**Chapter 57: Conclusion**
Feeling Jie Ming’s gaze, Augusta gritted her teeth in frustration but adhered to noble etiquette, offering Jie Ming a respectful bow of thanks before swiftly departing the valley with her followers.
On the other side, Horn gave Jie Ming a friendly nod, exchanged a few words with his own followers, and left the area as well.
Perplexed by their stares, Jie Ming shrugged, unbothered by their actions. Instead, he turned his attention to his collection of talisman artifacts, inspecting them with a hint of reluctance.
The high-intensity battle had taken its toll. All his offensive talisman artifacts and most of his flight talismans were too damaged to use.
While he still had plenty of defensive talismans, relying solely on Alchemy Technique for attacks felt lacking.
“What a pity, they’re all ruined. Looks like I’ll have to withdraw…”
As Jie Ming pondered whether to leave immediately or linger in this plane for a few more days, he froze. A message came through his ring.
“Well, that settles it.”
Jie Ming reattached his damaged talisman artifacts to his belt, hefted the oversized beast-hide sack beside him—nearly as large as himself—and stood silently, waiting.
Other wizard apprentices also received the message, halting their pursuit of the natives. Some, unwilling to let their prey escape so easily, began charging up for one final, devastating attack before departure.
Regardless of their reactions, when the designated time arrived, a shimmering white light enveloped everyone. Their figures rippled like water and vanished from the Limestone Realm.
Outside the Limestone Realm, Noren Academy’s teleportation plaza.
The moment Jie Ming entered the battlefield, the once-noisy plaza fell silent.
His single-handed destruction of an entire army left the other apprentices’ jaws dropping in disbelief.
Everyone was a third-level wizard apprentice, so why was he so extraordinary?
Were they even practicing the same transcendent power?
If Augusta and Horn’s strength was still within the apprentices’ comprehension, Jie Ming’s display of power was utterly unfathomable.
The high-ranking wizard overseeing the trial watched the scene unfold on the light screen, a faint smile curling his lips. Glancing at the stunned apprentices, he nodded with satisfaction.
With such a powerful benchmark, the survival rate of these two batches of students should improve significantly.
Reflecting on this, the high-ranking wizard couldn’t help but compare Jie Ming to himself in his younger days.
Jie Ming’s genius reminded him of an old acquaintance, stirring a sigh in his heart.
“His strength is almost on par with that monster Clark from back then. Genius truly is an unreasonable existence…”
Limestone Realm, Blood-colored Valley.
The natives, who had been fleeing in panic, stopped after escaping some distance, realizing the pursuing wizard apprentices had mysteriously vanished.
They paused, shaken, and remained vigilant for a long time before confirming the wizards were truly gone.
The few remaining leaders, after ensuring their safety, led their battered forces back to a temporary camp.
The plan had resulted in catastrophic losses, with the allied army nearly annihilated.
In the main tent, a heavy atmosphere permeated the air.
“The plan… should have succeeded!” The kingdom’s knight commander clutched his chest, where a fireball from Jie Ming had left a charred wound.
“Our numbers, our traps, our spatial lockdown… everything was perfect! Why did it turn out ?!”
“It was that… that monster!” The shaman leader’s voice trembled. “He’s on a completely different level from the other wizard apprentices. Could that be what a true wizard is?! Or a god? How could he have endless mana?! He alone destroyed everything…”
Seeing his frenzied state, the other leaders exchanged glances but didn’t intervene, as they too were gripped by lingering fear.
After venting, the group gradually calmed down.
“Even though these wizard apprentices have dispersed, there’s no guarantee they won’t invade again. We need to devise a way to counter them!”
The knight commander pulled out a map, his mood heavy as he began reviewing the battle.
The others nodded, sighing as they gathered around.
During the review, they were stunned to discover that a critical detachment, meant to seal off the valley’s flank, had inexplicably been reassigned to the area where the terrifying wizard later emerged.
While that area had become an intelligence void due to the enemy’s decisive slaughter, the lack of information also revealed the opponent’s approach route.
From the intelligence void, it was clear the enemy hadn’t initially headed straight for them. It was likely the attack by that detachment that provoked the wizard’s wrathful retaliation.
And the one who issued this fatal order… was none other than Priest Oswald, who had set up the massive spatial lockdown.
The leaders turned to Oswald, sitting silently in the corner, their eyes filled with doubt and anger.
“Oswald! Why did you reassign that unit?! You drew that monster here!” The knight commander demanded sharply.
“If not for that monster’s interference, the outcome of this battle could’ve been entirely different!” Another voice grumbled.
However, Priest Oswald’s expression grew strangely detached.
His previously pale face, drained from overusing his power, had somehow regained a healthy flush—perhaps even more vibrant than before.
The holy, solemn aura of a priest was gone, replaced by an eerily calm, almost indifferent demeanor.
Ignoring their accusations, he stared blankly, as if lost in thought or communicating with someone internally.
Annoyed by their persistent questioning, Oswald finally cast them an impatient glance.
An overwhelming pressure, tangible and unbearable to mortals, descended upon them!
The leaders felt their legs give way, collapsing to their knees uncontrollably.
Even the soldiers outside the tent, regardless of their strength, trembled under this terrifying pressure, unable to move.