Professor Einstein!"

Meanwhile, in a ruined magic tower in the outer space of San Francisco, Rafael de Robespierre put down a book titled 'Divine Heart Cauldron Technique'. Before him lay a pile of books, including 'Bloodline Extraction Art', 'Magical Bonding Method', 'Dao Heart Seed Demon', and so on.

Though the names differed, the content was roughly similar, with variations in details.

"I roughly understand your idea."

Robespierre looked thoughtfully at the opposite side: "Theoretically, using this method to seize others' talents, bloodlines, or even magic power also carries the risk of backlash. But are you sure you want to do this? Based on my calculations, the chances are slim—at most just over ten percent. And it's very dangerous; the subject will suffer great pain. I don't recommend Jennifer do this."

"But I believe the best revenge against some people is to pay them back in their own coin. After this, I will make him suffer eternal pain and torment. Of course, this must depend on Jenny's personal opinion."

Li Mochen looked at Jennifer, then withdrew his gaze.

There was no need to ask. Having heard their conversation and guessed the situation, Jennifer's aura had changed dramatically. The source energy around her swelled, and her eyes burned like flames.

"Since Jennifer decides to stay with you, you'll be responsible for the preparations. Considering that my war with Philip I is imminent, Edmund will likely be forced into the fray. I'll give you one month, okay?"

As for the 'success rate', he naturally had ways to ensure it.

"That's enough. It's not too difficult. After all, I've spent the past six months studying how to lift the spell on Jennifer."

Robespierre snorted: "Edmund may not have the ability to step in."

"Then after killing Philip, I'll seek him out myself. Same thing. That's all for today. Sorry for the intrusion, Mr. Robespierre."

Li Mochen stood up and glanced at Jennifer again. He thought for a moment, then could only smile bitterly: "Take care, Jenny! See you in a month."

"I will."

Jennifer gritted her teeth: "I heard you've bought back our mansion, and retrieved some of their belongings to rebury them. A-Mo, please apologize to Father and Elena for me. Their daughter doesn't have the face to see them."

"I can do that, though I personally don't agree with your thoughts."

Li Mochen had already let the little dragon that had returned to his side tear open another void rift: "Mr. Robespierre, please take good care of her. No matter what happens, remember that she has a brother like me. Also, if you're short on money recently, you can apply for a loan of two billion from the Atlantic Intercontinental Bank."

Due to his victory over the vampires of the Bloodwing Grand Duchy at Rocher Canyon, the Sunrise Mining Company was about to receive a large influx of revenue. So his financial pressure had greatly eased.

Now, not only could the Atlantic Intercontinental Bank obtain lower interest rates in interbank lending, but bankers were also waving checks, hoping for Sunrise Group's external financing.

Li Mochen had agreed to issue a long-term bond of fifteen billion gold shields for equipment purchases, staff recruitment, and the formation of a mine protection force for the Sunrise Mining Company.

The external response was good. As soon as the Sunrise Group released its intention, the bonds were mostly subscribed by major financial institutions. Almost all rating agencies gave the bonds a high-quality, low-risk rating.

So now he had money again, and his financial burden was greatly reduced.

After Li Mochen left, Robespierre twitched the corner of his mouth: "Don't forget he has a brother? Hmph, is that a threat?"

He then turned to Jennifer: "Jenny, I would naturally be happy to see Edmund end as miserably as possible, but this really isn't a wise move. The risk is high; according to my calculations, it's less than ten percent."

"I know!"

Jennifer clenched her fists: "But I still want to try. At worst, I'll die, and that would still affect him, wouldn't it?"

If not for the obsession of revenge, she would have long stopped wanting to live.

"As you wish!"

Robespierre suddenly became displeased, rolling up all the books Li Mochen had provided: "Now go train! To counter Edmund, the stronger your physical condition, the better. Fortunately, that guy didn't destroy your training ground."

...

After leaving the 'Scepter of Destruction' magic tower, Li Mochen did not immediately return to Atlanta. Instead, he steered his 'Fate Township' westward, sailing into the Pacific Ocean.

Since he was already on the West Coast, he might as well take care of some matters, such as Angela's external alchemy materials and the 'Gladiator Divine Authority' of the Scarlet Dragon Armor.

With the great battle against Philip I imminent, Li Mochen decided to fill the three power slots of the 'Gladiator Divine Authority' now, maximizing the power of this mythical artifact.

Li Mochen no longer intended to be picky. Recently, he had deeply analyzed the 'Gladiator Divine Authority' and discovered that the three powers it stripped were not irreplaceable or unchangeable.

Although the process was troublesome and required many materials, it was indeed possible to replace the existing powers with those of higher-level beings.

So Li Mochen was no longer constrained. Nothing was more important than immediate combat power. A complete 'Scarlet Dragon Armor' could ensure he could contend even against gods.

Coincidentally, in the dark world corresponding to the Pacific, there were several powerful 'quasi-god' creatures that could satisfy Li Mochen.

The so-called 'demigod' is equivalent to the 'Blue Swamp Demon Vine,' with power surpassing that of a half-god and approaching that of a deity, yet without having condensed a divine core and truly reached that realm.

