VERSATILE MAGE: RISE OF A LEGEND

Hui Zhu knew the situation was far from reassuring. His eyes widened with panic as he screamed out at the top of his lungs, "Hurry, kill him!"

His command was quick to have an effect.

The Dark Beasts, ferocious and bloodthirsty, heeded the call, their twisted forms darting toward Light. Yet, Light's heart remained calm. In the face of chaos, he continued his Star Path. The rumbling of the Corpse General's approach was like a signal of reassurance, one that allowed him to steady his breath and focus.

With a roar, the Corpse General's thick hatchet slammed down with the force of a raging storm. The attack wasn't just brutal—it was annihilating. It didn't simply rip the Dark Beasts apart; it shattered them, smashing their bodies into tiny, bloodied pieces.

The walls surrounding them were soon painted with the remains of one unfortunate Dark Beast as the Corpse General hurled it aside with barely a glance. With the same ferocity, it turned its attention to another one, this time tearing into its flesh with its fangs. Even as the Dark Beast tried to rip at the undead creature, it was futile. The Corpse General was an unstoppable force.

Nearby, a Dark Beast lunged for Light, its long claws slicing through the air, but the Corpse General intercepted it without hesitation. Shaking its head violently, it threw the Beast into its jaws before hurling it like a ragdoll into the other one that tried to pounce.

Then, an ominous humming sound descended over the battlefield.

Lightning energy began to crackle and spark around Light's form. Dark, purple-black arcs of lightning began swirling and dancing, turning into a terrifying net of power that circled him. The two remaining Dark Beasts, still on their feet and eager to make a move, twitched uncontrollably as the lightning's force pressed down upon them. Their flesh shriveled, their bones shattered from the sheer energy engulfing them.

"Thunderbolt, Yaksha!" Light's voice rang out like a death sentence. He didn't bother glancing at the two Dark Beasts as his hand rose toward the dark skies above him.

The clouds, once black and endless, now swirled with dark purple energy. A thundercloud gathered menacingly above Hui Zhu's head, its sinister aura closing in on the Ice Mage.

Hui Zhu's expression changed from aggression to pure terror. His body trembled uncontrollably as his control over his Ice Shackles faltered. Light knew that most Ice Magicians relied on Ice Shackles for restrictive measures, and this Hui Zhu wasn't any different. But no shackle could withstand what was coming.

The moment the dark, purple-black Thunderbolt came crashing down, the Ice Shackles exploded into white mist, disintegrated into nothing more than debris.

A cross-shaped bolt of lightning slammed into Hui Zhu, ripping through his Magic Shield as if it were nothing. The protective spell, worth millions, shattered in an instant. Hui Zhu, too, was reduced to blood spray, torn apart by the sheer destructive force of Thunderbolt, Yaksha.

Without missing a beat, Light continued to pursue the Shadow Beast. It had tried to flee again, bolstered by the temporary reprieve of the battle. But it was futile. Light, wielding his mastery over space and chaos magic, reached out with a simple gesture, snaring the creature in an invisible net. The Shadow Beast's frantic attempts to escape were nothing before Light's power.

"This place..." Light muttered, his eyes scanning the nearby structures. His gaze landed on a massive building up ahead. "It looks like the Beast Taming Iron Cage."

He was well aware that the true mastermind behind all of this had yet to appear. The Black Vatican's movements were never so simple. If he allowed the hunt to end here, countless lives would be at stake the next time the Vatican made its move.

Light's thoughts drifted back to Xu Zhaoting, the student who had been trailing the Black Vatican operative, Fu Tianming. Light knew that his hunt had to continue—he couldn't afford to let any more innocents die.

"I'll keep the Shadow Beast here," Light decided, a cold determination hardening in his eyes. "When the Black Vatican returns to claim it, I'll be ready for them."

As he approached the colossal structure, the Beast Taming Iron Cage loomed over him like a titan of metal. The Iron Cage was enormous, with reinforced steel bars that gleamed dully in the dim light. It towered at least 20 meters tall, its sheer size imposing, and it was clear that not even Commander-level magical beasts could escape it.

Light stepped inside cautiously. The ground trembled as a metal gate, thick as a tree trunk, smashed down behind him. The sound was deafening, and the very ground beneath his feet shuddered from the impact.

Turning around, Light saw the iron door sealing him inside. Iron rods rose up side by side, creating an impenetrable wall of metal. He quickly scanned the area but found that the top of the cage was domed, constructed from equally thick iron wires. There was no escape from above either.

Before he could investigate further, a chilling voice echoed through the air.

