Chapter 98: The Watched Magic Weapon Summoner

Could the aura be Loris’s? No. Even though Zheng Yichen would have liked that. Back then his strength was lacking, but now, with his power greatly increased, he desired to find Loris again. He wanted to see if he could offer any help… But after just two days of searching, it was impossible to find her.

This search mainly happened alongside his studies, driven purely by luck.

The sensed aura belonged to a summoned magic weapon from the Magic Weapon Summoning Book! Because every single magic weapon was crafted by Zheng Yichen himself, each one was steeped in his own Mana and Spiritual Power. These were factors directly tied to him. If they were too distant, he couldn’t sense them. But close by? He could clearly sense the presence of a summoned magic weapon.

Completely failing to sense it? Impossible! Those magic weapons were all made by Zheng Yichen’s own hands. For someone to summon a magic weapon for use meant borrowing his power. If he didn’t even know when his own strength was being borrowed? What was the point of having this power then!?

“Huh? This is interesting,” Zheng Yichen thought with slight surprise as he looked at the man deep inside the canyon. The man held a summoned magic weapon, clothes tattered and stained with blood. What caught Zheng Yichen’s interest even more was the magic weapon in the man’s hand — wasn’t that the Apophis he had forged not long ago?

The number of people able to summon high-level magic weapons at this stage was quite small. Fewer than five so far. Yet here, Zheng Yichen had encountered one. What luck! He wished finding Loris had been this easy. Landing atop the canyon, Zheng Yichen observed the man from afar. Judging by his appearance, he had clearly just fought. The magical sword in his hand still bled a bloody aura — a sign the Bloodthirst Curse had been heavily active, its aftereffects lingering even after combat.

When Zheng Yichen arrived nearby, he also noted no enemies were present. One should immediately dismiss a magical sword after battle. Holding onto it just for showing off was unwise. With a holy sword — harmless or even beneficial — sure, carry it around if you dared the risk of theft. But a magical sword? Every second held meant its corruptive power gnawed at the wielder. Anyone sensible knew what they should do at such a moment.

Yet, despite confirming the surrounding area was safe, this man still gripped the Magic Sword tightly. Crucially, his eyes showed no sign of being clouded by the Bloodthirst Curse. They remained completely clear. Watching awhile longer, Zheng Yichen deduced the man seemed to be using the Bloodthirst Curse to test his own willpower?

Okay. That was a genuinely effective method.

Almost two hours passed before the man finally dismissed the Magic Sword, letting it scatter. That was an impressively long duration. Even though the absence of further combat meant the Bloodthirst Curse’s backlash wasn’t at full intensity, it was still strong enough to easily overwhelm most minds and trigger violent frenzy. An ordinary person would succumb instantly upon grasping it — unless their blood essence was instantly drained dry. To withstand two hours? That was sheer steel willpower.

And this was after he’d endured a fierce battle.

Suddenly, Zheng Yichen felt a significant spark of interest in him. Not just because the man had permission to use a High-Level Magic Soldier. His sheer will and power were intrinsically fascinating. Perhaps… against Zheng Yichen a month ago, this man might have posed a deadly threat. A head-to-head fight now? Zheng Yichen would utterly overwhelm him.

But even with this assessment, Zheng Yichen knew such dedication wouldn’t quickly achieve high-level permissions. Not even by grinding mastery within the Magic Weapon Summoning Book to the point of near-death exhaustion!

Because… this man wasn’t a Mana Warrior, nor a Mage. He was a Battle Qi Warrior!

His ability to use a High-Level Magic Soldier indicated one of two things: either he possessed unique personal traits… or this directly related to Loris! Only she, besides Zheng Yichen himself, had the power to boost others’ permissions within the book. Whichever it was warranted Zheng Yichen’s close observation.

If it was the first reason? Then it exposed flaws within the Magic Weapon Summoning Book needing fixing. If it was the second? Perfect! Just when he was stuck without any leads. Here was a clue practically delivered to his doorstep.

Once the ragged man dispersed the Magic Sword, he moved toward a rock. He pushed it aside, revealing a small hollow beneath. Inside lay a bundle. From it, he pulled out simple, new clothes and changed. Sitting cross-legged, he rested briefly and ate. Packing the bundle, now containing supplies, he left the canyon.

Even rest was so brief? An ascetic? High above, Zheng Yichen relied on his exceptional dragon vision to track the man below. Flying high posed no issue. The superior respiratory system of the Dragon Clan functioned fine even in thin air. He could hold his breath easily over an hour. As for the wind? While huge and bright, a dragon’s eyes possessed a shiny outer layer — a resilient, crystal-like membrane. This tough film acted as a secondary eyelid and shield.

With this protection, even a handful of sand flung into his eye would only irritate the eyelid itself, not harm the eye. Such protections explained why many coveted dragon bodies — their perfection was undeniable.

The man’s path had clear purpose. Leaving the canyon behind, he headed for a mountain forest. Resting little, he spent nearly a day and a night marching relentlessly. En route, he passed a small village. He acquired minimal supplies there, then single-handedly eliminated a nearby bandit gang that had been terrorizing the place before departing without a backward glance.

This time, fulfilling a different purpose, he didn’t use Apophis. He switched to Frostmourne. Zheng Yichen barely registered the new Soul captured within Frostmourne — just a small bandit group. Few members, no powerhouses. Their trapped Souls weren’t worth his attention anyway. These were dangerous men who’d chosen robbery, so their downfall was their own responsibility.

Reaching the edge of the forest, the man rested again — this time longer. Only once accumulated fatigue vanished and he felt fully restored did he finally enter the wooded mountains. Flying high offered a wide view. Zheng Yichen wasn’t worried about losing the man inside dense forest. If he used a magic weapon again, he’d be instantly spotted.