IMPRISONED FOR A TRILLION YEARS, I WAS WORSHIPPED BY ALL GODS!

The moment the Divine Oakstaff appeared, everything around it seemed to lose its luster.

Even the blazing sun hanging high in the sky was suddenly obscured by a veil of clouds, as though it were afraid of the divine radiance emanating from the staff.

Alan slammed the staff heavily into the ground. In an instant, the fire element stirred up by his staff-sword blazed brighter, its color sharpening into a dazzling golden hue.

Under the influence of the Divine Oakstaff, the mundane flames were directly elevated—transformed into sacred fire infused with light element.

But Alan hadn’t released these elements for show.

Once more, he raised the staff-sword in his hand, swinging it in swift arcs. One after another, radiant blades burst forth.

Light Sword Spell!

These light swords were unlike the ones he had conjured before. They no longer focused on sheer sharpness, but carried an overwhelming sense of heat and holiness—making them significantly more destructive.

The ability to imbue a spell with two different elemental attributes was a high-level technique far beyond the grasp of any ordinary tier-bronze magus.

Faced with the incoming barrage, the old man stomped his foot fiercely. The earth element beneath him, combined with the unique metal element buried within, surged upward, forming a thick, solid wall to block Alan’s attack.

But even as he formed the wall, a cold chill crept into his heart.

“How is this possible? Fusing two different elements into a single spell?!”

Crack!

Under Alan’s relentless assault of light swords, tiny fractures began to spread across the metal-infused earthen wall.

If this kept up, it wouldn’t be Alan who lost first—it would be him.

There was no time for contemplation. The old man shaped his hand into a claw and clenched tightly.

Black markings began to spread rapidly across his skin, transforming his body into something like living metal—an armored, steel-clad shell.

Boom!

Ultimately, the earthen-metal wall couldn’t withstand the holy might of Alan’s light sword spell. Half of it was vaporized, the other half crumbled into rubble.

The old man raised both arms in front of him—he was actually planning to use his fully elementalized body to endure Alan’s light sword onslaught.

It was the strongest defensive technique he could muster at that moment.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The sounds of metal clashing with radiant blades rang through the battlefield.

It was as if the old man were being impaled by a thousand swords, his body continuously pierced and torn.

No one knew how long the barrage lasted, but eventually, Alan ceased his attack.

By then, the old man stood soaked in blood, his body riddled with countless cuts and slashes. His robes were half-burned, his hair singed and scattered. Even his legs had been fused to the ground by the still-cooling molten iron.

Earlier, he had used the metal element to bind Alan.

Now, that same method had backfired—leaving him immobilized in turn.

“Dual-element enchantment… terrifying indeed!”

The old man glanced at the raw, torn flesh on his arms, then looked at Alan—who hadn’t taken a single step throughout the whole attack.

His heartbeat started to accelerate.

He was afraid now. If the earlier attacks were just tests, then this moment marked the beginning of true fear.

A mere tier-bronze could wield such a devastating technique?

If Alan were to advance even one step to tier-silver, he might really suffer defeat here!

Alan, however, simply let out a quiet sigh and retracted his staff.

Even with both fire and light elements layered on his light sword spell, all he had managed was to leave a few wounds on the old man’s tier-platinum-level body.

It hadn’t been enough to threaten his life.

And if the battle dragged on any longer, the one at a disadvantage would be Alan himself.

Should he continue attacking? Or retreat temporarily?

Alan glanced toward the old man again—only to see that he had already begun absorbing minerals from the earth, initiating a slow recovery. It wouldn’t be long before the old man launched another assault.

In that instant, Alan understood: against a tier-platinum powerhouse, retreat was not an option.

Advancing to tier-platinum didn’t just mean stronger attacks—it meant faster reaction times, quicker spellcasting, and vastly accelerated mana regeneration.

Unless he could deliver a decisive, lethal blow, prolonging the fight would only lead to death by attrition.

Cornered, Alan started searching his mind for another strategy.

“What trump cards do I have left? Think!”

His thoughts raced, and soon, he hit upon a clever idea.

“Hey!” he called out suddenly. “How about we both take a step back and call this off? Otherwise, if you push me too far, I can’t promise what’ll happen.”

His words, tinged with menace, felt like a challenge.

The old man sneered. “You trying to bluff me? What, you still got a hidden card up your sleeve?”

Alan chuckled coldly.

“Who knows? I once made a deal with a demon. It promised that before I descend into Hell, I won’t die by anyone else’s hand.”

The old man snorted with laughter.

“A demon? Hell? What age do you think this is? You actually believe in that nonsense?”

“If there really are still demons lurking around the mortal world—heh, I’d love to meet one myself!”

As he spoke, the old man secretly directed more mineral dust toward his injuries, aiding the healing process.

Alan was only pretending to negotiate in order to buy time to escape. But the old man? He needed time too.

After all, he wasn’t the only tier-platinum mage who had entered this mini-world.

If he showed up seriously wounded, there were plenty of opportunists who might try to take advantage of his weakened state.

Alan continued straining against the metal bindings, slowly inching his feet forward.

“You bear no sin,” Alan said calmly. “The demon won’t touch you—unless you intend to kill me.”

The old man burst out laughing again.

“No sin? Kid, I’ve killed thousands. If I’m considered innocent, then there isn’t a single criminal in the world!”

Then he glared at Alan, eyes filled with disdain.

“Far as I’m concerned, that so-called demon of yours is just—”

Snap!

Right at that moment, a mysterious object appeared at the old man’s feet—a strange little box covered in question marks.

With a sudden pop, a jester burst out, making goofy faces at him.

The abrupt arrival of the surprise box startled the old man, slowing his reaction for just a fraction of a second.

Alan didn’t waste the chance. He grabbed onto a nearby tree trunk, swung around it, and flung himself away with all his might.

As he soared out of danger, the old man finally snapped out of it. Just as he prepared to chase after Alan, he noticed something that made his breath catch—

The ground was suddenly littered with bizarre surprise boxes.

From each of them, jesters popped out—every one of them staring at him with eerie, chilling eyes.

And without him noticing, a ridiculous red clown nose had appeared on his face.

Seeing this, the old man instantly grew alert. He took a deep breath and bellowed into the surroundings:

“Who’s there? Show yourself!”

But the only reply was the frantic fluttering of birds and the rustling of insects.

Meanwhile, Alan had long since escaped the old man’s grasp, his legs finally responding again as he broke into a full sprint.

Back at the battlefield, the old man remained rooted in place, warily eyeing the bizarre surprise boxes that surrounded him—his heart pounding with unease.

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!