"It's been a long time since I've seen such a big scene." Sandru found it difficult to find a foothold in the pile of corpses, and he moved forward step by step.

  This is a valley between two hills. The dense bodies filled almost every inch of the ground in the valley, and the bloody smell seemed to condense the air in the valley into a huge solid, making it hard to breathe inside.

  These are all corpses of imperial soldiers. From the traces on the corpses, it is very clear that they died in battle, but there are no other enemy traces here.

  Bishop Ronis's face was unsightly, his eyes like candles scanning the corpse, silently following Sandru. He wore a very ordinary monk's robe, looking like an ordinary old man.

  In the middle of the valley was a prominent rock, on which sat a man in a red robe arranging something. He saw Sandru and Bishop Ronis approaching and immediately stood up to greet them.

  "After being apart for over twenty years, it's wonderful to see that the spirits of both teachers are still so vigorous. As a student, I truly feel heartfelt comfort." The person in red robes bowed their head and paid respects to Shan Deru and Ronnie's bishop. "Because I didn't expect this unit to advance so quickly, the transmission magic array was placed slightly off, causing both teachers to have to walk laboriously, which is really regrettable."

  "Are these people you killed?" Bishop Ronies stared at the red-robed man and asked.

  "Yes." The red-robed man replied with a bow. "They were assigned to go north to the beastman castle for reconnaissance and harassment. Anyway, it's a dead end, so it's better to die here than to let them suffer from running around and killing each other. I controlled their leader and made him bring his troops in, then used an illusion spell to make them kill each other. Dying at the hands of their own people is much better than being trampled by those beastmen."

  Shan Drew looked at the red-robed man covering his face and asked, "What's wrong with your face?"

  The man in the red robe stretched out his withered hand, like a chicken claw, and pulled down the cloak covering his face, revealing half of an ordinary-looking face. His mouth to chin had no muscles or skin, exposing grayish-colored teeth and skeletal bones, with tendons attached to them like dry grass. He showed a faint smile on that half-face: "The student didn't take good care of it, and it was damaged by someone who also happened to be a student of Sandru teacher, I suppose he's my junior?" This was the scar left from the battle in the Whispering Woods with Asa.

  Shandru thought for a moment and shook his head, saying: "Not my student..." At least Asa had never called him teacher.

  The Crimson Robe Man said: "But I saw him wearing the Ghost King's robe that you took away, and the exposed parts of his body were not harmed by my magic at all. This is the protective effect of the Ghost King's robe that only those who have practiced Real Meditation can fully exert... You took away Real Meditation more than 20 years ago, how could your student practice it?"

  Bishop Ronis turned his head and glanced at Sandru, who pretended not to notice.

  "He isn't your student... is he your son?" the red-robed man asked. "Not long ago, my student was forced to injure him in a situation, I hope the teacher won't mind."

  Shandoru shook his head and said: "No... he is my student..." He also couldn't say clearly, so he just acknowledged it.

  "That's really a very lively young man, no wonder the teacher can also favor him. Although I hurt him, he fell into the sun well and should be fine."

  Bishop Ronnis frowned and said: "Did you go to great lengths to send two transmission scrolls to us just to have us come and chat with you about these nonsense?"

  "Of course not. The two teachers, please look over there." He stretched out his hand to point at the rock where he had been squatting earlier, on which a magical array was painted, and in the center of the array was a bright green leaf, which even the aura of death that filled the valley could not conceal its vibrant vitality.

  "I want to use the power of two teachers to complete an unprecedented magical ritual." The voice of the red-robed person changed, although still hoarse and strange, but became excited. "With the life force of the World Tree's leaves as the core, shape a magical life form with the corpses here. This will be the strongest creature from ancient times to the present. My and Teacher Three's completely different quality magic powers can combine around the life force of the World Tree's leaves, circulating repeatedly without end. Especially, with the power of the World Tree's leaves, we can also use the legendary ultimate white magic, resurrection technique."