During the voyage of the magic tower, Li Mochen's main body stayed at the top floor of the tower, holding the Sakura Blood Sword in both hands as he meditated and studied.

He was condensing 'sword intent,' which in the Western world is called conceptual divine authority such as 'piercing' or 'inevitable severance.'

Of course, there were differences. 'Sword intent' arises from rhythm, a condensation of spiritual will, encompassing a broad scope, unlike the narrow and focused conceptual divine authority of Western cultivation.

The sword intent Li Mochen had cultivated in the past included concepts such as 'piercing,' 'inevitable severance,' 'inevitable hit,' 'inevitable kill,' 'sharpness,' 'extreme speed,' 'extreme cold,' 'extreme heat,' and so on—a synthesis of over a dozen conceptual divine authorities.

His current plan was to recover the sword intent he had cultivated in his previous life as much as possible before he attempted to ascend to the ancient god realm. He did not seek further improvement on the original foundation, but at least he wanted to return to his former level!

Li Mochen's current strength was sufficient. As a level 19 Titan Holy Warrior and Dragon Bloodline Sorcerer, this was equivalent to the 'Return to Void' realm, where the primordial spirit could return to the void. It was enough to bear profound sword intent and elevate many of his domain powers to the ultimate realm.

However, his cultivation speed had been too fast, leaving him no time to practice these things.

It was expected that when his 'Binary Profound Transformation Method' reached perfection and he entered the ancient god realm, he would be able to contact the 'source' of this world.

Li Mochen naturally would not miss this opportunity. It would allow his ultimate domains and sword intent to sublimate, naturally entering a higher realm and condensing stable divine authority. He would no longer need to temporarily touch divine authority with his ultimate domains during battle, as he did now.

Li Mochen's divine soul was strong, allowing him to simultaneously endure the refinement of five or six ultimate domains, but it was still very strenuous. He would also be at a disadvantage when fighting those who truly wielded divine authority.

After another day and a half, the 'Fate's Hometown' magic tower reached the center of the Pacific Ocean. There, Li Mochen forcibly broke through the spatial barrier and entered the Dark World.

In the Dark World, there was also an endless sea—called the Lightless Sea.

Strangely, the terrain of the Dark World and the Light World did not match, but the positions of several oceans nearly overlapped, with little difference between them.

The first demigod creature Li Mochen sought was a 'Mirage Whale' that had been active in this area for several hundred years, causing more than a dozen maritime disasters.

The Dark World and the Light World had many spatial rifts, which, unlike on land, could not be sealed or utilized. Thus, sea monsters from the Dark World often entered the Light World to wreak havoc.

Therefore, the existence of trade 'convoys' was less about merchant ship owners banding together against pirates and more about dealing with these large marine creatures.

Among the several demigod creatures Li Mochen had targeted, the 'Mirage Whale' was relatively easy to deal with. This massive creature, as huge as a giant island, had no bloodline of any great being. Its talents and abilities were very singular, limited to water and illusion.

However, the 'Mirage Whale' lived a much more relaxed and comfortable life in the Dark World than other creatures.

It could use illusions to make dangerous beings keep their distance, or lure its prey directly into its mouth.

What Li Mochen valued was the Mirage Whale's divine authority and its magic crystal, both especially suitable for Angela.

This time, he not only wanted to refine an external elixir for Angela but also to strengthen 'Loki's Hand of Deception,' preferably to fully preserve the 'Mirage Illusion' divine authority, reaching the level of a mythical artifact or a quasi-mythical artifact.

The difficulty of hunting the 'Mirage Whale' was also low. As long as one could ignore its illusion abilities, this demigod creature's combat power was far inferior to that of the Blue Swamp Demon Vine, and he was now a different person from before.

However, although Li Mochen had obtained accurate intelligence on the 'Mirage Whale' before departure and used a wish spell to lock onto the location of this giant marine creature, he still spent a day and a night searching above the Lightless Sea before finding the 'Mirage Whale.'

The latter's illusion ability was too outstanding. Even with Li Mochen's 'Titan's Eye' and 'True Dragon's Gaze' activated throughout, he missed it several times.

Once, the 'Mirage Whale' was just three thousand meters below Li Mochen's feet, yet he flew right over it completely unaware. It was only by relying on the 'Zhou Tian Divine Mechanism Profound Pivot Locking Star Secret Art' and the energy of merit that he gradually pinpointed its location.

The battle process was unremarkable. Once Li Mochen's will locked onto the 'Mirage Whale,' the latter had no chance of escape.

Its illusion ability was indeed powerful, but Li Mochen had plenty of illusion-breaking techniques. Before coming, he had made ample preparations, purchasing several potions that could protect his mind from harmful effects; the 'Titan's Eye' and 'True Dragon's Gaze' themselves also had some illusion-breaking capability.

In addition, there was the wish spell—Li Mochen used over a thousand strands of merit energy to wish that he would not be affected by any harmful effects for two hours. Then, in just fifty minutes, he killed the 'Mirage Whale' on the surface of the Lightless Sea.