"Hahaha, do you know what you look like right now?"

The fog had cleared enough for Light to see a figure standing beyond the bars. The man wore a mask, one that nearly concealed his entire face except for a single eye and a long fringe that obscured the other half.

"It seems like you've been waiting here for a long time," Light said, his voice cold and calculating.

The figure's laugh grew louder, more unhinged. "You don't recognize me? YOU DON'T RECOGNIZE ME?!"

Light's eyes narrowed. "Yu Ang," he said, his voice as sharp as the lightning that had felled Hui Zhu moments before. "If you fail this mission again, will your superior ruin the other half of your face as well?"

The taunt struck deep. Yu Ang's face twisted with hatred, the single exposed eye narrowing in fury. He began chanting in a low, guttural voice, and the grey door at his side began to slowly creak open. A deep, sickly green light poured out, filling the Iron Cage with its unnatural glow.

Light didn't need to wait long to see what emerged. Its body was grotesque, dark grey skin branded with strange markings that radiated a cursed energy. The smell was horrendous, thick with the stench of rot and corruption.

"This is a Cursed Beast," Yu Ang said proudly, his voice filled with manic glee. "Created through torment and suffering. The stronger the resentment, the more powerful the Beast. This was my first Cursed Beast—and you will become my second!"

Light could sense the Warrior-level power radiating from the creature. It was nothing like the Dark Beasts he had faced before. Yu Ang had progressed far beyond his previous standing, from a mere handler of Dark Beasts to a full-fledged Priest of the Black Vatican, commanding this cursed abomination.

Yu Ang sneered at Light, pointing to the Cursed Beast. "Do you know who this is?"

"I'm not interested," Light replied coldly. He was buying time, his mind working furiously to find a way out of the Iron Cage while stalling the deranged priest.

Yu Ang snapped his fingers, and the Cursed Beast began to move. Its enormous form lumbered forward, its eyes locked on Light with murderous intent.

"Go, rip his skin off first!" Yu Ang commanded, his whip cracking in the air.

With a snarl, the Cursed Beast charged forward, its claws gleaming with the promise of death. Light's eyes narrowed as he prepared for the battle ahead.

The grotesque figure of the Cursed Beast slithered into the Iron Cage with a bone-chilling grace, its body shifting in ways that defied anatomy. The creature's deformed skeleton seemed capable of moving in any direction, giving it an appearance that was both surreal and horrifying. Each step it took sounded like bones cracking, and its unnatural flexibility allowed it to contort into grotesque angles as it entered the cage. This was not a creature bound by the laws of nature but one that thrived in chaos and disorder.

Yu Ang stood outside the cage, his lips curling into a wicked smile. He could hardly contain his anticipation. The Iron Cage was a masterpiece, capable of trapping even the most skilled magicians, and now, it held within it the boy who dared to challenge his power.

As the Great Formation of the Nyx Regime loomed overhead, casting its oppressive darkness over the area, Yu Ang envisioned the grisly outcome he hoped for. **Light's skin, left behind as the only remnant of his existence**—a perfect trophy for his twisted sense of victory. The very thought filled Yu Ang with glee, his eyes flickering with malevolent delight.

Just as he was about to indulge further in his dark fantasies, a sudden voice crackled through his earpiece.

"**Yu Ang, retreat! Now!**"

The command pierced the air, and Yu Ang's smug grin faltered. He instinctively touched his earphone, his posture immediately straightening as he responded in a respectful tone. "**Sir Deacon, the kid with the Underground Holy Spring is trapped in the Iron Cage. I will retrieve it very soon. Just give me a bit more time.**"

There was a brief silence on the other end, followed by a hesitant reply from the Deacon. "**Really?**"

Yu Ang could sense the Deacon's uncertainty. The pressure was immense. **Salan**, their master, was not one to forgive failure, and returning empty-handed could mean severe consequences.

"**Sir Deacon, I will have the Underground Holy Spring in my hands shortly. Please, allow me just a few more minutes.**" Yu Ang's voice was filled with desperation. He could not afford to fail now.

The Deacon's hesitation lingered in the air, but after a moment, he relented. "**Then... I'll wait for a bit...**"

Yu Ang released a silent breath of relief. His attention returned to the Iron Cage, where the **Cursed Beast** had begun to approach Light. The creature's saliva dripped from its twisted jaws, sizzling as it hit the iron bars and ground, the black smoke rising in faint tendrils. This beast was not just any creature—it was a living nightmare, designed for torment.

