Above the mage!

Chapter 562 The Girl of the Golden Bird, the Purple Jade Flower of the North
Mordred sat motionless in the raven chair for a long time. Although the black mist still shrouded his silhouette, it could not conceal his sharp, knife-like eyes.

He stared intently at the silvery-white light on the map.

"The light that nourishes the broom flower." Mei Qiang's light laughter came from the ruby ​​chair, tinged with a lazy mockery. "Commander, do you still think I'm making a big fuss?"

As they spoke, the silvery-white light shone even brighter, and the petals of the golden pheasant expanded outward by an inch. The edge that had been locked in a stalemate with the blood-red rose actually forced the dark red petals back a little.

"Mei Qiang, are you sure it's her?" Mordred finally spoke, his voice deeper than before, carrying a unique caution:
"The Golden Broom Flower is an ancient dynasty that has existed for tens of thousands of years, while she is just a young girl who is about to turn eighteen. It is said that her radiance can nourish the Golden Broom Flower."

He never easily believed in the idea that one person could change the fate of a nation, even if he himself had done so.

"Would the Grand Commander rather believe that the Empire's Chief Spell malfunctioned than believe that 'I' could change an ancient dynasty?" Mei Qiang didn't rush to explain, but instead asked in return.

The originally charming noblewoman's voice transformed into a clear, girlish voice, as if she were being coquettish.

The next moment, light shimmered on the ruby ​​chair, eventually focusing on her face.

The face, which was originally blurred in the darkness, gradually became clear and began to change.

First, a head of golden hair, as bright as sunlight, cascaded out from under the robes, shimmering with a faint golden light as it fell onto the shoulders.

Next was her fair, jade-like face, her slender, curved eyebrows, and her pure sapphire blue eyes, as clear as lake water, with a pale golden halo around the edges of her pupils, exuding a youthful liveliness and purity.

The figure in the black mist swayed slightly, and Mordred fell silent again.

He remained completely unmoved by Mei Qiang's "coquettishness".

Mordred knew all too well the Grand Mage's methods; everything revealed was merely a facade, concealing a cold-blooded scheming.

As for the girl form that Mei Qiang transformed into.
He had seen too many faces of Mei Qiang, and every transformation was flawless, so he was not surprised to see her now as the "girl who had just turned eighteen" he had described.

Mordred did not trust Mei Qiang.

However, he had to admit that Mei Qiang, who was already the empire's chief mage at the time of his birth, did indeed possess powerful magic that was beyond question.

He couldn't give an answer as to who the most powerful mage in this plane was.

But if asked who the most powerful divination and illusion mage in the plane is, Mordred is certain that it is Mei Qiang.

"This Nolan French Fighting Tournament will proceed as you wish." After a long silence, Mordred finally relented, his tone carrying an undeniable determination: "But those who carry out this will also include my men."

"The Commander-in-Chief is still so cautious," Mei Qiang chuckled.

"You summoned Ellie from the Warwick family?" Mordred asked again.

"Although this Nolan Magic Tournament is just a pretext, the real purpose is to use the opportunity of the Magic Tournament to allow the Empire's mages to infiltrate the Imperial participating teams and get close to this Golden Flower Light," Mei Qiang said with a charming smile.

"However, given the temperament of the Empire, how can they accept the defeat of the Imperial Mage in the Magic Tournament? If you're going to put on an act, you have to go all the way. It's a good opportunity to let the Empire's young mages sweep across the continent and demonstrate the Empire's power." Mei Qiang's posture was charming, but her words carried the unique pride and iron will of the Empire.

"I trust you to handle things." Mordred's tone was emotionless, but the figure in the black mist had already begun to flicker.

He never lingered in the Iron Throne Hall, especially when he was alone with Plum Blossom.

Only the two of them were involved in the entire incident; the other tycoon, Du Adolf, never appeared from beginning to end.

This is the empire's unique political system at present.

In a country with a tripartite system, a decision can be implemented as long as two people agree.

As soon as he finished speaking, the black mist suddenly contracted, and Mordred's figure vanished from the Raven Chair, leaving only a faint trace of chilling aura.

In the darkness, Mei Qiang's gaze, like that of a lurking viper, was fixed firmly on the floating map.

To be precise, it was locked on that silvery-white spot of light in the northern part of the Plantagenet Dynasty.

The charming smile she had displayed while dealing with Mordred had long since faded, replaced by a growing coldness. She raised her hand and waved, causing her figure and face to lose their light and be shrouded in shadow once more.

The detailed 3D map became increasingly clear in the darkness, truly resembling a painting woven from flowers.

On the painting, crimson roses and golden pheasants occupy most of the Nolan continent. Although their areas differ, they are essentially sharing the world equally.

But there is another area on the painting that is barren, where neither the broom nor the blood-red rose has taken root; it is a pure white expanse that is completely out of place with the blood-red and gold colors.

That is the North.

The desolate northern frontier.

At the edge of the pure white area, a mountain ridge stretches out like a giant python.

That's the Irwinaya Mountains, a natural barrier in the north.

The silhouette of the mountains appears particularly menacing on the map, with peaks interlocking like jagged teeth.

This mountain range completely isolates the North from the rest of the Nolan continent.

The petals of the crimson rose abruptly ceased at the southern foot of the mountain range, and the golden light of the broom flower dared not cross the mountain range even half a step.

It was as if this natural barrier could truly stop all ambition.

But is this really the case?
It's understandable that the Broom Flower, adhering to the tradition of "orderly non-aggression," never set foot in the North.

But the empire's iron hooves have already trampled across the entire plane, so how could they turn a blind eye to the nearby North?

The barrenness of the North is simply due to the lack of vegetation, not a scarcity of resources.

In fact, quite the opposite is true; the North is rich in resources enough to support the Empire’s newly established dozen or so legions.

The Irwinaya Mountains may stop others, but they can never stop the iron hooves of the Imperial Expeditionary Force.

The reason why the Empire has never launched an invasion of the North, leaving such a lucrative territory untouched, is quite simple.
Mei Qiang narrowed her eyes, just like Mordred had done before, staring at a certain spot in the North on the map.

There, a faint purple glow was hidden.

She raised her hand and traced a line in front of the map. The purple light suddenly brightened, and the outline of a curled-up flower bud appeared.

The flower bud is a deep dark purple with a faint, shimmering white sheen at the edges. The calyx is as transparent as ice crystals, and it is currently in a state of budding and about to bloom.

Yes, on the continent of Nolan, besides the Crimson Rose and the Golden Finch, there is a third flower.

Purple magnolia.

It lacks the aggressiveness and vitality of the blood rose, and the purity of the broom flower; it is merely a bud about to bloom, and there is only one flower.

But such a single flower was enough to make Mei Qiang, and the empire, keep it a closely guarded secret.

Because this purple magnolia flower is the embodiment of a great being.

“Anivia,” Mei Qiang murmured softly, her fingertips hovering above the projection of the purple magnolia flower, yet she dared not touch it.

She had tried to uncover the flower's secrets, but ultimately paid a heavy price.

At this moment, besides apprehension, a very slight hint of surprise, and even a touch of uncertainty, flashed in Mei Qiang's eyes:
It seemed that this purple magnolia flower, which had been dormant for ten thousand years, had opened up by an extremely small arc since the last time she observed it, and the pale purple halo was even more intense than before.

It's as if... as if some force is awakening this sleeping being?

(End of this chapter)