Chapter 594: Secrets of Creation and Void Behemoths |
Locke seemed to see in a place without 'black,' also without 'white,' without 'existence,' also without 'non-existence,' without any concepts, a place that itself was the foundation of being, in the endless void, countless planes were being born from the void, and also in the void, because resources were insufficient, unable to maintain plane crystal wall systems or spatial mist, they collapsed.
Even planes in the void, if energy was insufficient, would be torn apart by the omnipresent void formless energy in the void.
But in the depths of the void, there were many primal planes, continuously emitting primal waves toward the void. Those primal waves could swiftly traverse the void, far faster than light speed, but if they encountered certain obstacles midway, collapse would occur.
Collapse would cause more primal waves to collapse at this location.
After collapse reached its extreme, a plane embryo would appear here. That collapse point attracted matter from the void to come. Various elemental powers gathered here. A brand new plane appeared here.
Seeing this, Locke used the flow state on one hand to maintain his spiritual presence as blank, to be clearly distinct from these transmitted information torrents, preventing himself from denying himself and thus mistakenly taking himself as part of the Natural Plane.
Then, on the other hand, he observed this great mystery that could be called the beginning of creation.
So-called advanced meditation methods could actually allow wizards, when first entering the No-Thought state, to glimpse a trace of creation's secrets.
This was truly, in fairy tales, the mystery belonging to the Creator.
Locke noticed this was only the scene of low-level plane formation. In the distant void, there were countless even more enormous planes forming.
Just that his current self could only vaguely see those blurry shadows, unable to see their true appearance clearly.
Just as Locke was observing the creation mysteries of this low-level plane, the next moment, he suddenly saw from the void flying a giant eagle. That was an eagle soaring in the void. It made eye contact with Locke, then stared at that plane.
Then, its bird beak pecked toward that plane, actually fishing out from the plane's core something Locke didn't recognize, then directly swallowed it down.
This terrifying void behemoth, after circling this plane once, ejected a seed from its tail end. That seed crashed through the elemental barrier like a meteor, creating intense sparks from friction. Immediately after, it fell toward the ground.
Then, that giant black bear crawled out from that seed.
It hadn't lived long yet when world power formed lightning, striking down toward it. After it died, its body entered the plane's sea. Countless new lives were gestating from within...
That void giant eagle turned its head to look at Locke, eagle eyes bright, seemingly sensing Locke's consciousness fused with the Natural Plane's primal waves.
This terrifying void behemoth, every feather on its body was so enormous, approximately the size of continents.
It grew in the void, was a king within the void. Even star gods compared to it were so small, as if they were its food.
The unknown void giant eagle let out a high-pitched and sharp cry. Immediately after, the primal wave fused with Locke's consciousness collided with the feathers on its body surface, like a high-speed car crashing into a steel wall.
The next moment, Locke was knocked out of the No-Thought state.
However, before he exited this state, he still saw at ultra-close range some patterns on one feather of that void giant eagle.
Origin Academy, in the seventh floor castle, Locke crouched on the ground, constantly gasping for breath.
He was covered in sweat.
Yekaterina timely handed him a glass of clear water. Locke picked it up and drank it all in one gulp.
"Teacher, what I just saw was..."
Yekaterina handed over a red crystal matrix. "Those are the secrets of creation. Every wizard, when using an advanced meditation method for the first time, will receive this opportunity. This is something that high ring wizards from the Star Domain Sea added into advanced meditation methods."
"However, only the first time entering the No-Thought state can one have the fortune to observe all the details of plane birth. The second time you enter, wanting to observe again requires your own efforts. Otherwise, you can only wander aimlessly in the void with the fused primal waves. The void is even larger than what you currently understand. Most of your current understanding of the void is wrong."
"Wanting to happen to observe a plane being born in the endless void, if not for high ring wizards specifically helping you, under normal circumstances, this situation wouldn't likely occur."
"Look at your current magic pressure."
Locke placed his palm on the crystal ball, then saw two numbers appear on the crystal ball—[9800, 2500]
Witch Yekaterina said, "It seems you directly obtained a 200-point magic pressure increase from the secrets of creation. Your abyssal energy has actually reached as high as 2500, and these 2500 points of magic pressure total are all at your own magic pressure quality level."
"That is, all belong to 9800 quality."
Witch Yekaterina looked deeply at Locke. "Don't let your abyssal energy continue growing. Once it exceeds a certain limit, the body will undergo abyssalization. Once the first abyssalization occurs, the entire soul will change."
"At that time, wanting to change back will be very troublesome. Probably would require a Third Circle potion master to intervene to salvage it. Although it won't affect your future, it will greatly change your future choices."
"Some wizards have combined too deeply with abyssal power, then became wizards on the abyss side."
"The Endless Abyss specifically created the Seventy-Two Pillars Demon God system for fallen wizards. Wizards who fall over there have the possibility of becoming powerful demon gods."
Locke's expression changed slightly.
All along, his understanding of the abyssal system's power could only come from reading related materials in books. But reading materials himself definitely couldn't provide a comprehensive, bird's-eye view of problems.
So, he had actually left himself such a large hidden danger.
Fortunately, he had a Third Circle Throne wizard as his teacher.
Witch Yekaterina thought for a moment, removed a Second Circle soul artifact bracelet from her left arm, and put it on Locke's left hand.
Immediately that bracelet transformed into a black light, entering the skin at Locke's wrist.
It became a faint black mark hidden under the wrist skin.
Locke said, "Teacher, this is?"
Witch Yekaterina said, "Nothing much, doesn't concern you greatly."
Locke was somewhat speechless. Witch Yekaterina put a soul artifact on his hand, that soul artifact just disappeared into his wrist, yet it didn't concern him greatly.
