Chapter 552: Chapter 11: The Trial Begins

Lynch took a step into the vortex woven from dark green and deep blue, instantly enveloped by a powerful and chaotic spatial turbulence. Weightlessness, tearing sensation, and a pungent decay enough to churn the stomach assaulted his senses. This experience, however, lasted only a brief moment.

Suddenly, the light and shadow before him transformed, like a faded curtain being swiftly pulled open, revealing an entirely different world.

What rushed over him was a warm, moist, and intensely floral air, so sweet and intoxicating.

Sunlight — genuine, warm sunlight — sprinkled down through layer upon layer of giant leaves shimmering with peculiar halos, forming dappled patterns on the ground.

Everywhere he looked were extraordinary flowers Lynch had never seen before. They were dazzling to the point of blinding, and their forms were bizarre beyond imagination: Fiery Flame Lotus blooming in layers like burning flames; Glazed Bellflowers, resembling crystal wind chimes, tinkling crisply in the breeze; and the Dream Giant Mushroom, as large as a house, with petals flowing with rainbow-colored dew…

Trickling streams meandered through the exotic flowers and grasses, the water murmuring, crystal clear, inhabited by luminous translucent little fish swimming freely.

The air was suffused with an intense essence of life, dense enough to almost become tangible, inhaled into the lungs as if capable of cleansing the soul. Countless tiny fairies — not fairies, resembling pure Light Elemental Life instead — danced gracefully among the flowers, scattering specks of gold powder.

The bird songs were clear and melodious, rising and falling, composing a vibrant symphony of nature. This scene was stunningly beautiful, like the legendary abode of Divinity, filled with beguiling harmony and tranquility, starkly contrasting the oppressive decay at the entrance.

In these circumstances, a word sprang to Lynch’s mind —

Beautiful.

He immediately became vigilant.

In the Wizard World, the more beautiful, the more bizarre. In this secret realm belonging to “Decay,” such pure and absolute scenes of “life” themselves conveyed an indescribable sense of discord.

“Where is this place?”

As he warily observed around, his palm heated slightly. An ancient map made from some supple tree bark mysteriously appeared in his hand.

The map’s lines were simple yet clearly marked his current location, a starting point marked with sprouting buds, and a distant peak depicted in the twisted form of Rotten Wood —

Immortal Peak.

Lynch gazed towards the direction indicated by the map, vaguely seeing a towering peak in that remote direction, its summit covered by layered dark clouds, within which obvious lightning circled.

“Is that the end point over there? It doesn’t seem that far… Hmm? That’s not right!”

As Lynch scrutinized the mountain, his acute spatial sensitivity suddenly detected a clear spatial fluctuation, indicating that the mountain, seemingly visible to the naked eye, was in fact far more distant than it appeared.

Lynch’s gaze returned to the map in his hand, a winding path led from the starting point to the mountain, passing through several differently styled regional markers, one of which was the place he currently resided.

He glanced at the name, called: Spring Garden.

Spring Domain: Forbidden flight. Those who attempt to soar shall become fertile soil.

Lynch raised an eyebrow: “No flying allowed?”

He took an Alchemy Flying Bird from the Space Pocket and released it, yet it couldn’t fly very high before an invisible spatial pressure twisted past, causing the bird, under the force’s distortion, to fall back down.

If flying is impossible, then what about space?

Lynch tried to perceive the spatial coordinates he had arranged externally, which remained particularly bright in his Spiritual Sea. Even though they belonged to different spaces, Lynch was confident he could leave here anytime through the coordinates.

Though he spoke to Witch Kalsa with grand bravado, he actually wouldn’t easily take risks without some assurance of survival.

After years of delving into the Underground City, Lynch had advanced his Space Magic to a substantial level. Whether it be Dimension Space or Space Crack, ordinary space barriers posed no hindrance to him.

As long as he could grasp space at any moment, even if he encountered an unsolvable danger, he could always transfer to a safe place through space, maintaining an undefeated position!

This was Lynch’s greatest reliance to dare participating in this evidently dangerous trial!

“Let’s just go through obediently!”

He put away the map, readying himself to set out.

Yet at that moment

“Rustle rustle…”

An extremely subtle sound, unlike the natural breeze brushing through leaves, came from his right.

Lynch turned his head, only to see a small figure emerging from behind a gigantic, sunflower-like flower.

It was only the size of a palm, its body formed by emerald vines and semi-transparent petals, with dragonfly-like thin wings shimmering jade-like brilliance. Its face was delicately doll-like, but those enormous eyes occupying half its face were purely, icily silver, devoid of pupils, only reflecting cold light.

Fairy Species. Googlᴇ search 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓵·𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖·𝙣𝙚𝙩

Lynch was quite familiar with this species of Magic Life, instinctively assessing which type the fairy species before him belonged to. Such cold-natured fairy species were rare.

Suddenly, the fairy lifted its slender arm abruptly, pointing towards Lynch!

“Buzz——!”

The thin vine entwined at its fingertip instantly straightened and hardened, like a poisoned jade needle! The tip erupted with a point of intensely concentrated green light!

The fairy species belonged to relatively Low-level Magic Creatures, and Lynch hadn’t sensed any powerful prowess from the fairy before him, so when faced with this attack thrown his way, he didn’t give it much concern, merely raising an Elemental Shield in front of him.

However, as soon as the green beam struck Lynch’s Elemental Shield, a bizarre scene unfolded.

“Sizzle!”

A ripple appeared on the shield, a shield capable of defending against common Mystical Techniques, but at this moment it seemed useless, not even halting the green beam for an instant, which directly pierced through.

Lynch was astonished.

Before he could react timely, the next second, that green beam had already hit him hard.

No intense pain, only a chilling, bone-penetrating metamorphic sensation swept through his body instantly!

The area struck by the beam, skin and flesh visibly lost blood color, turning grey and withered! The once plump skin rapidly sagged, hardened, displaying deep brown cracks like old tree bark, edges even beginning to crack and curl!

This terrifying decay wasn’t necrosis, but a forced life form transformation! The grey area was frantically absorbing Lynch’s Life Force, trying to assimilate his sturdy flesh into part of the garden — a segment of lifeless, withered Rotten Wood!

The lines of decay, like greedy vines, rushed up his chest towards his neck and shoulders! Wherever they passed, the skin lost elasticity, muscle fibers emitted faint snapping sounds, Life Force like floodwater being drained!

A profound sense of weakness from deep within his soul, accompanied by the pungent smell of decay, overwhelmed Lynch instantly! This bizarre attack aimed to “plant” this powerful Mystical Wizard into a dead tree in the garden!

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.