Chapter 270: Chapter 180: Flowing Shield Wall_2 "To be precise, it’s the collision afterimage produced when the Witch King forcibly pulled the world he had conquered into our world." Hayek explained: "Integrating dimensions is no easy task. At the moment the two worlds collided, the dimensional turbulence tore apart the space structure, resulting in only part of the conquered world successfully integrating, while the scattered remnants are what we now know as the Bloodline Altar." A rare worry flashed in Hayek’s eyes: "What’s worse is that over time, this afterimage has resonated with the Abyss, and certain areas have been tainted by Abyssal Power, bearing obvious Abyssal Traits." A flash of insight crossed Ron’s mind: "So the trials at the Bloodline Altar are essentially a preview of Abyss exploration?" "You’re not wrong." Hayek confirmed without reservation: "In fact, all wizards aspiring for higher realms, whether from the Crystal Tower in the Central Lands or the Black Mist School on the fringe, ultimately cannot avoid the hurdle of Abyss exploration. It’s only there one can find the key to breaking through the existing rules and limitations." Ron’s thoughts flashed back to the terrifying Silver Scales Maxim had shown a while ago, the permanent imprint and warning left by the Abyss. Yet, even in the face of such risks, wizards seem unable to resist the temptation of the Abyss—this in itself is enough to demonstrate its allure. "In the Bloodline Altar, you will face threefold challenges." Hayek continued, his voice carrying a warning: "The contamination and curses of Abyssal Power, the vengeful spirits and wraiths of the conquered world, and the anomalies of the dimensional turbulence itself. These often intertwine to form an unpredictable and dangerous situation." Ron’s brain worked at high speed, trying to integrate this new information with the known theories of the Abyss. Maxim’s warnings, and the seemingly mysterious descriptions in the Abyssal Creatures Atlas, were now forming a clearer picture in his mind. "I still have many questions, sir." Ron couldn’t help but ask, "About the connection between the Abyss and the wizard’s path, and why—" "Since you have chosen the Abyssal Creatures Atlas," Hayek interrupted him, lifting his hand with an undeniable authority in his tone: "Then many answers should naturally be sought from it. Selwyn Audric is one of the few wizards who truly understands the nature of the Abyss and can retreat unscathed; his works are far more valuable than my scattered words as a latecomer." The Vice Dean gave Ron a meaningful look: "When you can truly understand the full content of that book, your understanding of the wizard’s path will ascend to a whole new level." As the meeting was about to end, Hayek added a sentence, his tone containing a peculiar complex emotion: "Remember, in the Bloodline Altar, team cooperation is not just a fancy concept. The allocation of those five positions is not done casually; each person carries specific duties and significance." As Ron stepped out of the room, his mind surged with emotions, the joy of the Magic Model almost drowned by the weighty information about the Bloodline Altar. An intense thirst for knowledge burned within him, but it was accompanied by caution and vigilance. He had learned from Maxim’s painful experiences that Abyss exploration is no child’s play, and every step must be carefully verified, proceeding with caution. In the hall, the other high-sequence members who had secured a spot were still talking, but they gradually quieted when they saw Ron approaching. Holt stepped forward proactively, his usually stern face showing a rare hint of relaxation at this moment: "When I saw you at the herb store a year ago, I never expected you could secure the sixth position in the sequence. It’s quite an astonishing achievement." These words were both a compliment and a subtle reminder—any newly risen star would attract more attention and caution. "Haha, it’s all thanks to the guidance of my predecessors, especially you and Soron the Master, and of course, my own Special Talent." Ron was neither overly modest to the point of affectation, nor recklessly confident to the point of being off-putting. Holt nodded slightly in acknowledgment of this answer: "Speaking of which, I have successfully used the ’Heart of the Earth’ to reshape the Earth Elemental Golem, enhancing its overall combat power by at least thirty percent." When he said this, a barely noticeable pride flashed in his eyes, a natural expression of accomplishment: "This way, our combat capability in the Bloodline Altar will be more reliable." Ron’s heart was moved, with Holt proactively mentioning team cooperation, aligning with Hayek’s earlier hint. Clearly, the School preferred participants to form a harmonious whole, rather than acting individually. "Your Earth Elemental Golem is one of the most powerful elemental constructs I’ve seen," Ron habitually engaged in some polite banter: "Having such combat support indeed makes one feel much more assured." After a brief conversation, Ron politely bid farewell to Holt, noticing Trish standing not far away. "Looks like we’ll be companions again." Trish said as she approached. Her voice carried a subtle complex emotion—both the joy of securing a position and a faint unease at Ron’s rapid rise as a "competitor." Those brown eyes shimmered with an amber-like luster beneath the Magic Crystal Lamp, seemingly trying to see through Ron’s calm exterior thoughts. "Yes, I hope we can support each other."