  "Huh?" Shandru's eyes widened slightly.

  "This magical ritual can even surpass the power of the ancient gods. This will be the highest realm of magic, a testament to humanity's challenge to the creator, and the greatest work of art. This great feat will be performed by the strongest magician among the three continents." The red-robed person's voice became even more hoarse and strange due to excitement. Sandru seemed to have been infected with his emotions, and an unusual fiery glow began to flash in his eyes.

  "Do you think I would agree?" Bishop Ronis's voice was cold as a basin of ice water.

  "I want to ask the teacher to fulfill the promise made twenty-three years ago. Help me out..."

  "I only recall making a promise to a student named Vydrena that I would do my best to help her fulfill a wish, but unfortunately she was gone before I could...". Bishop Ronweis's voice became somewhat strange due to reminiscence and emotion, turning into a disgusted determination. "But I never remember saying anything to an abomination like you." He turned his head back on the road he came from.

  "Can the teacher bear to see countless civilians die, and countless towns and villages be destroyed in an instant?" The red-robed man shouted from behind in a hoarse voice.

  "What do you mean?" Bishop Ronis stopped in his tracks and turned around. The pair of eyes on the thin face seemed to be burning with two flames.

  The man in red said, "Students would never dare to threaten teachers, but just want to remind the teacher. If this magic ritual is held in this desolate land, students can guarantee that innocent civilians will not be harmed. If the teacher insists on not allowing it, then of course students wouldn't dare force it. Then there's only one thing left to do, which is to hand over this World Tree leaf to other people in the guild... I believe teachers can also guess what kind of consequences would follow."

  Bishop Ronis didn't say a word, and the light in his eyes also flickered uncertainly before he finally walked back silently.

  "The teacher's kindness students will always remember." The red-robed figure bowed down to the ground. Bishop Ronis did not respond to her.

  The Crimson Robe said: "This ritual is based on Master Sanduru's magic. Only your 'Necromancy' can fully activate and synchronize the energy of these corpses. Please turn as many of these corpses into undead as possible, then cover them with that magic circle. Then I will use my magic to merge and maintain it with your power. Finally, the most crucial part is Teacher Ronis, you need to use the life force of the World Tree's leaves to cast the Revival Spell, unifying all magical powers into a single living entity. Although the Revival Spell is only theoretical, with the life force of the World Tree's leaves and your own White Magic abilities, it will definitely work."

  "Can such a ritual really work?" Shandru frowned and asked. "It seems that there has never been a similar magical ritual before. Will the magic circle you hastily drew be effective?"

  The Crimson Robe said: "I like the phrase you once taught me, 'Learning from predecessors is for surpassing, not repeating.' I've been studying this magic for over a decade, initially just out of interest. I always wondered what would happen if we three strongest magic users could combine our completely different types of magical powers. It wasn't until two years ago that I finally completed the research on this magic array. After obtaining the World Tree Leaf, I specifically studied its own power. I can confirm that this magic is absolutely feasible."

  "Alright, let's get started then." Shandru heard this and felt a thrill of excitement. He raised his hands slowly and began to chant the incantation. A blue-white glow began to flicker between his hands, illuminating the corpses around him.

  The corpses in the valley slowly began to move. At first, only one or two slowly stood up, and then gradually more and more. In the end, hundreds of corpses got up from the blood pool by themselves.

  At first, the movements of these corpses were still slow and stiff, but as Shandru continued to chant the spell, their movements became more agile and supple, and they moved just like they were still alive. The corpses began to pounce on the leaves of the World Tree on the rocks, one corpse after another overlapping each other, accumulating higher and higher. The movements of the corpses in the back also became more agile and nimble, and they even started to jump and climb like monkeys, continuously accumulating upwards, forming a mountain of corpses.

  As the corpses continued to pile up, Sandru's face began to show signs of strain, his raised hands trembling slightly. After all, this was control over hundreds of corpses.