Suddenly, a sharp sound cut through the air. The **Cursed Beast** left a blurred afterimage as it charged at Light with terrifying speed, its claws slashing through the space where Light had just been standing. The Beast Taming Iron Cage hummed with magical energy, preventing Light from drawing a Star Atlas, while the flying claws of the Cursed Beast kept him constantly on the move.

Light spun out of the way of the first attack, barely avoiding the razor-sharp claws. But the Cursed Beast was relentless. It opened its misshapen maw and let out a guttural screech, launching another flying claw at Light before rushing forward for a close-range assault. The creature wasn't just brute force—it had intelligence, using a combination of long- and close-range attacks to keep Light off balance.

Far above, a figure sat on the edge of a skyscraper, silhouetted against the dark sky. His dark green hair fluttered in the wind, and his ancient Tang suit clung to his lean frame. From his back, **eagle-like wings** stretched out, their black feathers gleaming under the faint moonlight.

"**We've found the target.**" A voice spoke into his ear.

"**Location?**" the winged man responded, his voice as cold as the night air.

"**Jiang North area. We've marked the coordinates.**"

The man's lips twisted into a smirk. "**Blue Deacon, you won't escape my grasp.**" With that, he leapt from the rooftop, his wings spreading wide as he swooped down, the dark feathers trailing behind him like the shadow of death.

Back in the Iron Cage, Light's **earpiece crackled** with an urgent voice. "**Light... Light, can you hear me?**"

"**I'm a bit preoccupied, miss,**" Light replied, his voice strained as he narrowly dodged another swipe from the Cursed Beast.

"**Listen! The Blue Deacon is planning to escape. The Nighthawk of the Magic Court is ready. You need to delay them for another five minutes. If you can hold out, we'll capture him.**"

Light gritted his teeth. Five minutes. That was all he needed to buy. He could already tell that Yu Ang had been communicating with someone earlier—that someone had to be the Blue Deacon.

"**He's waiting for the Underground Holy Spring,**" Light muttered to himself.

"**Exactly! He's waiting for the Grey Cloak Priest to finish their task. Delay them, Light! You're the only one who can stop this!**" Tangyue's voice urged him on.

The pieces were falling into place. Yu Ang and the Deacon weren't just after Light—they were after the **Underground Holy Spring**, the most precious treasure of Bo City. If they succeeded, the consequences would be disastrous. Light knew he couldn't let that happen.

Outside the cage, **Fu Tianming** and **Jia Wenqing** rushed over, their faces pale with fear. "**Sir Priest, the Underground Holy Spring is nothing but a dried-up drop! We've been deceived!**" Jia Wenqing shouted, panic in his voice.

Yu Ang's face twisted with fury, but he forced himself to stay calm. The Blue Deacon's impatience was palpable, and the situation was becoming increasingly dire.

Within the cage, Light continued to evade the Cursed Beast's relentless attacks. But as luck would have it, his pendant knocked against something in the chaos, releasing a hidden aura. A shimmering, dense energy began to emanate from the **Little Loach Pendant**, swirling around him like a massive halo.

"**The Underground Holy Spring… it's real!**" Yu Ang's eyes widened with disbelief. He had been wrong—Light wasn't a mere prodigy. He had been using the most powerful spiritual treasure in Bo City to fuel his rise to power.

"**Kill him! Take the pendant!**" Yu Ang's voice cracked with desperation. His greed and ambition overwhelmed him. If he could steal the Underground Holy Spring, it would not only cement his status within the Black Vatican but also give him untold power.

Yu Ang's mind raced as he recalled his mission from **Master Salan**. The Underground Holy Spring was the key to some greater plan, something far beyond mere cultivation. Salan had never cared about its use for growth; they needed it for something much more sinister. Yu Ang knew that if he could deliver it, his place in Salan's inner circle would be assured.

But Light wasn't about to let that happen. The pendant's aura continued to grow, filling the Iron Cage with an almost tangible energy. The Cursed Beast let out a roar, its sharp claws striking down again.

"**You vile creature!**" Light shouted, his voice filled with frustration. "**Do you really think you can catch me?**"

For a brief moment, Light's aura shifted. He hadn't been using his full power, trying to keep some of his abilities hidden from Yu Ang. But now, with the clock ticking and the stakes higher than ever, Light knew it was time to reveal what he was truly capable of.

Another claw swept toward him, but this time Light didn't dodge. Instead, a mysterious **Star Atlas** began to form beneath his feet, its glowing lines twisting and curving in the air.

"**Giant Shadow Spike!**"

With a flick of his wrist, a **Giant Shadow Spike** shot through the void, its black, slender form disappearing into the darkness.