Chapter 483: Chapter 407: Recruitment_2
At the age of over two hundred, he ascended to the rank of Legend and took on the role of Dean at ’Saint Symo Academy.’ Over hundreds of years, his apprentices and former subordinates have spread across the continent, making him a formidable figure.
Chen Jichuan was about to head to the East Continent to seek Heavenly Venerates and Immortal Venerates for Sacred Artifact transactions.
But the Divine Throne Continent was abundant with Legends, and even Immortals were numerous. The Chongming Realm had at most thirty to fifty Heavenly Venerates and Immortal Venerates here. To accurately locate them would be akin to fishing a needle out of the sea, leaving Chen Jichuan with extremely limited choices.
Moreover, the Summoning Cottage’s current influence made it difficult to gather intelligence about these Legends.
The last known intelligence about Tuota Venerable was from long ago.
A cycle for a Legend lasts a thousand years; many have died off countless times over, rendering old intelligence obsolete.
Anos’ arrival could finally provide him with some insider information known among Legendary Mages, allowing him to traverse the Divine Throne Continent more effectively and find suitable trading partners more quickly.
It was a fortuitous event.
Inside the Dean’s Office, the two sat down as host and guest.
Chen Jichuan prepared a cup of cappuccino for Anos and said, "I’ve long wanted to visit Saint Symo Academy to pay my respects to you, but mundane affairs have kept me tied up without a moment to spare."
After some polite exchanges, Anos, worried that others might preempt him, cut straight to the point.
"Lord Benage managed to fight off Monardo upon newly becoming a Legend—truly impressive. But you surely understand, even for a Legendary Mage, it’s hard for one pair of fists to strike against many, and high-level resources are constantly in demand."
"Thus, even Extreme Legends choose to join a certain organization to seek support."
"If you haven’t joined another organization yet, perhaps you could consider the ’Dawn Era.’ Our headquarters is in the East Continent and controls four key territories, including the ’Magic Sound River.’ With us, you wouldn’t need to worry about resources."
"Furthermore, the founders of the ’Dawn Era,’ the ’Star Shining King’ and the ’Dawn Scholar,’ are both still alive. They’re seasoned Immortals who’ve lived for tens of thousands of years and can offer guidance for the future cultivation of us Legends."
Anos candidly introduced the strength and foundation of the ’Dawn Era’ to Chen Jichuan.
Four key territories.
Two Immortals.
Four Extreme Legends.
Ten Top Legends.
Eighteen Ordinary Legends.
Beyond this, they had several affiliated organizations, with countless peripheral members below the Legend rank.
Resources? Abundant. Manpower? Available.
"Our ’Dawn Era’ might not compare to top-tier organizations like ’Sky City’ or ’Radiant Tower,’ whose Legend members are more numerous. But whether it’s internal resource competition or external clashes of forces, their intensity is unmatched, making our advantages stand out in comparison."
"Moreover, at your current level, further cultivation—especially after constructing at least six Level 4 Magic spells—will require work on creating Forbidden Curses and comprehending universal rules. In this regard, our ’Dawn Era’ has no shortage of expertise. Two of our key territories yield significant benefits: for instance, the ’Holy Chanting Sand’ from the ’Magic Sound River’ is highly effective for constructing Level 4 Magic and creating Level 5 Forbidden Curses. Meanwhile, the ’Tidal Coast’ is magic-power abundant, serving as a legendary sanctuary for meditation."
Anos elaborated on the advantages and groundwork of the ’Dawn Era,’ his eyes brimming with sincerity.
But Chen Jichuan did not give a direct response.
Ultimately, he was different from traditional Legendary Mages, with distinct priorities. He cared little for things like ’Holy Chanting Sand’ or the ’Tidal Coast.’
His only concern was Sacred Artifacts.
Because Sacred Artifacts were also the favored treasures of Heavenly Venerates and Immortal Venerates in the Chongming Realm.
Thus, despite Anos’ earnest efforts, they were tantamount to casting amorous glances at a blind man.
...
Anos came and went.
After Anos, several other Legends arrived in succession, similarly attempting to recruit Chen Jichuan.
Chen Jichuan maintained a fair approach, neither outright refusing nor fully agreeing, leaving them all dangling with a sliver of hope.
From interactions with these Legends, Chen Jichuan gained deeper insights into the Divine Throne Continent, gathering plenty of information accessible only to Legends.
A month later.
Feeling adequately prepared, Chen Jichuan finally set out for the East Continent.
...
East Continent.
One of the epicenters of the Main Material Plane, it was a land teeming with organizations and rife with intricate dynamics.
Approximately four hundred and eighty years ago.
