Chapter Fifty-Three: The Prophecy Fulfilled-Arcane Radiance, Shining Eternal(Mr. Dalong)

At this moment, Lando had entirely forgotten he was in the midst of battle; his mind was wholly captivated by the changes ignited by the Arcane Furnace. One by one, elements entered the Arcane Furnace, instantly broken down to release immense energy. The decomposed elements, expelled from the body, would slowly recombine into new forms, creating a cycle.

Initially, he worried that the profession of Arcanist operated on a process of endless consumption—draining the world’s elements without return—fearing that one day the universe would descend into an era devoid of magic. Now, he realized his concerns had been unfounded.

He was soon awed by the Arcanist’s power. What transpired within the Arcane Furnace closely resembled the nuclear fission he knew from his previous life—a fantastical version of a nuclear reactor?! The first stage for an Arcanist involved forging such a device within oneself?! If this profession could not unify all realms and worlds, it would be an affront to the order of the cosmos!

According to the initial design of the Arcane Furnace, the power Lando could now wield was but a fraction—a mere sliver—not because of a lack of control, but because his body’s strength could only withstand so much energy. Even so, it was hundreds of times greater than the elemental energy he could previously summon through mere meditation.

No wonder the second stage for an Arcanist was forging a body of elemental might. With such a level of energy throughput, what kind of divine body could not be created? Once the elemental body was forged, the powerful physique could fully unleash the Arcane Furnace’s force—it was unimaginable how strong an Arcanist would become then.

And this was only the second stage; there were even more formidable third stages, and legendary ranks beyond.

Lando’s thoughts soared at the prospect.

Though it seemed much time had passed, in reality only a few heartbeats had elapsed in the outside world.

Prince Sandy, wary and alert, was still unaware that he had missed his only chance to trouble Lando.

Lando opened his eyes, smiled faintly, and said, “Then, shall we begin the second round?”

With the Arcane Furnace fully ignited, it was as if Lando had swept away the world’s fog that had shrouded him, completely freeing himself from the influence of [Shattered Destiny (Purple)], and instead began to master its power.

Boom!

A silent, thunderous explosion flashed by. Elemental energy surged out from Lando, shattering the world of flames and forging a brand-new realm.

Seeing this world, complete with earth, water, fire, and air, Lando nodded in satisfaction.

“This is—the Arcane Domain!”

Prince Sandy, together with the soldiers behind him, barely maintained the King’s Army, struggling to resist the advance of the Arcane Domain.

He showed no discouragement or despair, still pointing his sword resolutely at Lando.

Sensing their prince's unwavering resolve, the soldiers swiftly overcame their fear, each becoming fiercely determined.

The lieutenant suddenly stepped forward, for the first time surpassing the prince he admired, raising his sword and shouting, “Your Highness!”

“Victory!”

“Charge!” the lieutenant ordered again.

“Kill!” Prince Sandy’s lips trembled, his heavy arm unable to lift the sword to give the command to halt.

This scene left Lando silent as well; he muttered quietly, “Brave, but futile.”

The elemental torrent swept forth, engulfing the charging soldiers. In the end, only the blood-soaked lieutenant lay on the ground, but his gaze toward Lando remained full of disdain.

Starlight drifted from his body, gathering upon Prince Sandy.

“Your Highness, victory!”

It was as if the cries of countless souls echoed; from the place where the soldiers had fallen without a trace, innumerable sparks of starlight rose and converged on Prince Sandy.

It was as if some switch had been flipped; countless stars streamed from the direction of the Flame Kingdom, coalescing upon Prince Sandy.

The crumbling world of flames seemed infused with new vitality, instantly stabilizing and standing in opposition to the Arcane Domain.

A tear slid from the corner of Prince Sandy’s eye. He pointed his sword at Lando. “I will…end…all this!”

“For the teacher who gave everything…”

Flames surged!

“For the warriors who trusted me…”

The wind howled!

“For the innocent civilians…”

Sword light flashed!

“For this beautiful world…”

He swept across the field!

At that moment, Lando’s face darkened ominously.

It was clearly a scene of great emotion, but he seemed to be on the wrong side. Prince Sandy now appeared to be a hero gambling everything, entering his ultimate desperate phase, determined to tear apart the demon king before him.

And Lando—was he that demon king about to be ripped to shreds?!

“I’m no demon king—dammit! I’m supposed to be the pure-hearted one!”

The Arcane Domain erupted and expanded; Lando’s power grew stronger, and Prince Sandy refused to yield, unleashing the King’s Domain.

Whereas Prince Sandy and Locke’s earlier battle had only allowed them to wield a portion of their destiny-formed King’s Domain, now both men broke past the world’s constraints, drawing on the full power of fate for their respective worlds.

The destruction they wrought was no longer confined to a single region; its impact began to spread across the entire world.

The nearest human settlement to their battle was a peaceful small town, but as the shockwave swept through, over seventy percent of its buildings collapsed instantly. Hundreds perished, thousands more were injured.

This was merely the beginning; greater waves of destruction would soon scour the world.

The ground beneath their feet began to crack and split. Magma erupted from fissures, only to be forced back down. The entire world was wracked by earthquakes, storms, volcanic eruptions, and drastic climate shifts, as if the apocalypse countdown had begun.

Everywhere lay mountains of corpses and seas of blood; the wails of the dead echoed in every corner.

…

The King of the Sunfire Kingdom sat quietly in his fortified palace, listening numbly to the stream of catastrophic reports.

When starlight began to radiate from the bodies of his people, the king knew it was his son’s call for aid. He even considered driving away those praying for the prince, hoping the prince and his enemy would destroy each other, preferably perish together.

But the subsequent waves of world-annihilation shattered all his ambitions and desires, leaving only numbness.

…

Outside the world, three massive warships hovered in the void.

On the lead flagship, a piercing alarm suddenly sounded in the command room.

“Alert! Major changes are occurring in the world!”

The captain, who had been chatting casually with Moritz, stood and ordered, “Investigate the cause. Report to me immediately when you have results.”

Moritz stepped forward as well. Normally, at his rank, such missions would require him to be at least a warship commander, but due to his recent actions, he was undergoing a review. Though he was allowed to participate, not being confined and monitored was only thanks to his close relationship with the fleet’s overall commander.

“Xico, what’s happening?” Moritz couldn't help but ask; lacking an internal channel, he had no access to firsthand information.

“The world is undergoing drastic changes, almost visible to the naked eye,” Xico replied gravely. “If this devastation is caused by individuals, it’s nearly on par with top-tier second-stage powerhouses.”

Moritz was stunned. Worlds had limits, and for a small world like this, producing a first-stage powerhouse was already remarkable. Where would a top-tier second-stage powerhouse come from?

Though Moritz and Xico were both at the third stage, the level of constructing spirit, they were still exploring their abilities. In terms of actual combat power—without the support of a magic tower or factoring in the void warships—they weren’t necessarily much stronger than top-tier second-stage powerhouses.

Suddenly, Moritz’s mind stirred with a possibility.

“Wait—could it be?! But…surely not?!”