Chapter 581: Chapter 40: Alan’s Mark

When Lynch’s foot stepped onto the final snow-covered step, accompanied by the crisp sound of the system prompt “Decaying Domain Skill Level +6,” the experience bar for his Level 8 Decaying Domain in his Sea of Consciousness was instantly filled, subsequently leading to a qualitative leap!

Buzz——!

A resonance far grander and deeper than any previous breakthrough exploded within the core of his spirit!

The Level 9 Decaying Domain was not merely a simple level-up, but a complete melting and sublimation of all the scattered, intricate fragments of knowledge into a coherent, self-consistent rule system capable of supporting an entire realm!

[Decaying Domain Level 9]

[Decaying Domain Maxed]

The vast system of decaying knowledge seemed to come alive, no longer just information stored in his mind, but transformed into a flowing river of rules, resonating deeply with his perfect Time Wheel Meditation Method and the Magic Array core composed of thirteen Mystical Circuits!

At this moment of rule system perfection, when power reached its pinnacle—

At the center of Lynch’s vast, operating Magic Array in his spiritual core, in front of the Time Wheel’s phantom, a point of unprecedented brilliant light suddenly shone!

This light was not energy, but a strange mark-symbol formed entirely by pure spiritual will and rule comprehension!

It seemed to contain the core secret of the primordial power of “decay,” complex and mysterious in structure, like innumerable miniature cycles of withering and flourishing, entwined decay paths, exuding an aura of absolute authority over the return of all things to dust and the guidance of energy cycles.

Alan’s Mark!

The name of this symbol surfaced instinctively in Lynch’s consciousness. It was the emblem of spiritual authority governing the “decay” domain, the central core for constructing his own independent domain in the future!

Possessing it truly signified that a wizard on the level of rules preliminarily possessed the qualification to open, define, and control a “domain” of their own! It is the key to the Third-tier Domain, the critical marker of life level ascension!

At this moment, Alan’s Mark hovered in the spiritual core, like a newborn star, emitting stable and powerful spiritual fluctuations. It communicated Lynch’s entire understanding of decay rules, also connecting the power of the Time Wheel and Mystical Magic Array, becoming the absolute core governing all of it.

The power of the domain, initially mastered!

Lynch clearly felt that if he wished, using Alan’s Mark as the core, he could mobilize the power of his Spiritual Sea to preliminary open a “Domain of Decay” prototype in reality, completely governed by his will!

Although its range, intensity, and stability could not yet compare to a mature domain, its essence was already established.

Now, only one step remained before truly opening his own stable and powerful Third-tier Domain—a Domain Document (Legacy) bearing more complete, primordial rules of decay, serving as the “spark” to ignite this mark and thoroughly sublimate the rules!

The pinnacle of the tower was right in front of him, perhaps hiding this final key inside the ancient snow-covered building.

In Lynch’s gray eyes, the light of the Time Wheel’s phantom and Alan’s Mark reflected each other. He took a deep breath of the cold air, with the domain prototype circulating around him, and resolutely stepped into the wind and snow on the tower’s top platform.

Footsteps,

Continued forward.

He didn’t know how long he had walked, nor how far…

Finally,

The peak he saw when the trial began appeared before Lynch.

The summit was shrouded in dark clouds, thunder roared within them, snow fell from them and flew in all directions.

At the foot of the mountain, where the stairs covered in snow began, Lynch noticed a figure almost merging with the ice and snow.

It was Jeraf.

This Witch Master of the Jade Tower was sitting on the cold stone steps, half of his body already buried under thick snow. The intense Power of Decay, almost tangible, wrapped around his body like dark green poisonous vines, crazily eroding his flesh and magic power.

Under the Power of Decay, his skin quickly became gray and cracked, like the bark of a dead tree. Yet, a pure and resilient Power of Life, with a hint of desolation, stubbornly emerged from within him, like trickling water, constantly repairing the parts damaged by decay.

Decay, repair, decay again, repair again…

His body became a battlefield between the two forces, repeatedly agonized between destruction and rebirth.

