The Lord Demon King is Unfathomable!

Chapter 1320 387: Arrogance (3)

No one understands better than him how to develop Void Realm Resources!

This achievement is not only enough to secure a foothold for him and his school at the Tower of Great Sage, but it will also attract countless mages yearning for truth to follow.

The name Colin will become a rising new star!

And the light of this star will inevitably invade and compress the positions originally held by other stars!

Arist's gaze fell on the staggered towers of the Academic State, his eyes becoming complex and cold. It was as if what was reflected in his eyes was no longer a hall of knowledge, but a steel forest where the weak were prey for the strong.

Just like the steel forest that Merk saw in the Void Realm!

"Though the towers of the Academic State are tall," he muttered in a voice only he could hear, "they are actually... quite cramped."

Especially the niches below the spire!

The core rights of the Academic State are tightly held in the hands of the thirteen Sages, with only a handful of corners their will doesn't reach.

And his painstakingly managed "Thorne Association" was merely like spiders nestled in these shadows.

Now, someone has entered his domain, and they don't seem content to pass through peacefully.

A sense of anxiety, as if being throttled by a survival crisis, crawled all over Arist. This was also the first time he felt such acute agitation since becoming a Diamond Level Mage!

While his soul was being scorched by an unnamed fire, a gentle yet unfamiliar voice suddenly echoed from deep within his soul.

"An interesting predicament."

The voice appeared without warning, startling Arist so much that he almost activated the Defense Talisman on his body.

"Who?!"

Arist turned around sharply, his always composed and calm face showing a bewildered surprise for the first time.

His powerful spiritual power, like an invisible giant net, instantly swept over every corner of the study, every inch of shadow!

However—

There was no one.

In the study, besides himself, there was only the moonlight that spilled in from outside the window and the solitary shadow cast by the Magic Lamp on the desk.

That voice seemed as if it was his own illusion.

No—

This was definitely not an illusion!

Arist's thin hand reached out, clutching the Magic Wand that had materialized from who knows where, his taut nerves on high alert.

"When the rise of one genius inevitably overshadows another, you used to be a new scholar in the field of Void Realm studies, but that was twenty years ago... Now that you see your former self, what will you do? Will you obliterate him, or... comply?"

The voice rang out again, tinged with a playful smile, as if it was spectating a game that didn't concern it.

Beads of cold sweat seeped from Arist's forehead.

He was certain that his study and spiritual world were enveloped by the most top-tier protective arrays, with no presence able to breach them without alerting him.

Unless—

This intruder's power far surpassed his, even beyond the Great Sage seated at the spire!

"Who exactly are you?"

Arist lowered his voice, posing the question to the empty room. His voice, though striving to remain composed, couldn't hide a hint of indecisive tremor.

The mysterious whisper fell silent for a moment.

Then, with an intimate yet sinister tone, it provided an answer that sent an icy chill throughout Arist's body.

"I am you."

"..."

That whisper, as intimate as a lover, felt more chilling to Arist than the cruelest curse.

His mind went blank for a moment, but his iron will, honed over decades, quickly pulled him from the shock that could drive an ordinary mage insane.

"You're mocking me!"

Arist's voice became sharp and piercing, fear fully transforming into anger, utterly tearing apart his disguise of elegance and composure.

His powerful spiritual power stirred up an invisible storm in the study, causing pages to rustle.

Yet, the mysterious whisper remained undisturbed, instead carrying a sigh-like chuckle.

"It is you who are mocking yourself. You refuse to admit the fear in your heart, refuse to acknowledge your jealousy of that 'genius,' and even more unwilling to admit... that this inherent arrogance is genuinely you beneath the mask. Why not accept yourself? It's not a bad thing."

"Get out of my mind..."

Arist growled threatening words, yet that mysterious voice merely let out a gentle laugh.

"I've always been outside. See for yourself in the mirror."

Mirror?

Arist turned abruptly, looking at the large ebony full-length mirror that adorned the study wall, used for tidying appearances.

The next second, his pupils contracted abruptly, and the blood in his body seemed to freeze instantly.

The mirror was pristine and clean, clearly reflecting the scene in the study, as well as his own somewhat distorted face from shock.

Incredibly, right beside the "self" in the mirror, there floated a cloud of gray mist continually changing shape!

The gray mist seemed to possess life, sometimes contracting and sometimes dispersing, its surface continuously rolling, with countless distorted and agonized faces fleeting within, like silent screams and wails.

It didn't reflect any light, instead resembling a miniature black hole, greedily devouring all surrounding light, emanating chaotic and maddening emotions.