Chapter 60

Lina entered the magic altar on the seventh day, and her senior sister Fei'er left on the eighth day.

The Shadow Valley, which once housed hundreds of magic apprentices, saw the entry of quasi-mages and advanced apprentices into the magic altar due to the near extinction of entry-level apprentices.

By the tenth day, the number of apprentices in the valley had dwindled to less than three hundred, and most of them were mid- and low-level apprentices.

It was at this point that the academy suddenly paused the process of sending apprentices into the magic altar.

Sain did not know what had happened.

"How is it? Have any apprentices successfully descended, or has any other news come through?" In the magic tower, Vice Dean Dadalon walked to the top-floor monitoring room and asked.

"Dean Martin and Dean Qiong'ni are watching at the spatial rift. Although some advanced apprentices and quasi-mages have been lost, the majority have made it through."

"For now, there is no detailed information or situation from the other side, but from the energy elements seeping through the spatial rift, we can roughly deduce that the other side is a plane with an exceptionally high concentration of earth elements."

"Earth elements?" Vice Dean Dadalon frowned when he heard this.

Having struggled in the Black Domain for over a thousand years, he suddenly felt something was amiss.

This was purely intuition.

The source of his unease was not due to the special circumstances of the other plane, but because he suddenly thought of something else.

"An earth element plane? Why is it precisely an earth element plane with an exceptionally high concentration?"

"Dean Martin and the dean are both earth element mages. Could this have something to do with the dean?"

"Also, since a hundred years ago, when the dean briefly appeared in Moxibra City, he has not been seen again, not even by me."

"Could it really have something to do with the dean?"

"Centuries ago, there was a rumor in the Black Domain that the dean failed to break through to the fourth level and was on his deathbed."

"But from the grand feat of the dean establishing Moxibra City a hundred years ago, this rumor should be debunked."

"Then why has the dean not appeared in public for such a long time, always leaving Martin to represent him..." Vice Dean Dadalon thought of many things.

He wouldn't have thought so much otherwise, but the recent threat from the surface's Holy Tower made Dadalon anxious and fatigued, leading him to think of many things.

He even had a bold guess that the news of exploring the spatial rift and dividing a fertile plane was a trick orchestrated by the dean and Martin.

Otherwise, why did Martin invite the alchemist Mosido to the Dark Domain a hundred years ago, and why did the dark creatures contact them, suggesting there might be more to the story.

The series of thoughts in Dadalon's mind made this second-level black mage break out in a cold sweat.

However, these situations did not significantly affect Dadalon, and whether they were true or not was uncertain.

The earth element plane was indeed real, and if they could successfully invade and plunder it, it would not be in vain for him to have served as a vice dean in the Dark Domain for over a hundred years.

As for what the dean and Martin were up to, it was best for Dadalon, a second-level black mage, not to get involved.

In the Black Domain, strength was paramount.

The dean, a renowned third-level great black mage in a certain area of the Black Domain, was not someone Dadalon could casually criticize.

Moreover, if it really had something to do with the old dean, Dadalon would likely benefit.

A powerful dean at the forefront would bring many benefits and reduce external threats.

The only thing that made Dadalon unhappy, even angry, was that he felt deceived.

Was being a vice dean from the beginning just a "scam"?

"I wonder if Qiong'ni knows something. Perhaps I can probe her," Dadalon thought.

...

The temporary halt in sending apprentices into the magic altar in the Shadow Valley brought a deep sigh of relief to many surviving magic apprentices.

But this did not include Sain.

Sain was extremely worried about his girlfriend Lina.

What was at the depths of the magic altar? What was the spatial rift? What was the other plane like?

Lying in an empty tent at night, Sain tossed and turned, unable to sleep.

If he had a choice, Sain would rather be sent to the depths of the magic altar with her.

Even if there were real dangers, he hoped to face them with Lina.

Perhaps the bond between them was set when Lina chose the then eight-year-old Sain over a decade ago.

Not only his girlfriend Lina, but Sain also thought of his senior sister.

For this senior sister who gave her first time to him and was insatiable, Sain's feelings were complex.

There was the camaraderie of being in the same sect and the special emotions of a romantic relationship.

Of course, as Sain's concern for the two women deepened, the flaws of his senior sister's capriciousness and willfulness had long disappeared.

In this torment and waiting, another half-month passed.

After half a month, the academy finally had news.

This time, a portion of the apprentices would be sent into the magic altar, starting with mid-level apprentices, with a limit of 50 people.

"I'll go!" In the spacious center of the Shadow Valley, Sain, as a mid-level apprentice, was the first to speak up after Dean Dadalon issued the order.

Sain's voice made all the apprentices in the Shadow Valley look at him.

Several black mages, including the dean, also looked at this mid-level apprentice who volunteered with interest.

Dean Dadalon seemed to have some impression of Sain. Pointing at him, he said, "Aren't you Mosido's disciple? I remember you."

"Yes, Your Excellency, I am my mentor's fifth disciple," Sain respectfully replied.

Dadalon nodded in approval, saying, "Not bad, a talented and brave young man."

"Go, you will be one of the first mid-level apprentices to enter the spatial rift," Dadalon said, pointing to the magic altar.

Ignoring the pointing and whispering of the other magic apprentices and the scrutiny of the black mages in the valley, Sain walked to the center of the magic altar.

Taking a deep breath, as Vice Dean Dadalon finally counted all the apprentices, Sain, who was in the back of the fifty-apprentice group, stepped into the altar.

Unlike the pure white elemental light seen outside the altar, as Sain gradually entered the magic altar, countless magic runes and energy crystals embedded in various corners of the altar appeared in his field of vision.

A thin layer of crimson liquid spread across the altar's surface, and the faintly pungent smell in the air indicated what these liquids were.

At the deepest part of the altar, an oval energy gate stood at the center of all the magic runes.

After the apprentices in front of him stepped into it, Sain followed.

As soon as he entered the energy gate, Sain heard his mentor's voice.