  "The Crimson Robed One began to chant his own magic: 'Oh, Dark Dragon slumbering in the rift of time, revive your soul from ancient memories. I summon you in the name of darkness and destruction, manifest your power in this world.'"

  Just like in the Whispering Woods, a blue giant dragon's illusion began to condense in the air. The difference was that this time the illusion was clearer, as if it were a real object with shape and substance. The dragon's position wasn't near the red-robed person, but rather coincided with the mountain of corpses, which also changed positions according to the range of the dragon's illusion. The dragon didn't open its mouth to spit out flames, but instead stood quietly there.

  "Archbishop Ronnis, it's your turn." The red-robed man shouted loudly, but Archbishop Ronnis didn't move.

  "Teacher, please use the resurrection spell." The red-robed person's voice began to tremble, and Shandru's hands shook even more violently. Bishop Ronis still didn't move, staring blankly at the corpse and the giant dragon's illusion.

  "Teacher, I can barely hold on." The Red Robe's body also started shaking. The giant dragon's illusion slowly lifted its head and inhaled. A fierce gust of wind echoed through the valley, and the air began to condense towards the giant dragon. Maintaining a spell while moving was an unimaginable burden for any caster, both physically and mentally exhausting.

  Shandru's body began to shake violently, and blood started to flow from the corners of his mouth. The blood flowed down his beard and was blown away by the strong winds in the valley towards the giant dragon. The red-robed person's body was like a dry leaf that could be torn apart at any moment, swaying in the wind, and making cracking sounds as if their bones were colliding with each other. With a voice that was shaking so hard it was almost impossible to hear clearly, she shouted: "Teacher, if you don't take action now, we will all die!"

  The giant dragon's head has risen up, and the wind has also fallen silent.

  "Oh, Great Mother of Life, please use the hand that gives life to all things to touch this dead object that expects new life, and let the lost soul return." Bishop Ronis finally stretched out his hand. A pure white cross-shaped light screen appeared in the sky and descended, sprinkling down on the giant dragon's body.

  The dragon's movements stopped, and hundreds of corpses also emitted a white glow under the illumination of the white light, starting to squirm like a giant worm, gradually merging with each other, and finally completely merged with the dragon's illusion.

  Shandru and the Red Cloak simultaneously collapsed to the ground, as if their bodies had been completely drained of energy. Bishop Ronis stepped forward, placing his hand on Shandru's body and using a recovery spell, allowing Shandru to slowly get back up.

  A deafening roar that no living creature could have produced shook the sky, and the massive dragon formed from hundreds of corpses began to move. The clothes, armor, and weapons of the corpses were scattered all over its body like scales, with fresh blood and entrails occasionally dripping from it.

  The red-robed figure was still lying on the ground, his empty eyes emitting all the remaining radiance from his body, staring at the massive creature formed by the corpse and muttering: "So beautiful..."

  The corpse dragon shook its body slightly, confirming its own existence, and raised its head high in celebration of its birth.

  Xander hastily dragged the red-robed figure beside him, then he and Bishop Ronweis jointly exerted their strength to prop up a spherical magical barrier.

  The corpse dragon lowered its head and spewed out emerald green flames that filled every corner of the valley. When the flames dissipated, everything had disappeared, even the rock walls on both sides had been cut in half. The corpse dragon took a step forward, moving its massive body out of the completely deformed valley.

  The crimson-robed figure lying on the ground weakly but excitedly shouted: "See, this is the true Dark Dragon. Not a magical illusion created by magic power, but a real thing that even the creator of the world cannot create. This is a masterpiece of magic, the ultimate manifestation of wisdom, and evidence that humans have surpassed the gods."

  Shandru gazed at the corpse dragon in horror, shaking his head slowly and saying, "This is indeed a masterpiece of magical wisdom, but now I'm a bit regretful. It seems it's not something we can control."