Ian didn’t immediately break into a sprint. First, he carefully scanned his surroundings to confirm that nothing was out of the ordinary.

He began moving away from the camp and the site of Mitchell’s death at a slow but steady pace.

Speed was no longer his priority; instead, he focused on eliminating his tracks and concealing his movements.

He stepped only on ground that wouldn’t hold prints, occasionally creating misleading tracks to throw off any potential pursuers.

And so, under the cover of darkness and silence, he moved away from the heart of the danger, inch by inch, like the most seasoned prowler.

When dawn broke in the east, Ian estimated he was at least a hundred li from the Stone Forest. He could no longer sense any sign of pursuit, only the profound silence of his surroundings.

Only then did he truly breathe a sigh of relief. His perpetually taut nerves finally eased, and an overwhelming wave of exhaustion washed over him.

But he had no intention of resting. He glanced back in the direction of the Furnace and Gray Rock Castle, his gaze serene.

’Gray Rock Castle... Even the High Tower... I can’t go to either of them now!’

He had never expected that killing that young man would draw the attention of such a terrifying enemy.

The route to Gray Rock Castle was well-defined, meaning his pursuers would very likely set up ambushes or dispatch teams to search for escapees along that path.

He feared that Leon had already told them about his secrets and abilities, drawing their attention.

On top of that, Shadow Moon’s main front had collapsed. A chill went down his spine as he recalled the strange look Sterling had given him earlier.

Ian looked around, lost. The road back to the High Tower seemed utterly bleak.

He pulled out his map. To the south lay the domain of Deep Red. A vast territory to the east belonged to another Black Wizard organization: the Withered Council. Behind him was Shadow Moon Tower, but that path was blocked. To the west was the main battlefront, which he had to avoid.

Finally, his finger slid farther northeast, tracing the outline of a sprawling, ashen mountain range marked as an unknown region.

It was depicted with only sparse markings and vast blank spaces, a land full of unknowns.

But right now, the unknown also meant potential safety.

All he knew was that somewhere far beyond it lay the territory of another major Wizard faction.

There lay the most powerful White Wizard Organization in the entire Angela Ring Mountain Range: the Silver Ring.

Malena had once told him that in the entire region surrounding the Angela Mountain Range, the other three major Wizard factions combined were no match for the Silver Ring.

It was rich in resources, isolated, and had very little contact with the outside world.

Shadow Moon Tower had a safe route to the Silver Ring, but the entrance was guarded year-round. Access was strictly controlled, and a low-level Apprentice like him had no clearance to pass.

After weighing his options for a moment, Ian rose decisively. He channeled what little Spiritual Power he had left into his legs, and his formidable Physique flared to life once more.

His figure blurred like a wisp of smoke as he shot toward the deep mountains and dense forests to the northeast.

...

「Three days later.」

Ian, having traveled with extreme caution, was approaching the edge of the unknown, ashen mountain range.

He was resting briefly in a hidden cave, replenishing his energy with the dry rations and fresh water stored in his Dimensional Ring.

The continuous, high-intensity escape and concealment had massively drained both his Spiritual Power and his physical stamina.

But he didn’t stop his Cultivation; the sense of looming danger was a constant whip at his back, driving him forward.

He sat cross-legged, downed a Recovery Potion, and began practicing *Scorching Beam*.

His Skill Level with this Witchcraft was already on the verge of Limit-Breaking. Now that he was about to step into a more dangerous, unknown region, he had to increase his power.

He raised his hand, quickly formed a gesture, and rapidly chanted the Spell.

"Ignis!"

A searing, orange-red beam shot out silently and struck a distant, bare rock, leaving a scorched black mark.

Ian didn’t stop. He cast the spell again and again, tirelessly. At the same time, he repeatedly ran simulations in his mind, trying to optimize the beam’s Energy Structure, its method of convergence, and its flight path.

With his Skill Level at the peak of mastery, his understanding of the *Scorching Beam*’s Witchcraft Model had reached an incredibly profound level.

As time passed, lines of text would occasionally appear in his vision.

[Scorching Beam Skill Level +1]

...

[Scorching Beam: Mastery (799/800)]

’Just one more point!’

Ian took a deep breath, cleared his mind of distracting thoughts, and focused all his concentration on the Witchcraft Model.

He recalled the entire casting process, analyzing it frame by frame as if in slow motion.

His Spiritual Power began to condense intensely, forming an almost tangible mist that vibrated faintly within his Sea of Spirit.

The refinement of his power, brought on by nine Skill Limit-Breaks, had long since surpassed the scope of a High Level Apprentice, even touching the threshold of an Official Wizard.

Transforming ethereal Spiritual Power into a tangible "mist" was the most critical and difficult step for becoming an Official Wizard.

And Ian, by constantly using his panel to achieve Limit-Breaking, had actually completed this step ahead of schedule!

Now, his mist-like Spiritual Power poured with all its might into the model for *Scorching Beam*.

He completed the cast one last time.

BOOM! A familiar, violent jolt shook his mind, even more intense and turbulent than when *Crystal Energy Barrier* had its Limit-Breaking!

Countless insights about the convergence of light, the conversion of Thermal Energy, and focusing Energy for penetration flooded his consciousness like a bursting dam.

He "saw" the fundamental model of *Scorching Beam* undergo Reorganization and sublimation.

In his mind, near his Will Rune, a previously vague and indistinct embryonic Rune representing light and heat rapidly grew clear and whole, finally taking its complete form.

A brand-new Rune, blazing with dazzling light like a Miniature Sun, was born!

It hovered silently beside the other Runes, exuding a scorching yet pure aura.

At the same time, Ian felt his Spiritual Power being thrown into a Furnace, undergoing another round of refinement.

Within his Sea of Spirit, the mist that was once faint and indistinct now became a fraction clearer and denser.

In the very center, a small, swirling patch of Spiritual Power mist was gradually taking shape!

[Scorching Beam: Limit-Broken Once (0/1600) (Limit-Breaking Effect: 1. Focusing)]

’Focusing!’

Ian instantly understood the meaning of this effect.

With a mere thought, the new scorching Rune in his mind flashed.

A beam materialized from thin air and lanced out.

It was no longer orange-red, but a blindingly brilliant white!

Like sunlight compressed to its absolute limit, the very air around the beam warped from the intense heat.

The beam silently traversed a hundred meters and precisely struck a Rock up ahead.

There was no loud explosion, only a faint HISS. A finger-width hole, its edges smooth and its depths unfathomable, instantly appeared at the point of impact on the Rock.

The Rock around the hole had vitrified, melting and re-solidifying into a glassy state. The intense heat even caused the ground in that small area to glow faintly red.

Its range had increased to a hundred meters, and with minimal Energy loss during flight, it retained nearly all of its power.

Most importantly, the massive increase in Energy concentration and temperature from "Focusing" had raised its Penetration Power to a terrifying level.

Its destructive capability against an Energy Shield far surpassed its previous form; it was now a perfectly focused, point-based piercing attack.

It was also now the strongest offensive tool among all of Ian’s Instantaneous Witchcraft.

Feeling the residual heat from the beam and sensing the newly-born scorching Rune in his mind, a sharp glint flashed in Ian’s eyes.

The road ahead was unknown and powerful enemies lurked, but this newfound power gave him a much-needed measure of confidence.

He gazed toward the majestic silhouette of the northeastern mountain range, shrouded in an ashen, desolate mist.

’The Silver Ring... Perhaps that will be a brand-new start.’