Thinking Too Highly???

Thinking too highly?!

To suspect that one of the Ten Divine Artifacts was actually possessed by a High Rank mage?

If that were really the case, they had indeed “thought too highly” of him.

But right now...

Morpheus and the others froze in place, their pupils trembling slightly and their mouths hanging half-open.

The shrieks of the spectral demons and the roar of the wind pressure cannon seemed to still echo in their ears.

Yet, their minds buzzed in a daze as they repeatedly replayed Lin Gui's casual remark.

Every word felt like a heavy hammer, shattering their very understanding of reality.

How many Legendaries had died in regret here? How many Epics had fallen? Even that peak High-tier Epic Demon King who once attempted to cross had perished here.

This absolute death zone that had swallowed countless powerhouses...

...had actually been “conquered” by you in such a manner?

So, who exactly... was thinking too highly of whom?!

This reality was a hundred, even a thousand times more shocking than if Lin Gui actually possessed a divine artifact!

The flying vessel finally came to a steady halt on a relatively flat patch of open ground amidst the ruins of Blackwater City.

Hugh released a tiny sliver of protective qi from his fingertips, precisely slicing through the steel wires tightly binding him.

The moment the ropes loosened...

“Blech—!!!”

Ruger was the first to break.

His massive body lunged forward, one hand bracing against a nearby broken stone wall.

His other hand clutched his stomach as he dry-heaved violently, veins bulging on his temples.

Hugh's steps wobbled slightly as he landed.

His face was frighteningly pale, his thin lips pressed into a tight line as he did his best to maintain his composure.

But his hands hanging at his sides trembled slightly, his knuckles white.

Kilian leaned on his staff, using it to steady himself.

This usually calm and collected foxkin Sage was now panting heavily, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down several times.

He barely managed to suppress the sourness rising in his throat.

Even Eve frowned, quickly walking off to the side.

Leaning over a long-dried planter that held nothing but withered weeds, she dry-heaved softly.

Lin Gui sheathed the dagger he had used to inspect the flying vessel, looking at the scene before him with an understanding smile.

He was already well-accustomed to this kind of reaction.

But when he raised his head and met the gazes of the Legendaries...

Their eyes had completely changed.

There was suspicion, daze, disbelief, and a trace of hard-to-detect... dread.

It was as if they had seen a ghost in broad daylight.

No, it was worse than that.

Even when Lord Gusion personally led the team to travel between Blackwater City and Avalon,

he had to constantly rely on the faint resonance of the Demon King Pillar to carefully plan out detour routes.

To avoid those terrifying existences, they often had to take massive detours.

The time spent was never less than a full day.

Sometimes, they would even run into Epic demons migrating their territories.

They would have to find a place to hide and wait for days until the other party had completely relocated before they dared to proceed.

But what about Lin Gui?

Ten minutes!

From activating the wind pressure cannon to landing just now, it hadn't even been ten minutes!

Just like that...

...he had broken straight through!

Just moments ago, they had been on the edge of Avalon, tensely calculating how to avoid those Apex existences that could only be faintly sensed via the Demon King Pillar.

In the next instant, this young mage had steered this seemingly crude flying vessel,

carrying them straight, brutally, and almost arrogantly—

—crashing right into the sensory domains of those existences!

There was no thick barrier for protection.

There was no sturdy armor to wear.

They hadn't even activated any concealment magic!

Just like that, completely exposed,

right in “front” of countless terrifying demons,

they had charged straight through!

Shadow Blade Lynn, the High-tier Epic assassin whose speed was unmatched on the continent.

An existence hailed as the incarnation of speed.

Even she could never have done this!

It was absolutely impossible to perfectly cross the entire Wailing Corridor relying solely on speed!

Yet the person before them...

This minor mage who was only a High-tier High Rank.

He had done it.

A long time passed.

Ruger's heavy breathing gradually steadied.

Hugh released his clenched fists, and though his face was still pale, his breathing had stabilized.

Kilian slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air, wiping the cold sweat from his forehead with his sleeve.

Eve also walked back silently, standing quietly by Lin Gui's side.

No one spoke.

Only the wailing wind blew through the ruins, sweeping past the broken pillars and empty streets.

They simply remained silent, focusing their complex gazes—a mixture of shock, scrutiny, and a hint of confusion—

on the gray-robed mage who was currently leaning over to carefully inspect the wear and tear on the edges of the flying vessel.

The deathly silent wind of Blackwater City kicked up dust, sweeping over the ruins.

Yet, it could not disperse the thick, almost tangible sense of absurdity and awe hanging over their hearts.

“Wait, something's not right!”

The Sage, Kilian, ultimately couldn't hold back. He took a step forward, his elderly fox-like face filled with struggle and confusion.

“Then what was that... concealment method you used earlier? The one that none of us could detect in the slightest?”

Lin Gui, who was checking the wind pressure cannon nozzle at the rear of the vessel, turned his head. A look of slight “confusion” appeared on his face right on cue.

“Oh, that.”

He smiled, his tone as casual as if he were discussing the weather.

“I specialize in concealment magic. I just have... a bit of minor personal expertise in that area.”

“...”

The several Legendary powerhouses, along with Morpheus, instantly fell into an even deeper state of bewilderment.

The air froze for a few seconds.

Ruger picked at his ear, wondering if he had dry-heaved so hard that he was hallucinating.

Morpheus's lips twitched. He wanted to say something but swallowed it back down.

Hugh, the Mid-tier Legendary assassin, finally couldn't help but raise his hand to massage his forehead.

He muttered a question that sounded like a deep existential crisis, his voice carrying a rare trace of confusion:

“It's been ten years...”

“I've stayed in Avalon for ten whole years...”

“Has the outside world... already become this ridiculous?”

“Are High Rank mages nowadays... all like this?”

Standing by Lin Gui's side, Eve looked at these Legendary powerhouses who were usually so high and mighty but were now collectively questioning their very existence.

She couldn't help but lower her head, her shoulders trembling almost imperceptibly as she pursed her lips to suppress a laugh.

If they only knew...

If they knew about Lin Gui's superb, history-book-worthy “Levitation”...

If they knew about his “Eyes of the Netherworld” that could peer into souls and deter demons...

If they knew about his “Clarity” spell, which was extremely rare even among Soul Magic and could resist the fog of the Wall of Sighs...

She wondered what kind of spectacular expressions they would make.

However, what Eve didn't know was...

Though defying capabilities like Levitation, Eyes of the Netherworld, and Clarity were unbelievably powerful, they were ultimately granted by the “system.”

Only the “Shroud of the Gloomy Night.”

From beginning to end, from conception to refinement, from theory to practice...

This was a spell completely created by Lin Gui alone.

During countless perilous nights,

driven by his sheer will to survive and obsession in desperate situations,

he had slowly figured out, tested, and polished this High Rank concealment spell.

This was the only creation that truly belonged to him alone—a miracle capable of subverting the existing system of concealment magic.

It was also Lin Gui's greatest reliance in crossing countless terrifying wildernesses along his journey.

In terms of importance, the Shroud of the Gloomy Night even surpassed Levitation.

Lin Gui had never made this magic public.

Even though doing so would allow him to settle down in the City of a Thousand Towers,

become a master of magic theory, and be highly respected.

Without a doubt, the name Lin Gui would even be engraved on a page of magic history as a “pioneer.”

But Lin Gui didn't do that.

Completely alone and with nothing to his name, he had returned to the dilapidated and small New Covenant City.

Because Lin Gui knew that if this magic fell into the hands of those with ulterior motives,

it would lead to an unimaginably terrifying disaster.

The moral standards of the City-State Era were utterly broken.