Lynn's reckless, headstrong way of breaking through seemed to have caused quite a stir in the labyrinth itself.
It was the same the first time he entered the labyrinth his intrusion noticeably increased the number of Furnace apprentices and wizards making their way through.
This time, in particular, Lynn had forcefully broken through the fourth layer, even dismantling thirteen labyrinth nodes before finally reaching the fifth layer.
Such a commotion directly reduced the labyrinth's difficulty.
Other wizard apprentices and wizards also benefited from this, and the number of people successfully reaching the fifth layer gradually increased.
One of them was the Black Dragon Witch, Aestry.
She had "taken advantage" of Lynn's efforts, successfully breaking through the fourth layer and stepping onto the threshold of the fifth.
After passing the trial, Aestry, like Lynn, heard the wizard's voice from the golden balance scale.
However, her choice was different from Lynn's she directly selected "herself" as the reward.
Unlike Lynn, who could carefully pick his loot by communicating with the scale, Aestry simply made her choice and immediately felt a momentary daze. Before she even realized it, the transaction was complete.
Aestry didn't think much of it, assuming that this was just the normal process of the labyrinth. She was overjoyed, believing she had finally regained her freedom.
At that moment, the voice of the Lord of the Furnace echoed in her ears.
"Aestry, you have successfully left the labyrinth."
Aestry was not surprised, as she knew her mentor, the Lord of the Furnace, had placed some unique protective measures on her.
This measure allowed them to communicate remotely as long as they weren't at an extreme distance. It had been blocked by the labyrinth before, but now the connection had finally been restored.
"Yes, Master!" Aestry gently pursed her red lips and asked softly, "What should I do now? Should I leave directly? Or continue moving forward?"
The Lord of the Furnace's voice was deep and gentle:
"There's no need to leave. Stay where you are for now. Soon, I will bring you to my side. This labyrinth space is quite peculiar and will be of great benefit to you. You must have already noticed that, haven't you?"
Aestry nodded, a hint of excitement in her voice:
"Yes, Master. While browsing the treasury earlier, I saw many rare items. If I hadn't been forced to choose myself, I definitely would have selected those treasures as my reward! With them, I might even break through to become a Third-Level Grand Wizard!"
"Hahaha!" The Lord of the Furnace laughed heartily.
"There's no need for regrets. Soon, I will take you deeper into the labyrinth. At that point, this entire labyrinth will belong to you. Forget reaching Third-Level Grand Wizard even laying the foundation for a Morningstar Wizard won't be difficult!"
As his words fell, the Lord of the Furnace's voice vanished.
Aestry's violet eyes curved into a crescent moon shape, her heart filled with joy.
Her mentor, the Lord of the Furnace, had always been true to his word, never deceiving her, and his care for her was meticulous and profound.
"Perhaps once I leave this place, I'll finally achieve Third-Level Grand Wizard…"
Aestry's heart pounded with excitement as she whispered to herself,
"When that time comes, I'll be able to construct my furnace and lay the groundwork for my future ascension to Morningstar Wizard!"
At this thought, she couldn't suppress her anticipation, her gaze growing profound.
"And that damned apprentice now that I've regained my freedom, there's no way he'll escape this time!"
"And the Lionheart Knight, the Lord of NightNightshadow Fortress, and the master of the Bitter Heart sect they won't escape either. With Master here, they will all perish in this place!"
Aestry sneered coldly as she wandered through the fifth layer, already plotting how to deal with them.
Deep within the labyrinth lay a unique and tranquil space, where an endless forest of maple trees stretched as far as the eye could see. The maple leaves were like flames, like the glow of the sunset, covering the sky.
Rosalind's graceful figure appeared in this sea of red leaves.
Before her, a winding path snaked its way deep into the woods.
The maple trees on both sides swayed gently in the breeze as if welcoming her arrival.
Not far behind her, a golden balance scale flickered briefly in the air before completely vanishing.
"Yes!" Rosalind gazed at the scene before her, her eyes slightly reddened, her expression filled with uncontrollable excitement and joy. "I've finally found it!"
She tilted her head back and took a deep breath, her voice low and trembling:
"By the Mother of Nature, I've finally found traces of the Azure Sky Spirit!"
As she murmured, a unique energy fluctuation emanated from her body the distinct rhythm of the Azure Sky Meditation Technique.
As this energy spread, the surrounding maple trees seemed to respond to her call, their branches swaying gently, their leaves rustling as if whispering back.
"The most talented figure of the Azure Sky lineage… the one who wields a Lord-class Life Seed…"
Rosalind's heart surged with waves of emotion, her heaving chest betraying her inner turmoil and reverence.
She followed the leaf-covered path forward, her footsteps rustling against the fallen maple leaves, syncing with the rhythm of her heartbeat.
Before long, she arrived at the end of the maple forest.
There, in an open space resembling a plaza, stood an ancient maple tree.
The tree exuded a towering presence as if it had endured the passage of countless eras.
Its trunk was gnarled and powerful, its canopy sprawling like an umbrella, and its vibrant red leaves seemed to set the sky aflame.
At the top of this ancient maple tree, interwoven branches formed a natural net.
A vague silhouette lay among the branches, resting silently at the heart of this space, like the master of the world itself.
Rosalind looked up at the figure, her breathtakingly beautiful face filled with deep reverence.
She crossed her hands over her chest and bowed deeply, her voice carrying unwavering respect and devotion:
"From the Natural Divine Court, of the Azure Sky lineage, Rosalind Davis of the ninety-seventh generation pays her respects to the Azure Sky Spirit!"
Her voice echoed through the plaza, blending with the whispering wind among the maple leaves as if she alone was singing to the heavens.
Yet, time passed, and Rosalind still did not sense any response. Doubt and unease filled her heart.
"The Azure Sky Spirit… why isn't it responding?"
She murmured, confusion flickering across her stunning features.
In her palm rested an ancient medallion the Davis family crest, which still carried the remnants of the Azure Sky Spirit's aura.
Through this crest, she could sense the presence of the Azure Sky Spirit.
And yet, even with the aid of this ancestral artifact, she could not awaken the Azure Sky Spirit's response.
"Could it be that even the Lord… has yet to awaken?"
Frowning deeply, Rosalind felt a storm of thoughts swirling in her mind, unable to make sense of the situation.
Just as doubt crept into her heart, the Davis family crest in her hand suddenly trembled slightly.
Then, as if summoned by an invisible force, it flew out of her grasp, transforming into a streak of light that shot toward the ancient maple tree!
Rosalind's pupils contracted sharply, her gaze locked onto the direction the crest was heading.
At that moment, the hazy figure within the maple tree seemed to respond to the call, stirring faintly.
And as those eyes slowly opened
A dazzling golden light erupted in midair.
It was the golden balance scale from before!
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