’If he breaks through my twenty-seven Shields, I’ll really have to rely on the Magic Tools I bought today for 2 million gold coins to save my life.’

Among these Magic Tools was a Ring that could provide the full defense of a Level 5 Defender for one minute.

There were also blessings of Dulling, Force Redirection, and Hardening...

"What?"

Atelindo was also stunned.

’The Shields he just cast weren’t this thick!’

’The number of Shield layers has increased!’

"Why...?"

His intuition screamed a high-level warning!

’Retreat!’

But it was too late to dodge!

A beam of light pierced straight through his shoulder, leaving a bloody hole.

’It seems that even with high attack and health, his body is still quite fragile. To think even a weak Light Bundle Instant Flash could pierce right through him.’

SWOOSH!

But his speed was also incredible!

The instant after being hit, he had already moved to Lu Cang’s side!

[Combat Skill: Concentration]

[Status: Heart-Sword Unity]

His rapier thrust straight forward!

But as he delivered the blow, he was shocked to find that the layers of defense he had just broken through were already fully restored!

[Piercing Wind Stabbing]

DINK~

However, when the thrust hit the Resilient Water Ring Shield, it showed no sign of piercing it at all!

Thrust! THRUST-THRUST-THRUST-THRUST-THRUST-THRUST!

The glint of his sword struck like a sudden squall, but each thrust only created ripple after ripple in the Water Shield.

There was no sign of it breaking.

’How is this possible?’

’Just a moment ago, I could cut through his defenses!’

’How can I not even break through this outermost Water Shield now?!’

[Sacrifice—1000 souls, increase the resilience of the Resilient Water Ring Shield.]

"Break!"

"Break! For me!"

GURGLE~

The blade sank deep into the Water Shield! At the same time, he felt a tough, resilient force pushing him back out!

’It won’t break!’

BWOOMP~

He thrust to the very deepest point!

But the sword was suddenly ejected. He retreated with it, creating distance, and steadied his grip on the repelled blade.

Only after comprehending Extreme Intent can a Warrior forge their own path.

A Warrior who has comprehended Extreme Intent is a completely different concept from an ordinary Warrior.

It’s akin to whether a Mage has comprehended Root Magic.

The gap is far more than just one tier.

’But now, after I finally comprehended Extreme Intent, why can’t I even break his defense?’

’Is the gap between us really that huge?’

Lu Cang raised his Magic Staff.

"It seems it’s my turn."

Since his opponent hadn’t interrupted his thoughts, Lu Cang didn’t mind doing him a favor and helping him comprehend Extreme Battle Intent.

It was precisely because he hadn’t interrupted his thoughts.

That he was able to smoothly arrive at his own answer regarding the Root Source during that period of reflection.

His opponent had shown martial virtue, so Lu Cang didn’t mind showing some in return.

’Looks like I can save the Spring of Origin from the 300-win streak.’

The moment Lu Cang raised his Magic Staff, Atelindo felt the aura around Lu Cang change abruptly.

He retreated several steps.

Only to find that the Thorns and the Sea of Fire behind him had vanished.

The entire misty field had become empty once more.

But the sense of pressure was even stronger than before.

The pressure came from the man before him, Lu Cang.

"You will bear witness to my answer..."

Lu Cang raised a single hand.

Forty-two Ice Shuttles materialized around him, and within these Ice Shuttles were sealed Slime corpses, poisoned daggers, mysterious Magic Scrolls...

WHOOSH— A faintly colored Flame Wave surged forward!

It crashed down on Atelindo, blotting out the sky!

Atelindo drew his sword, intending to slice it in half, but the Flame Wave instantly transformed into a wave of water!

His slash passed right through the Giant Wave, not cleaving it at all.

SPLASH—

But just as the Giant Wave was about to crash into Atelindo, it was abruptly canceled.

And the forty-two Ice Shuttles, embedded with various items, stopped on all sides of Atelindo.

"The Root Source is the vessel of all things, the carrier of all things."

"It carries all things, evolves into all laws, and undergoes endless transformations..."

"From this comes infinite change."

To instantly transform an already-formed Fire Magic into Water Magic... this was a paradox in magic, a Rule that shouldn’t exist.

But Lu Cang had just performed it.

Root Magic is a magic that shouldn’t exist, a magic that no one but he himself could cast.

"I have seen your Extreme Intent... so let me show you my own reflection."

BANG!

The Ice Shuttles returned to circle around Lu Cang.

The various items encased within them had also disappeared, retrieved by Lu Cang.

"Tier Two, Root Magic."

"Source of All Laws."

A small, faintly colored sphere of light appeared at Lu Cang’s fingertip. Soon, it transformed into three spheres, circling the tip of his index finger.

It wasn’t as grandiose as Izparut’s Elemental Void.

But it possessed a unique agility.

As the colored spheres formed at his fingertip, Lu Cang felt an open, flowing sensation well up inside him, as if all the meridians and Magic Power in his body had been cleared.

