Zither Emperor

As the weakest kingdom on the entire Ryuzakinus Continent, the Arcadia Kingdom undeniably also had the smallest territory. Located at the southeastern end of the continent, it was bordered by the vast and boundless ocean to the southeast, and was surrounded on the other two sides by two powerful empires. Had it not been for the intervention of a place called Faran at the center of the continent, a country like Arcadia might have long since perished. And our story begins in Luna City, the capital of Arcadia.

Under the scorching sun, especially in the southern part of the Ryuzakinus Continent, the sun in the sky seemed so close, bringing with it searing hot airflows. Every person bathed in the sunlight felt as if their body had turned into charcoal, all profusely sweating. Although it was still the morning, the streets of Luna City were already filled with a languid atmosphere. No wonder some would say that Landias and Bo Pang, those two powerful empires, had not divided Arcadia, not only because of Faran's intervention, but also because this place was undoubtedly the hottest furnace on the entire continent.

Of course, there are exceptions. At this moment, in front of the Magic Guild of Luna City, there arrived an elderly man full of vigor.

His white magic robe was without a single wrinkle, as upright as the man himself. Dense wrinkles marked the old man's age, and his silver-white hair was neatly combed back. The old mage was quite tall, standing at least half a head taller than the ordinary Arcadian. His right hand, also covered in wrinkles, held a slender magic wand, and although the wand was resting on the ground at the moment, not a single person would think that he relied on this purely wooden wand for support. That was because of his eyes, the old mage's eyes. They were as deep as the abyss, yet clear as black crystals. The old sorcerer was squinting slightly, but a faint sharpness would still inadvertently flash through every time his eyelids opened and closed.

"Praise Falan, good day, respected Mage sir. May I ask if there is anything I can help you with?" Piero had just walked out of the Magic Guild when he saw the old mage. Although the older wizard didn't have any expensive attire or magical products on his person, and even with the absence of elemental fluctuations on his magic robe and his entire being preventing anyone from discerning his level, Piero, as an Intermediate Rank Yellow-rank Mage who had been practicing in the Magic Guild of Luna City for over twenty years, trusted his instincts. Only those who wanted to show off would display their magic level on the emblems of their magic robes. Given that the elderly mage before him appeared to be at least in his seventies, how could he possibly be a low-level mage? What's more, not a single drop of sweat could be found on his wrinkly forehead.

"Praise Falan." The old Mage's voice sounded very soft and pleasant. Though somewhat deep, it gave one the feeling of basking in a spring breeze, seemingly making even the scorching air cool down a bit, "I come from Faran, please take me to see the interim president of the Guild."

Piero's body suddenly stiffened, and his eyes shimmered with surprise and ecstasy. From Faran? He came from Faran. Even the most ordinary commoners on the Ryuzakinus Continent, upon hearing this sentence, would understand its significance. The president of the Magic Guild in Luna City had passed away more than two years ago, and as the head Guild of the Arcadia Kingdom, the president's position had been vacant for those years. He came from Faran – could it be...

What is the most exalted profession on the Ryuzakinus Continent? It is the Mage. Perhaps some may doubt the existence of gods, but no one does not worship Mages. Faran is a piece of land on the Ryuzakinus Continent with a plain terrain. It spans an area roughly half the size of the Arcadia Kingdom, and its fertile land is untouched by any nation, for it is the sacred place of Mages. Faran stands as the faith of almost all nations, except for the Northmost Wasteland on the Ryuzakinus Continent.

Faran is not only the sacred place for Mages, it is also the place Mages fear the most. Except for the Faran Legion that guards Faran, only Mages can enter there. Entering Faran is not too difficult a task, but leaving Faran is something almost no Mage dares to hope for. Without the strength of at least a Blue rank, one would not be allowed to leave that place.

The hierarchy of Mages, from low to high, goes as follows: Mage, Intermediate Mage, Advanced-rank Mage, Grand Archmage, Sorcerer, Mage's Scholar, and Grand Sorcerer. Regardless of the type of magic, it is categorized by the same colors, graded in the order of a rainbow's colors. The lowest-level Mages correspond to the first color of the rainbow, Red, and so on. Blue represents the rank of Mage's Scholar. The first six rainbow colors are divided into three ranks: beginner, intermediate, and advanced. An Intermediate Rank Yellow-rank Mage like Piero would be an advanced-level intermediate mage. As for Purple, the last color of the rainbow, it is divided into nine ranks; even among Grand Sorcerers of the same Purple rank, the difference in strength can be vast based on the specific rank they hold. Faran became the sacred land of Mages for another reason, which is that within Faran, there are a total of seven Mage towers. Within each Mage tower resides a powerful Ninth Rank Purple Mage and they represent the very pinnacle of existence on the Ryuzakinus Continent.

Therefore, on the Ryuzakinus Continent, discerning a person's strength is quite straightforward; any magic or Douqi is differentiated by color. The color released fully displays the user's own power.

"Please, after you," Piero said, anxious and respectful as he stepped to the side.

The old Mage's face showed a hint of a smile as he nodded slightly to Piero, before following him into the Mage's Guild.

Inside the guild hall, a vast presence of magic elements filled the space. The floor was inlaid with a Magic Hexagram made of Mithril emitting a faint silver light. The interior of the guild appeared very spacious, which had much to do with the scarce number of Mages. In a small Kingdom like Arcadia, the number of Mages could be described as sparse. Therefore, while the guild held a high status in the Kingdom, it remained quiet and deserted.

Piero did not keep the old Mage waiting long before another aging Mage was ushered out from the inner parts of the guild. This Mage was dressed in a green Magic Robe, seemingly similar in stature to the visiting old Mage.

"Praise Falan, greetings to you, Mage from afar. I am Diara, the Acting President of the Arcadia Kingdom's Mage's Guild and a Fire Mage," said Diara, bowing slowly to the white-robed old Mage while a light green flame emerged on his right hand, indicating his status as a Beginner Green-rank Mage—this was the most esteemed courtesy among Mages. It's worth noting that Diara would not need to exhibit such a gesture even in the presence of the King given his status in Arcadia. The reason for his reverence was singular; the white-robed Mage before him came from Falan.

"Praise Falan, my name is Qin Shang, from Falan. This is a message from Falan." Qin Shang transferred his wooden Magic Wand to his left hand, extending his right hand towards Diara. A faint light flashed, and a Sheepskin Scroll materialized in his palm.

Both Piero and Diara were stunned by the scene before them as they clearly saw that although the light from Qin Shang's hand was very faint, its color was — Zi.

Diara's hands trembled slightly as he took the Sheepskin Scroll and slowly unfurled it. There was nothing on the Scroll, just a blank piece of parchment, but Diara did not find this surprising. His gaze instinctively turned to Qin Shang standing before him.