Chapter 277: Taking apart building blocks in much easier than building them!

The moment the dead silence was broken, the entire training ground seemed to transform into a volcano on the verge of eruption.

Duke Eisend had no intention of testing the waters.

Since his opponent was one who called herself the “Great Slayer of Mages,” any act of holding back would be a desecration of this battle.

He slammed his staff downward sharply.

Boom—!

The Duke did not chant any incantation.

But countless sharp ice spikes burst out from the ground beneath Sylvia without any warning.

They were like a suddenly sprouting steel forest, each ice spike gleaming with a cold light capable of piercing heavy armor, carrying the momentum to completely impale that white figure, sealing off all her escape routes from every direction.

This was an instant-cast high-level magic—the “Extreme Cold Ice Prison.”

In the hands of an ordinary High Mage, this would require at least five seconds of incantation, a large amount of mana guidance, and constructing a magic array to lock the range.

But in Eisend’s hands, using this move was as natural as breathing.

However, facing this assault that could annihilate an entire squad of heavy-armored warriors, Sylvia didn’t even raise an eyelid.

She merely lifted her bare right foot lightly and casually, then stomped it down heavily.

“Shatter.”

Just a single word.

Crack—!

That wasn’t the sound of ice breaking; it was more like the wail of mana being violently shattered by some force.

Centered on that point, a visible invisible ripple instantly spread outward.

Those ice spikes that had just emerged with murderous intent, the moment they touched this ripple, were like snow encountering blazing flames.

They didn’t even have time to touch Sylvia’s skirt before disintegrating and shattering in midair, finally turning into sparkling ice dust that drifted weakly to the ground.

Sylvia shook her head, her tone carrying undisguised disappointment.

“Too brittle.”

“A mana structure of this level is like a freshly baked scone—it crumbles at the slightest touch.”

She looked up, her hollow eyes staring directly at Eisend in the distance.

“Is this your full power? If so, I’m deeply disappointed.”

Eisend did not speak.

His azure eyes merely narrowed slightly.

***

The next moment, the Duke swung his staff again.

This time, it was no longer just ice and snow.

The various magic stones at the top of the staff began spinning wildly, emitting a series of buzzing sounds.

Red fire elements and cyan wind elements intertwined and merged in the air, finally forming a flame storm dragon dozens of meters long.

“Composite Magic: Flame Dragon Roar.”

That fire dragon roared, carrying a heat that could incinerate everything and a wind pressure that could tear everything apart, opening its massive maw as it pounced toward Sylvia.

Where it passed, even the hard silent magic slabs on the ground began to melt from the heat, gradually turning red.

Helos, watching from outside the barrier, couldn’t help holding her breath.

Magic of this level…

If she were facing this attack, even with the Curse of Silence, she would probably be torn to pieces by the terrifying physical wind pressure, right?

But Sylvia still stood in place.

She watched the fire dragon rushing toward her, a contemptuous smirk curling at the corner of her mouth.

“Gaudy and flashy.”

She gave such an evaluation.

Then, she extended a hand.

That hand was pale and slender, seemingly devoid of any strength.

But it was precisely such a hand that, at the moment the fire dragon was about to engulf her, casually thrust into the violent elemental chaos.

There was no explosion or roar.

It was as if she had plunged her hand into calm water.

As Sylvia’s finger gently traced through the void, it was like cutting through a piece of soft tofu.

“Disperse… now!”

With her low shout, that awe-inspiring flame storm dragon, like a snake stripped of its spine…

Its body stiffened abruptly in midair, then began to crack inch by inch from the head!

Losing its structural support, the originally tightly bound wind and fire elements were forcibly torn apart by a brutal, unreasonable force in that instant.

Those raging energies instantly lost their destructive power, turning into a harmless hot breeze that lifted Sylvia’s light purple hair.

Eleanor covered her mouth, her face full of disbelief.

“This…”

Although she knew Sylvia was strong, she had never thought someone could dispel magic in this way.

No dodging, no defending.

Instead, she directly confronted it head-on, using the simplest and most brutal method to completely “dismantle” the magic’s structure.

This is…

The Great Slayer of Mages?

The battle continued.

Or rather, it couldn’t even be called a battle—it was a one-sided “teaching demonstration.”

Duke Eisend displayed his full strength as the empire’s top mage.

Lightning, frost, meteor, gravity field…

All kinds of high-level magic, even some ancient forbidden spells, poured out from his staff like a storm.

The entire training ground was filled with interweaving light and shadow, surging elements, as if the apocalypse had arrived.

But no matter how fierce his attacks, no matter how exquisite his magic…

In front of that white-clad ghost, all efforts seemed pale and feeble.

Sylvia moved through the magic storms capable of destroying cities as if strolling in her own backyard.

Sometimes she waved her hand to disperse a boulder, sometimes she sidestepped a deadly thunderbolt, sometimes she extended a finger and lightly tapped the void, causing a complex magic-forbidden array to collapse instantly.

Those immensely powerful magics were like tofu blocks before her—they shattered at a touch.

She hadn’t even moved her feet much.

“Is this the current level of your magic?”

Sylvia casually crushed a tracking fireball while delivering a merciless taunt.

“Too slow, too scattered, too redundant.”

“Do you people think that as long as you pile up enough mana, chant loud enough, and cast fast enough, your magic becomes stronger?”

“Absolutely foolish!”

She abruptly stepped forward.

This time, she no longer defended passively.

Her figure instantly vanished from the spot, transforming into a white streak of light, directly breaking through layers of elemental barriers and appearing before Eisend in an instant!

