Chapter 47: The Bewildering Phase of Life

“Could it be a powerful figure from outside our realm?” Sun Hu voiced the hesitation in his heart.

“It’s hard to say. All the strong individuals currently within our Empire are under surveillance, and according to the records in the capital, not a single person has appeared near Huiyue City.”

“Even those from outside the realm are recorded, so this person’s identity remains a mystery.”

Si Lintian showed a trace of frustration.

Sun Hu continued, “Is it possible someone infiltrated from outside? For someone of that level, sneaking in shouldn't be too difficult, right?”

Prompted by Si Lintian’s earlier words, Sun Hu began to speculate. If it wasn’t a local powerhouse, then it must be someone from another nation causing trouble in Huiyue City.

“What do you take our Empire’s borders for?” Si Lintian couldn’t help but laugh. “This is why I say you young people are still too naïve.”

“Our borders are guarded by a saint-ranked warrior. Do you think a supreme-level expert can just waltz in so easily?”

“Let’s be realistic. That’s a saint rank. Rumor has it the general has reached level eighty-nine, just a step away from the divine rank.”

“Unless it’s someone of equal or greater power, there’s absolutely no way anyone could slip past that general’s watch.”

“You have to understand, beyond that is the divine rank. There are only a handful of divine-ranked experts now, and do you think they’d bother with something like this?”

“They are terrifying beings capable of casting grand forbidden spells. If it really were them, they could obliterate Huiyue City with a snap of their fingers, let alone cause such disasters.”

Listening to Si Lintian’s words, everyone was stunned.

They had only heard bits and pieces before, but these revelations shattered their worldview. They had believed that a seventy-level supreme was already an existence defying the heavens, while saint and divine ranks were mere legends—yet they truly existed.

And at the border, there was actually a level eighty-nine saint-rank warrior holding the line.

Nantian, lost in thought, blurted out, “Senior Si Lintian, what profession does that border guardian hold?”

Realizing his rudeness, Nantian quickly added, “Sorry, senior, I spoke out of turn.”

But Si Lintian waved his hand dismissively. “It’s no secret. I don’t know what his current profession is called, but I do know he started as a warrior.”

“A level eighty-nine warrior—just thinking about it is terrifying.”

Warrior!

Everyone was taken aback; the warrior profession was highly coveted throughout the Empire.

A warrior who had reached the pinnacle of saint rank would possess unimaginable combat prowess.

“Enough about those monsters. Let’s deal with our current trouble first,” Si Lintian chuckled softly. In the eyes of others, he himself was something of a monster.

After all this conversation, the group realized that Si Lintian wasn’t nearly as difficult to approach as they’d imagined; even when speaking sternly, he was gentle.

He was willing to chat with these young people.

“Senior, could it be a local powerhouse who hasn’t been registered?” Sun Hu finally abandoned the idea of an outside infiltrator. Huiyue City was located in the central region, meaning one had to pass many checkpoints to get there.

With a saint-ranked warrior at the border, the possibility of an outsider was nearly eliminated.

“Unlikely,” Si Lintian replied. “To change profession, one must go to the Hall of Professions, and registration there is mandatory. That’s the main way we keep track of strong individuals.”

“Though there are a few ways to avoid the Hall, none are accessible to ordinary people—only the top echelon families could manage it.”

“But those families wouldn’t invite trouble for themselves.”

Hearing this, Sun Hu gave up; every possibility had been ruled out by the senior.

“Senior, this is the site where the forbidden spell was cast last time.”

They had arrived at the edge of the underground city, now a wasteland, where calling it an underground city was no longer fitting.

Most now called it the Ruins of the Underground City.

Facing the vast ruins, Si Lintian stepped forward, placing his right hand on the ground, letting waves of energy seep below.

When he touched a certain spot, he was instantly repelled.

“Your assessment is correct—it was indeed a forbidden spell cleansing, and a very precise one at that. In other words, the forbidden spell cast here was among the finest even within the realm of forbidden spells!”

“Even after all this time, so much residual energy remains. When I probed just now, that energy actually tried to attack me.”

Si Lintian’s expression grew grave.

A master!

The one who cast that forbidden spell was undoubtedly a master.

As a top mage himself, Si Lintian understood forbidden spells well—the more intricate and complex, the greater the caster’s skill.

Within their mage circles, there was a saying:

“Those who master top forbidden spells are top mages, but not all top mages master forbidden spells!”

Sun Hu asked, “Senior, if you encountered this person, could you capture them?”

Si Lintian smiled bitterly. “Hard to say. I don’t know such high-level forbidden spells myself. Forbidden spells are rare to begin with, let alone ones of this caliber.”

“In my experience, there aren’t many who can use spells like this.”

“And now, we’ve run into one. Really unlucky. I thought this would be an easy job, but it’s turned out to be such a headache.”

Hearing Si Lintian’s words, everyone fell silent.

Their hopes had been dashed.

Nantian muttered, “Senior Si Lintian, should I seal off Huiyue City again?”

“What good would that do?” Si Lintian gave him a look of helplessness. “Someone capable of casting forbidden spells of this level could evade your checks as easily as eating.”

“Besides, I said it’s difficult, not impossible to defeat them.”

“Don’t worry. Even if someone dies, I’ll be the first. If I eat the Empire’s bread, I’ll certainly help you.”

Hearing Si Lintian’s words, the group was moved.

Having such a responsible expert on their side was a stroke of luck.

“Alright, let’s go check the first site where the forbidden spell struck.”