This process was evidently excruciating, Jeraf’s face distorted with pain, lips cracked and purple, breath weak and disordered. He was completely trapped here, unable to dispel the decay to continue the climb, yet barely maintaining himself from being completely devoured with his profound cultivation.

When Lynch’s figure pierced the wind and snow and appeared before him, Jeraf laboriously looked up. His once deep and steadfast eyes were now filled with bloodshot lines, full of exhaustion and an indescribable…unwillingness.

But when he saw it was Lynch, especially sensing the stable and restrained force field of Lynch’s self-contained domain prototype, the unwillingness in his eyes was instantly replaced by a complex emotion—astonishment, relief, finally evolving into a long sigh filled with a chill that seemed to echo with his words.

“Ha…cough cough…” Jeraf coughed out a few breaths of turbid air with ice shards, and his lips twitched into an extremely bitter smile, his voice hoarse and dry, “Lord Saphiro… It seems, I can only… go this far.”

The wind and snow seemed to become even more violent at this moment, as if responding to his words. He looked toward that peak, so close yet so unattainable, and a trace of deep regret flashed in his eyes as he slowly shook his head: “Ultimately… capability can only reach this point.”

Lynch looked calmly at the tug of war between decay and life on Jeraf’s body, and [Grid Circuit] instantly analyzed his condition. He spoke, his voice remaining clear through the wind and snow: “Need a hand?”

Jeraf’s eyes flickered with gratitude for a moment upon hearing this, but it quickly turned to determination. He shook his head forcefully, causing the Decay Vines to squirm and bring more pain, but he gritted his teeth to endure: “No…no need, Lord Saphiro. I appreciate the goodwill… But this trial of decay… no one can help.”

“External forces might drive away the corrosion momentarily, but can’t… help me comprehend the rule fragments in those stair traps… can’t obtain the domain knowledge contained within.”

“Forcibly escaping… would only be… a temporary respite, losing the qualification and meaning to continue forward.” He spoke with difficulty, each word consuming tremendous effort, but his tone was remarkably clear.

He paused for breath, his gaze refocusing on Lynch, eyes filled with a complex understanding of fate:

“Whether… you believe me or not, ever since stepping into this Tower of Decay… or even earlier on the tidal flats… I’ve had a strong premonition…”

“That the one who can ultimately reach here… and touch the end… would be you, Lord Saphiro.”

Lynch met Jeraf’s gaze, simply shrugged slightly, and spoke in a flat tone: “Perhaps, it’s merely a stroke of luck that I arrived a bit faster.”

Jeraf forced a smile, as if wanting to laugh but halted by pain. Not wanting to dwell on it further, his gaze passed over Lynch, looking towards the snow-filled, thunder-crackling mountain peak, eyes laden with deep concern for Jade Land’s future and a trace of… entrustment:

“Please continue upward…”

“Jade Land… this land fraught with chaos and suffering… has struggled for too long… shed too much blood…”

“I hope… in you… to put an end to this prolonged disaster.”

His voice was light yet weighed like a thousand pounds, akin to a final entrustment. It was acknowledgment to a stronger individual, a hope to end chaos, and a heartfelt blessing after letting go of his own obsessions. Official source ıs 𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭•𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮•𝘯𝘦𝘵

Lynch looked at the heavy expectation in Jeraf’s eyes, remaining silent for a moment. Deep within his gray eyes, the subtle glow of the Time Wheel and Alan’s Mark flashed momentarily. Ultimately, without further words, he seriously nodded:

“I’ll do my best.”

With that, he lingered no longer. The faint glow of the domain prototype flowed, repelling some of the violent snow and biting cold.

Lynch cast one final glance at Jeraf, struggling amidst decay and vitality, then resolutely turned, stepping onto the path to that snowy mountain, toward the final end, up the steeper and more perilous stairs.

His figure quickly disappeared into the overwhelming wind and snow, leaving Jeraf in place, watching his departure, and the unwillingness in his eyes finally dissipated completely, leaving only deep exhaustion and a faint, prayer-like hope.

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