“The essence of magic is nothing more than building blocks.”

Sylvia’s voice exploded in Eisend’s ear.

She reached out, and that cold palm did not attack Eisend’s body but gently pressed against the top of the staff in Eisend’s hand.

Pressed against the core gem that was gathering mana.

“And I…”

“Am the one in charge of dismantling the blocks.”

Buzz—

A mournful sound came from the staff.

Eisend only felt an irresistible, eerie force travel through the staff and spread throughout his body in an instant.

The vast mana inside him, which he could control as easily as his own limbs, now frantically retreated deep into his magic source like a mouse encountering its natural enemy, unresponsive no matter how he tried to mobilize it!

And under his horrified gaze, on the staff he had crafted himself and that had accompanied him for decades, the gleaming magic stones began to… extinguish one by one.

The raging elemental storm in the entire training ground also came to an abrupt halt in that instant.

The wind stopped.

The fire died.

The ice and snow melted.

The world returned to silence.

Only Sylvia’s pale hand remained pressed on the staff, firmly suppressing all the pride and power of this empire’s duke within her palm.

“You lost, kid.”

Sylvia looked at Eisend, who was inches away, a faint smile curling at her lips.

“However…”

She withdrew her hand and floated backward a distance.

“To be able to hold out this long in my ‘domain’ without being turned into an idiot by mana backlash…”

“You do have some skill.”

“At least you’re much better than those pedants who only hide in their towers writing papers.”

The two of them distanced themselves and stared at each other.

Eisend was silent for a long time.

Then, he slowly released his grip.

He looked down at the staff in his hand, which had completely lost its luster, like ordinary scrap metal.

That priceless staff fell to the ground, producing a crisp sound.

Then, the staff actually turned into specks of starlight and completely vanished into the air.

A top-tier weapon had been “ruined” just by Sylvia’s touch.

But Eisend’s face showed no trace of pain or anger.

On the contrary, a glint of relief flashed in his eyes.

He slowly exhaled a breath of stale air, and the sharp fighting spirit around him dissipated.

He turned around and looked at the four children standing at the edge of the barrier, watching him with tense expressions.

His gaze lingered for a moment on Helos’s small face, which was full of worry.

“Father…”

Helos called out softly.

Eisend did not answer immediately.

He simply stepped forward and walked to the front of the group.

He raised his hand, gently patted Julius’s shoulder, then glanced at Gavi standing nearby.

Finally, his gaze fell back on Helos.

“Go ahead.”

Duke Eisend left a simple remark.

“I approve your special training plan.”

Hearing this, Helos almost jumped up in joy, but considering her father’s dignity, she forcefully restrained herself, only clenching her fists tightly.

However.

Eisend’s tone shifted, becoming extremely serious.

“This doesn’t mean I am completely at ease.”

He looked at Julius and Gavi, and instructed in a low voice:

“Julius, and Gavi.”

“The two of you must ensure Helos’s safety.”

“No matter what happens, her life is the top priority.”

“If you encounter a danger that even you cannot handle…”

Eisend glanced at the female ghost who had floated back into the air and was preening her hair smugly.

“Then follow the instructions of this… ghost senior.”

Although he didn’t want to admit it, the exchange just now had made him deeply aware of this woman’s terror.

With her around, unless the world’s top mages personally came to hunt them down, there was probably no one in this world who could harm Helos in the slightest.

Julius and Gavi both bowed solemnly, accepting the command.

“Yes, Duke!”

“That’s great!”

Eleanor, watching from the side, also couldn’t help feeling happy for her sister.

She had been worried that her father would be stubborn, but she didn’t expect he actually agreed.

Watching Helos, who was about to embark on a journey, Eleanor suddenly felt a strong impulse surge in her heart.

She wanted to go too.

After all, who wants to work every day?

Before Helos could react, Eleanor’s eyes suddenly lit up.

She stepped forward, grabbed Eisend’s arm, and asked with a hopeful expression:

“Father! Then can I also come—”

“You cannot.”

But before she could finish, Eisend mercilessly interrupted her.

The Duke turned his head, looking at his eldest daughter, who, though excellent, could sometimes be a bit willful, and shook his head helplessly.

“Eleanor.”

His voice was gentle, but his words were ruthless.

“You cannot go.”

“Why?”

Eleanor asked aggrievedly.

“I can protect Sisi too! And I…”

Eisend sighed and pointed toward the direction of the duke’s study.

“Because you are the Saintess.”

“There are matters at the Church waiting for you.”

“Just now, the Southern Cardinal sent another urgent message.”

“The Church needs you to come out and soothe the people, to preside over the upcoming Winter Festival.”

“This is your responsibility, Eleanor.”

“You enjoy the glory of the Saintess, so you must bear the corresponding obligations.”

The light in Eleanor’s eyes instantly dimmed.

She sighed helplessly, let go of her father’s hand, and lowered her head to look at her toes.

Yes.

She was the Saintess.

She wasn’t as “free” as Helos.

On her shoulders, she bore the family’s expectations, the believers’ faith, and the honor of the entire Olivias family.

She couldn’t be willful.

“I… I understand.”

Eleanor took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the disappointment in her heart.

She raised her head, and the smile that belonged to the Saintess reappeared on her face.

But in that smile, there was an extra hint of barely perceptible bitterness.

“Then… Sisi, you must be careful.”

She walked in front of Helos and gently hugged her sister.

“When I’m done with my work, I’ll come find you.”

“Be sure to stay safe, Sisi!”