Free Web NovelChapter 538: Chapter 462: Pre-War Conference
After hundreds of years, close to a thousand years of continuous development, the Black Giant, a unique fusion of elemental life, has flourished and grown into a massive clan on the Purgatory Sulfur Plane.
The total population had long reached the expected ten billion by Jeming.
The vast numbers, combined with the "social attributes" and faint spirituality conferred by the Incense Fire Divine Dao, have now produced over a thousand of the once rarely mutated "Black Giant Priest".
Each priest possesses the starting point of a Sixth Level Creature and extraordinary wisdom and serves as the backbone for clan management, maintaining the divine way, and supporting research.
However, the intensity and nature of the war determine that more does not necessarily mean better.
Facing the upcoming war, potentially uniting the elite forces of three major factions, for coordinated war by the Wizards.
The survival rate for low-tier units is concerning and may even become a tactical liability.
Thus, Jeming made clear selections while assembling the forces: only summoning units of Black Giants with Fifth Level and above combat strength.
Leaving enough Black Giant Priests and a large number of Fourth-Level Black Giants to maintain the basic operations, daily management, and defense of the Purgatory Sulfur Plane’s Incense Fire Divine Dao, Jeming took away the elite war force of this clan.
First, there are eight hundred Black Giant Priests. Each is equivalent to a Sixth Level Spellcaster, versed in group enhancement, battlefield control, energy coordination, and spells.
Exactly one million Fifth-Level Black Giant Warriors.
These are elites who have undergone strict selection and targeted training, with a robust physique and fierce combat instincts, they are the main force for charging into battle and depleting enemies.
The once rare Sixth Level Black Giants have now grown to nearly ten thousand.
These are powerful individuals who have evolved through devouring, breaking through to the Sixth Level after bloody battles, and they are the backbone assault force of the legion.
Standing at the pinnacle of all Black Giants are still the two original leaders—Melt Mountain and Rock Hammer.
Through hundreds to thousands of years, combined with the devour evolution ability granted by the "Five Viscera Sacrificial God Skill", their power has already reached the limit of the Sixth Level.
However, the intangible chasm that elemental creatures face in reaching the Seventh Level remains extremely firm.
As a hybrid lifeform forcibly fused and spawned by the talents of Magma Giants and Yetis, they seem to have touched upon some "bloodline" or "essence" limit upon reaching a certain height.
Though still Sixth Level, their strength far exceeds that of their successors.
Just their terrifying body size, exceeding two hundred meters, is enough to make the other Sixth Level Black Giants, barely over a hundred meters tall, appear like children.
The powerful energy surges within their bodies, black as liquid metal, and just the force field unconsciously emanated slightly distorts the surrounding space.
Jeming can sense that the energy reserves and life intensity of these two leaders have accumulated to the theoretical peak of the Sixth Level.
Perhaps, just one strong enough stimulus, or a life-and-death battle, could break that barrier and achieve a life-level transition to become Seventh Level Elemental Life.
"This war... it may be your opportunity," Jeming thought to himself as he looked at Melt Mountain and Rock Hammer, massive like two moving small mountains.
Without hesitation, he communicated with his Inner Grotto Heaven.
A million-strong army orderly transformed into torrents of black swiftly drawn within, arranged and settled in the specially established "legion garrison area" inside the Grotto Heaven.
After sending the last Black Giant Priest into the Grotto Heaven, Jeming turned and gave simple instructions to the remaining Black Giants and Priests before stepping onto the fixed Teleportation Array to Nolun No.147 Academy.
The light flickered, space shifted.
The familiar scent of the academy came over, but the tension and grim atmosphere in the air was stronger than ever.
Silhouettes were sparse in the plaza, mostly hurried low-tier apprentices or First and Second Level Official Wizards, their gazes filled with awe and concern as they looked at the High Tier Wizards.
Jeming did not pause, heading straight to the meeting center in the academy’s core area according to the highest priority gathering instructions received through the Magic Network Terminal.
As the heavy alloy doors sensed Jeming’s presence and automatically opened, tumultuous and oppressive noise rushed into his ears.
The meeting hall was already packed.
In this giant amphitheater-like conference room, able to host thousands, there wasn’t an empty seat.
Jeming had just stepped in when it instantly attracted the attention of over a thousand gazes from across the hall.
Curiosity, scrutiny, awe, tension, anticipation... various emotions mixed in those glances.
For this coordinated war, after evaluation, Nolun Workshop’s senior authorities believed that Wizards below Third Level, in such high-level intensity confrontations, not only would be unable to provide effective combat power but also easily become weak targets of tactical liabilities.
Thus, this war enforced the conscription only of Third Level and above Official Wizards to participate.
Nolun No.147 Academy, established relatively late, does not have as deep a foundation as those established academies.
The total number of Wizards able to meet the Third Level or above standard is just about one thousand.
It can be said that almost all the middle and high-level powers of the entire academy have gathered here at this moment.
And at the low-lying area in the center of the amphitheater, instead of flat ground, there is a slightly elevated area like a small podium.
Twenty-some different styled chairs are placed there, all currently occupied.
They are twenty-some Sixth Level High Tier Wizards!
They are the true cornerstones and highest combat power of Nolun No.147 Academy, each exuding an aura that is as profound as deep seas and immovable mountain peaks.
Layering waves of spiritual power unconsciously emitted from them makes the air in the entire meeting hall feel sticky and heavy.
Senior Sister Viola is among them.
She sits near the edge, still maintaining a slightly lazy posture, but her slightly furrowed brows and the occasional sharp glint in her eyes reveal her inner unrest.
As a Fifth Level Wizard, Jeming is qualified to sit in the front area.
He maintained a calm expression, disregarding the accumulating gazes, and steadily walked down the aisle.
Passing through a row of seats mid-way, he noticed several familiar faces—David, Seraphina, and several other geniuses from the same year as him.
They had also advanced to the Fourth Level, included in this draft.
Their eyes met.
David and the others’ expressions were complex, filled with emotion and amazement.
In just a few hundred years, Jeming had risen from their peer to a Fifth Level existence that they now look up to.
Jeming didn’t say much, just nodded slightly towards them, recognizing their presence.
To which David and the others returned the nod.
He continued forward and reached the very front row.
"Here."
Viola called out to Jeming, and under her gaze’s indication, he sat at the nearest empty seat to her.
"You’re here?" Viola turned her head, her voice lowered.
"Yes."
Jeming responded equally softly, his gaze sweeping over the twenty-some Sixth Level Wizards exuding powerful auras, several faces of whom he had seen during events or in the internal documents of the workshop.
"Everyone’s here?"
"Just about, waiting for the Dean," Viola said, directing her gaze towards a tightly closed door alongside the hall that led to a deeper region.
Jeming understood, asking no more and also turned his gaze to that door.
Like the thousand other Wizards in the meeting hall, in a silence mingled with tension, anticipation, and solemnity, he silently waited for the meeting to commence.