Locke still couldn't help it. "Teacher, but this soul artifact is worn on my hand."
Witch Yekaterina said, "Just a seal. If your abyssal energy and your magic pressure ratio exceeds 0.298, this safety line I calculated, this one-time Second Circle soul artifact will appear and, at the cost of permanently sealing the abyssal energy on your body, prevent you from undergoing abyssalization."
"Once abyssalization occurs, even I couldn't restore your soul."
Witch Yekaterina patiently warned. "Your black wizard friend's soul has already undergone mutation due to abyssalization. This isn't good. If he continues like this, he'll be like Wizard Kings of the Era of Stars who once borrowed abyssal power, gradually pulled toward the abyss side."
"The abyss is both generous and stingy. First give, then take back."
"The abyss's world consciousness has the ambition to pollute everything, invade everything, so it never stints on sharing its power with people from worlds that don't belong to it."
Locke nodded slightly, while feeling a bit of lingering fear in his heart, because the safety ratio he calculated was 0.3.
But the safety ratio Witch Yekaterina calculated was 0.298.
In other words, the ratio he calculated had some error.
If it were ordinary times, that would be fine. He would consciously leave a safety margin.
To prevent his calculation errors.
But under the pressure of the Spell Combat Tournament, he had originally planned to continuously take potions.
At that time, if he miscalculated the safety ratio and there was error, it could very likely harm himself.
Locke looked at the hidden black line on his left wrist, feeling slightly settled in his heart.
With Witch Yekaterina's seal, he shouldn't have any problems on the abyssal energy issue.
Locke said, "Thank you, teacher. I'll be careful. I previously researched many things about abyssal potions. I obtained abyssal energy through taking abyssal potions."
Witch Yekaterina nodded slightly. "Then your potion study talent should also be quite good. Very few wizards can, through researching abyssal potion studies, combine so deeply with abyssal power."
"However, you don't need to be nervous. As wizards, we must stand at the forefront of exploration. Your bold behavior instead proves you're an excellent wizard."
"No wizard doesn't take risks. Exploring the unknown will definitely have dangers. Wizards who can skillfully handle those dangers encountered while exploring the unknown are excellent wizards."
Witch Yekaterina said, "An excellent wizard is someone who, based on their knowledge and ability, takes risks yet can do things to the best."
"Power and risk coexist."
Locke asked Witch Yekaterina, "Teacher, when I was observing the secrets of creation, I saw a creature in the void. Its body was enormous, even much larger than that small-scale plane."
"What was that?"
Locke described the characteristics of that giant eagle.
Witch Yekaterina was stunned for a moment, then a trace of smile appeared on her face. "Your luck is truly good."
"Not every wizard can encounter void behemoths when observing the secrets of creation. Those are void behemoths, life forms in the void, some unknown life form that adapted to the void and conquered the void environment. As for which specific void behemoth you mentioned, I can't be certain. Every void behemoth is unique."
"Based on your description, the void behemoth you observed should be one that wizards of the Three Marsh Lands haven't observed before."
Locke was slightly surprised. "They haven't?"
Witch Yekaterina affirmed, "At least, no one has written related articles and published them. Void behemoths feed on plane hearts. Plane hearts only appear when planes are first forming."
"After that, they quickly disappear. Therefore, void behemoths are always searching for newly born or forming planes, just like carnivorous animals searching for their prey."
"There are many hypotheses about the origin of void behemoths. Some believe they are special life forms gestated by the void. Others believe void creatures are flesh and blood life forms, coming from a special plane, just that they ultimately broke free from the constraints of that special plane..."
Witch Yekaterina said, "You said you remembered some patterns on its feathers?"
Locke nodded slightly. "Yes, teacher."
Witch Yekaterina's eyes flickered. "Very good, then you must remember them. Void behemoths are naturally high-magic, typical high-magic creatures. The patterns on their body surfaces contain magical principles. You continuously use advanced meditation methods to visualize those patterns you remembered, and you can gain much."
"Many powerful spell models were obtained from observing void behemoth patterns. If you can make good use of the remaining less than one month, within this month, observe a decent spell model, it should significantly increase your chances of winning this Spell Combat Tournament."
Locke was stunned for a moment, because in fact, he originally hadn't planned to win the championship.
In the Spell Combat Tournament, he only needed to rank higher than all other Origin Academy people to automatically obtain participation eligibility for the Silent Grail Plane Conquest Competition.
But unexpectedly, Yekaterina said he had hope of winning.
Locke sighed slightly in his heart, finally feeling somewhat of Griffin's pressure.
Worthy of a Throne wizard, her vision was truly too high.
Witch Yekaterina said, "Although every wizard, when using advanced meditation methods to enter the No-Thought state for the first time, as long as they succeed, can observe the secrets of creation. But not every time a plane forms will void behemoths appear."
"So, your luck has always been very good."
"However, remember one thing. The plane formation process you observed through this benefit given by high ring wizards is not complete. Just a rough outline. You haven't been able to completely see the true secrets of creation."
Witch Yekaterina became serious. "Wizards easily make one mistake, which is mistakenly thinking that knowing the general outline of something equals understanding the entirety of that thing. Being better than others at discovering things, mistakenly thinking oneself omniscient."
"So I must remind you. You just now didn't see clearly the complete plane formation process. Every wizard can see some details from it, and perhaps with good luck or sufficient talent, can see details that only they themselves saw."
"Research this yourself when you return."
"Now, let's talk about Grand Magic. All Grand Magic chooses an attack magic and selects it as the blueprint for one's own Grand Magic."
"So, Locke, what attack magic will you choose as the magic blueprint for your Grand Magic?"
Locke bowed to Witch Yekaterina. "Teacher, why is the principle for choosing magic in creating Grand Magic opposite to the selection principle for permanent defensive magic fields?"