In the quiet jungle, a figure in black appeared.

"Looks like this is it!"

Merlin looked around him and could vaguely, feel a sense of familiarity from his memory. This was where the ancient monument had been. However, now there was only flat ground covered all over with a thick carpet of dead leaves. How could there be an ancient monument here?

"Rise!"

Merlin furrowed his brow, following which he waved his hand. Instantly, the fallen leaves were quickly spun by a whirlwind, drifting to the sides. An empty clearing appeared on the ground.

In the clearing, there was a small dirt mound. Merlin's eyes brightened for after this mound appeared, the feeling in his heart became even stronger.

"The ancient monument must be here, only for some unknown reason it had sunk in, leaving only a small part above the ground. If I hadn't come here before, it wouldn't have been easy to find."

Merlin mumbled to himself. He had already discerned that this small dirt mound was where the ancient monument had been, only for some reason, it had gradually sunk underground and was covered by the fallen leaves.

Back then, there had been a passage in the ancient monument, but now even the passage had been buried. Nonetheless, this did not faze Merlin.

"Open up!"

Merlin roared out in a low voice. His figure leaped forward in an instant, becoming a black flash as the energy in his entire body exploded furiously.

"Rumble."

The loud sound reverberated in the jungle. Merlin was currently using the pure strength of his body. He was already very strong. In one strike, the loose soil immediately collapsed inward and revealed a deep-reaching passage which headed downward.

"So, there's a passage!"

A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. In the past, he had entered through the passage. Now, he had merely gauged the vicinity of the passage to directly force a way in.

Damp air came from within the deep passage. Although dead leaves and loose dirt covered the passage, there was still moisture which seeped inside.

Merlin entered the passage and felt a cool, gloomy force. He knew that there were patterned spiders and other guardian monsters in the ancient monument but with his current abilities, he should be able to easily deal with even the strongest guardian monsters.

"Squeak squeak."

Indeed, in a short moment, Merlin heard a strange noise up ahead, following which patterned spiders appeared in the passage one after another, blocking Merlin's path.

These patterned spiders had incomparably vibrant colors. Each of them had a large frame. Upon seeing Merlin, a blood-red look flashed in their eyes, and they appeared overjoyed.

In their eyes, Merlin was a delicious feast!

"Hmph!"

Merlin snorted coldly. A raging layer of flames immediately flared up around him. Wherever the Fourth-level spell Incinerating Fire went, the patterned spiders had no way of withstanding it, each being burnt to ashes.

Perhaps to the Merlin of the past, these patterned spiders were formidable, but to the current Merlin, they were barely worth a mention. Wherever he passed by, the patterned spiders were reduced to ashes.

"How weak!"

Soon enough, the patterned spiders were all burned to ashes. Merlin continued forward, and he quickly reached a flame-shaped statue.

This flame-shaped statue was life-like and detailed especially when Merlin arrived near it. It began to twist gradually, and a beam of firelight shot out wildly from the statue.

This firelight rapidly took shape, and it was the flame sprite that he had met back then in the ancient monument!

The flame sprite was surrounded by a furious burning blaze. As it saw Merlin, a stunned expression crossed its face. Following that, the flame sprite carefully sized Merlin up, and asked in a bewildered and uncertain voice, "I remember you. Back then in this ancient monument, you're Wizard Merlin who cultivated Fiery Collapse! You've already become a Fourth-level Spell Caster?"

The flame sprite found it hard to believe. How long was Merlin gone? At most, it had been a mere few years' time, and back then, Merlin was only a First-level Spell Caster.

Merlin shook his head lightly. "I'm still not yet a Fourth-level Spell Caster, only I've managed to construct a Fourth-level Fire-type spell."

"You've constructed a Fourth-level Fire-type spell?"

The flame sprite's eyes brightened as fluctuations emerged around it. Anyone could clearly see that it was ecstatic.

"Which is to say, you've come here now to cultivate the second form of Fiery Collapse?"

"That's right. I'm here to cultivate the second form of Fiery Collapse. The treasures that enable me to do so can only be found here in the ancient monument!"

Merlin did not deny this. Once he had cultivated the second form of Fiery Collapse, it would be a great blessing to the flame sprite as well. This was because once Fiery Collapse had reached the second form, the binding of the entire ancient monument would gradually vanish, ultimately allowing the flame sprite to achieve freedom.

This was the opportunity that the flame sprite had dreamed of!

Perhaps because the flame sprite was overjoyed, it flitted around constantly, and a scorching force could vaguely be felt in the air.

"Yes, yes, yes! The day is finally here. I've waited such a long time, and now I have a chance to escape at last. Wizard Merlin, I'll bring you to the obstacle. Only after clearing that obstacle can you obtain the various treasures within for the cultivation of the second form of Fiery Collapse!"

The flame sprite could wait no longer to bring Merlin to attempt the obstacle.

Merlin nodded. Previously, when he first cultivated Fiery Collapse, he had to go through an obstacle as well. Naturally, this time, in order to cultivate the second form, he also had to complete an obstacle.

Merlin did not know much about this ancient monument. He merely knew that it was left behind by a great Spell Caster named Wizard Dowland. According to Merlin's conjecture, Wizard Dowland should also be a Great Wizard!

Only a Great Wizard would have the ability to leave behind such a massive ancient monument and set up various spells and techniques within which lasted even after a thousand years. Most Spell Casters would have no way of achieving this.

The flame sprite quickly brought Merlin through many passages until they came before a stone room. Inside the stone room, there was a gray monster which resembled a hedgehog currently in a deep slumber.

"Snap."

The hedgehog-like monster seemed to have sensed the arrival of Merlin and the Flame Sprite and gradually woke up.

"Hmm? A puppet?"

Seeing this hedgehog-like monster, Merlin could feel its lifeless force as well as traces of severe energy. Only those puppets would emit such a force.

This hedgehog monster before him was a powerful puppet!

"Buzz."

Without warning, the eyes of the hedgehog puppet flashed with a red glow as if it had come alive. Thereafter, it's cold eyes flicked open and fixed upon Merlin!