The steps beneath his feet turned into a staircase again, covered with thick, withered yellow leaves. The air was filled with the dry scent of decaying vegetation and a deep-seated loneliness. The chilly wind swept up the leaves, swirling them around, whispering softly like the sighs of time.

"Power of Decay Skill Level +8"

"Power of Decay Skill Level +3"

"Power of Decay Skill Level +6"

...

A series of system notifications rang in his ears.

Lynch held his forehead and shook his head, pulling his thoughts away from the recent illusion.

He opened the system panel for a glance.

[Decaying Domain Level 8: 588625/600000]

The progression of the Decaying Domain had reached the end of Level 8, and it wasn't far from being maxed out.

"This should be the last level, right?"

The decay knowledge he currently possessed was already quite rich, and he had almost a complete understanding of the entire decay system. This vast knowledge was enough to support the entire decay system, establishing a special domain.

Although he wasn't exactly sure how far he was from the end, Lynch felt it shouldn't be too far off.

Now with decay...

It seemed there was only a bit of final understanding and enlightenment missing...

Closing the system panel, Lynch continued upward.

"Crack! Crack!"

Each step he took crushed the dried leaves, producing a crisp cracking sound.

He kept walking for an unknown amount of time...

Perhaps it was only a short moment, or maybe it was days? Months? Even years? Or even longer?

Anyway, as he walked, he suddenly felt a strange sensation emanating from his body.

He lifted his hand, the once youthful and strong back of it, at some point, had lost its luster, becoming loose and covered with wrinkles and age spots.

His jet-black hair quickly faded, withered, and fell out. His upright body began to hunch, joints groaning under the burden. Teeth loosened and fell out, and his vision became blurred, while his breathing turned short and labored.

At an unknown time, Lynch had transformed from a young man into an aged, frail old man about to meet his end!

"Huff! Huff!"

Heavy breaths resounded, with Lynch gasping heavily, the sound akin to the bellows.

The power of decay was no longer merely an external erosion; it seemed to explode internally from every cell within Lynch's body, dragging him into eternal silence.

Ordinary people might have stopped here, as such aging signals the need for rest.

However, Lynch still did not cease.

He lifted his hand, transforming the force field into an invisible cane.

Leaning on this invisible "cane," he resumed his upward steps one by one.

Every step was exceptionally challenging, with the decay aura emanating from his deteriorating shell, merging with the fallen leaves on the steps. Time seemed to accelerate a thousandfold upon him, seeking to return him completely to dust.

Yet, irrespective of bodily decay or loss of strength, Lynch's gray eyes, sunken within the wrinkles, remained clear and bright, like stars piercing through mist.

His eyes held no fear of death, no longing for youth, only an absolute calm and focus that had endured through the vicissitudes of life. That gaze reflected an indifferent insight into the flow of time itself, embodying the core will of the Domain Prototype.

"Decaying Domain Skill Level +3"

"Decaying Domain Skill Level +6"

"Decaying Domain Skill Level +5"

...

With each step, the system notification would ring in his ears.

The knowledge of the domain slowly poured into his mind, accumulating bit by bit.

This knowledge ultimately became the coordinates anchoring his steps, preventing him from losing himself on this decayed staircase, allowing his faith to remain consistent.

It was precisely this faith that continued to support him in moving upward. As his gaze penetrated his own decaying shell, still resolutely focusing towards the higher steps, the "Autumn Decay" eroding his body seemed to meet its nemesis; its rule power started to discord and recede.

And so he kept walking... walking... walking...

Unaware of how long he walked or how far he advanced.

The aging process ceased and even began reversing at an extremely slow pace. Leaves continued to fall, the chilly wind remained, but within Lynch's decayed body, the flame of core will burned even brighter.

Crossing the last whirling, falling leaf, Lynch ascended to the base of the final step.

No longer was there a spiral path upwards, but an open platform. At the platform's end stood a towering, ancient, and decrepit spire covered with thick ice and snow, seemingly linking with the sky. The biting wind swept by with ice crystals, the extreme cold seemingly capable of freezing the soul.

Standing here, surveying the illusionary seasons he traversed, feeling the intertwining imprints of decay and renewal within his body, and gazing at the icebound spire symbolizing both the endpoint and the unknown, an enlightenment dawned upon Lynch's mind like the breaking morning light.

"Apart from time, nothing in this world is eternal and unchanging."

Suddenly, Lynch recalled the words Wizard Somda once told him. At that moment, he seemed to find new meaning in those words.

Decay...

It isn't merely the endpoint of destruction and decline.

It is the inevitable destination of all operations of existence, a necessary component in the cycle of energy. The wilting of vegetation, the birth and death of stars, the rise and fall of civilizations, and even the demise of mighty Wizards... All existence, no matter how brilliant and splendid, is inevitably drawn towards decay under the mighty power of time.

Only that force which propels all towards decay, yet nurtures renewal in metabolism itself—time, is the eternal constant, consistently flowing as the supreme rule throughout everything.

Decay is the manifestation of time, part of the rules, not a terminus to fear or resist. Understanding decay means understanding how time shapes and alters the material world; mastering decay is an attempt to touch that ever-flowing river of time itself!

This realization, like the final puzzle piece, perfectly fitted into Lynch's Level 8 knowledge system of the Decaying Domain, resonating deeply with his perfected Time Wheel Meditation Method. Within his spiritual core, the massive Fusion Magic Array gently trembled, emitting a more profound, harmonious radiance.

The endpoint was right before him.

Lynch took a deep breath of the air that seemed frozen into lung-piercing cold, with the Domain Prototype swirling around him, warding off the extreme cold. He lifted his foot, carrying the enlightenment of decay's truth, stepping onto the final snowy stairway.

And at this very moment, the last puzzle piece of decay finally returned to its original place.

"Decaying Domain Skill Level +6"

Accompanied by this crisp final system notification, the Decaying Domain reached its final moment.

[Decaying Domain Level 9]

[Decaying Domain max]

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