’This is my reflection.’

The moment he saw the three colored spheres of light form at Lu Cang’s fingertip, Atelindo also raised his sword.

"Good..."

"Let me witness your full power!"

BANG!

The ground beneath his feet cracked, and Atelindo once again shot toward Lu Cang!

He was unyielding!

He would prove that he was no weaker than a Mage who had comprehended the Root Source!

But Lu Cang merely pointed a finger.

[Source·Rejection Wind Roar]

BOOM!

This time.

It wasn’t a one-off Wind Roar, but a never-ending storm of repulsion!

The powerful repulsive force sent Atelindo flying, slamming him against the edge of the arena as the hurricane-force wind pinned him tightly to the wall.

[Source of All Laws]

[Transforms into any mastered or imitated Same-Tier Magic currently being cast by another, granting the Magic a unique enhancement and the properties of being perpetual, mutable, All-Elemental, and independently cast.]

In other words...

An instantaneous burst of Magic had become permanent.

[Source·Rejection Wind Roar (Level 201)]

[Perpetual Wind Roar, All-Elements Storm, Stronger Repulsion]

Caught in the [Source·Rejection Wind Roar], pinned against the wall by the intense repulsive wind, he had no strength left to resist.

Lu Cang canceled the Wind Roar.

Atelindo fell to the ground.

But immediately after, the ground instantly erupted in a kaleidoscope of colors!

Seeing this, Atelindo didn’t even have time to catch his breath before he fled for his life!

BOOM!

The earth erupted in a riot of resplendent colors!

Multicolored Earth Fire shot into the sky!

A continuous stream of All-Elements lava surged toward the heavens!

Earth, Fire, and Heaven’s Fury, a Magic that caused an instantaneous eruption of lava.

Had also become perpetual.

As long as Lu Cang himself didn’t cancel it, it would continue to erupt forever.

It completely... defied the Rules of Magic.

One of the rules in magic textbooks stated that truly perpetual Magic didn’t exist, much like the perpetual motion machines from his past life.

But now, Lu Cang could clearly feel that as long as he used Magic Power once to cast a Magic transformed by the Source of All Laws, that Magic would last forever.

He wouldn’t need to inject any more Magic Power.

However, this perpetuity wasn’t completely indestructible.

If a strong external force interfered with the Magic, it could still be destroyed.

’So I really did discover a perpetual motion machine.’

’Comprehending the Root Source truly is a whole new world.’

Atelindo, however, hadn’t given up his attack.

He charged again.

However, a transparent barrier directly blocked Atelindo’s slash!

CLANG!

[Source·Protective Barrier]

Besides the properties of being perpetual and All-Elemental...

...all Magic transformed by the Source of All Laws was also an enhanced version of the original.

Just its defensive hardness far surpassed that of a normally cast Protective Barrier.

The barrier that had been sliced through before, even when three were layered into one.

Now, Atelindo couldn’t even cut through a single layer.

And Lu Cang hadn’t even enhanced this barrier through Sacrifice.

Moreover...

SWISH!

The Protective Barrier twisted.

It directly surrounded Atelindo, trapping him inside.

The Protective Barrier, which could originally only envelop himself, could now detach and be placed on someone else.

CLANG-CLANG-CLANG-CLANG-CLANG-CLANG-CLANG!

Atelindo drew his sword and slashed in all directions.

But there was no sign of the barrier breaking.

The number one Warrior had suddenly become a test subject for his Root Magic. 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

’If he knew what I was thinking...’

’...wouldn’t he feel utterly defeated?’

Although he had already used Multiple Casting to split the Source of All Laws into three instances.

Lu Cang sensed that the Source of All Laws was itself equivalent to the origin of Casting. It could also trigger his Talent, transforming into a triple-cast of other Magic.

In other words, the Source of All Laws could transform into a set of three, creating a Nine-layered Magic.

Besides that, Lu Cang snapped his fingers.

SNAP—

The barrier enclosing Atelindo instantly transformed into freezing lake water!

[Source·Eternal Frozen Deep Lake]

The Source of All Laws could also transform an existing Magic.

Transforming a magic and casting a new one are two completely different concepts.

Based on this characteristic.

Lu Cang could even transform an Ice Shuttle into... a Spirit Burst... the instant it pierced an enemy’s body.

’An instant explosion.’

’No, it doesn’t have to be an Ice Shuttle.’

Lu Cang looked at Atelindo...

’Tormenting him like this is indeed a bit too cruel.’

’A spar shouldn’t turn into torture. I might as well give him a quick end.’

As for the other wonderful uses of Root Magic, he could practice them slowly on others, or on Demons.

Lu Cang raised his hand and pointed at Atelindo.

[Instant Light Beam Flash]

SHOOOM—

An extremely fast, thin beam of light shot out!

It instantly pierced Atelindo’s body, and before the thin beam even dissipated, it suddenly transformed inside him.

[Source·Spirit Burst—Sacrifice: 100 souls]