An Artifact fragment emerged in the East Continent, triggering the largest turmoil in ten thousand years there. Over time, additional fragments of this Artifact surfaced, intensifying the chaos. Over several centuries, the upheaval expanded from the East Continent to encompass the North Continent and the West Continent. Eventually, with the Three Continents as its nexus, the entire Divine Throne Continent was engulfed in turbulence.
Even Valgrion, located outside the East Continent, felt the ripple effects.
For instance, waves of Mages from the East Continent flooded into Valgrion, such as Vigo from the ’Black Bat’ Chamber of Commerce or Black Rope, who brought with him Sacred Artifacts. They rode this tide, intensifying the competition for resources.
Not only were Mages coming in, but Mages from Valgrion were heading outward.
Second- and Third-level Mages aside, the continent’s four Legends—including Anos—spent less time in Valgrion, venturing more often to the Three Continents.
Artifacts stirred the hearts of many.
No one could yet say when this unrest would settle.
"Over the past four hundred and eighty years, parts of the ’Holy Angel Set,’ including the ’Holy Angel Sword,’ the ’Holy Angel Battle Boots,’ the ’Holy Angel Helmet,’ and the ’Holy Angel Armor,’ have gradually emerged."
"Now, among the seven components, only the ’Holy Angel Shield,’ the ’Holy Angel Badge,’ and the ’Holy Angel Wings’ have yet to appear."
According to this pattern, in no more than two or three hundred years, the full Artifact set would likely surface, leading to unparalleled contention among various forces.
This period, however, was also the optimal time to fish in troubled waters.
"Time is of the essence."
Chen Jichuan opened a Dimension Gate, heading straight for his first destination.
...
Joey was living a comfortable life these past three years.
Three years ago, during an expedition, he stumbled upon an earring. His intuition told him it was no ordinary trinket.
Afterward, he delved into various ancient texts and, at last, uncovered information about this earring in an obscure historical book.
It turned out the seemingly unremarkable earring was called ’Ashar’s Tears,’ an accessory belonging to the queen of an empire on the East Continent over ten thousand years ago.
Legend had it that the emperor of this empire forged the earring from a teardrop obtained from the Medusa Queen, Ashar.
This singular teardrop carried a poignant love story, and upon being crafted into a Sacred Artifact, it embodied the emperor’s deep affection for the queen. Embedded within it was a Level 4 Magic called ’Holy Light Guardian,’ which could be triggered every three days to block Level 4 Magic attacks.
’Ashar’s Tears’ contained the vitality of love—an energy that granted eternal youth. Even at the brink of life’s end, one would still possess youthful vigor without signs of aging.
Since acquiring ’Ashar’s Tears,’ Joey found his body rejuvenated, his thoughts and Magic Power becoming more agile, and his previously stagnant progress began to loosen up.
Everything seemed to be going in the right direction.
Yet Joey couldn’t shake a lingering sense of unease. When exploring that ruin, he hadn’t been alone—he was accompanied by a Great Mage named Black Rope.
Joey managed to obtain ’Ashar’s Tears,’ while Black Rope walked away with a golden battle axe.
Joey hadn’t thought much of the axe at the time. But after discovering the origins of ’Ashar’s Tears,’ he suddenly realized that the golden battle axe might not be ordinary either.
He immediately sought Black Rope out, only to find that he had vanished.
Joey sensed something amiss and began investigating Black Rope’s whereabouts while piecing together memories of the golden axe and combing through all possible records.
Eventually, he uncovered remarkable information: the emperor who forged ’Ashar’s Tears’ had ordered an entire set of golden armor because of the queen’s fondness for gold. The weapon in the set was precisely the golden battle axe.
However, what no one had known at the time was that the emperor had hidden another Sacred Artifact inside the axe. Only after the empire fell did scattered records hint at its existence.
By then, both ’Ashar’s Tears’ and the golden axe, which contained ’Yisusi’s Staff,’ had been buried in the annals of history, their traces impossible to track.
After gathering this information, it wasn’t long before Joey discovered that Black Rope, before leaving, had visited an appraiser—who also disappeared thereafter.
Joey knew things were not looking good.
If he hadn’t come into possession of ’Ashar’s Tears,’ he would have reported the matter to his mentor without hesitation.
But now he couldn’t.
With a priceless treasure in hand, he was living in constant apprehension and dared not act rashly. Later, he learned that Black Rope had taken a Sacred Artifact and left the East Continent. While he felt regret, he also experienced some relief.
Still, the fear of exposure lingered, prompting him to leave his longtime residence and move to another city, where he lived a semi-reclusive life.
But today.
Despite all his precautions, someone still managed to find him.
...