The legendary warrior

Laughing, Ricky took out the jade slip he had prepared in advance. It contained all the information recorded in the Chaos
Manual.
"Sir, here is the casting manual I'm practicing—the Chaos Manual!"
he intoned as he held out the jade slip.
"The Chaos Manual, named after the so-called chaos which contains everything. What an intimidating name!"
the Casting Ladder sighed upon hearing the name of the manual. Since it was a supreme weapon, the Casting Ladder could see
the innermost working of things with just a superficial glance. So when it heard the name of the Chaos Manual, it immediately
understood how Ricky had gotten so incredible in casting. He even surpassed the strongest genius of the Short Human tribe.
After the Casting Ladder took the jade slip, a deluge of information poured into Ricky's Soul Sea.
"This is for you, the casting manual of the Helian Clan—the Ancestor Divine Manual!"
explained the Casting Ladder. "However, this is only a quarter of the complete version. As you know, aside from the Helian Clan,
the Short Human tribe is composed of three more clans.
The other three quarters are in the hands of the remaining three clans."
"I understand,"
replied Ricky, nodding.
He already knew that, of course, since the Short Human tribe was quite famous. It was composed of the four strongest clans,
and each of them held a quarter of the casting manual of the tribe.
"Ricky, why do I feel like you got shafted in this deal?"
the Evil Mandragora remarked. "You only received a quarter of the Ancestor Divine Manual, while the Casting Ladder acquired
the complete Chaos Manual."
"Don't worry. It may only be a quarter of the manual, but it is already a great deal for me,"

Ricky reassured her. "And besides, the Casting Ladder helped me become a casting master at the Sage Level, and I consider
that the ultimate harvest.
Oh, and by the way, I have one more ace up my sleeve. You see, my Chaos Manual is connected to my spiritual meridian and
zones. And it is only when the spiritual meridian and zones exist together can an individual truly comprehend the Chaos Manual.
That means no matter how talented the members of the Short Human tribe are, they could never surpass my understanding of
the Chaos Manual. However, I can surpass them on the Ancestor Divine Manual."
"So that's why you are willing to give the Chaos Manual to the Casting Ladder just like that!"
Only at this point did the Dragon Intent Grass and the Evil Mandragora understand Ricky's actions.
Afterward, Ricky bade farewell to the Casting Ladder, entered the Massacring Zone, and left.
"Can this young man be the casting genius who will eventually surpass the Short Human tribe?"
the Casting Ladder murmured to itself. "I hope that someday, this experience will help him see the Short Human tribe in a friendly
light. After all, my hunch is always right."
Three days later, the third round finally began.
This round was much easier than the second one because this round only involved testing one's casting talent and casting
capability.
Most even considered the second round as the real competition.
Among the Helian Clan's treasures was a divine drum that could test casting talent and casting capability.
It served as the centerpiece of the square, with a height of three meters and a width of two meters. At this point, all the
participants and warriors who came to watch had already gathered around it.
The drum was a reddish-yellow color peppered with circles all over its body, from the center to its outermost part. A closer
inspection revealed exactly one hundred circles.
As for the test, the participants would take turns in hitting the drum with their strongest runic power, which it would then absorb.
Then, the drum would glow according to the participants' casting talent and casting capability. The stronger the participants were
in terms of casting, the more circles would glow up.

If a participant's strike could light a hundred circles, the drum would make a sound, and the circles would shine again.
In other words, the higher the casting talent and casting capability of a participant, the more the drum would sound and more
circles would glow.
"So this is a test of casting talent and casting capability, huh? Interesting!"
Ricky murmured.
A few moments later, Kamari arrived. His eyes flew towards Ricky and remained glued on him. The sharp killing intent in his
eyes made chill crawl up Ricky's spine.
That look indicated how much Kamari hated Ricky.
But despite the resentful air that Kamari radiated, Ricky didn't shy away from him. Instead, he showed his resistance through his
momentum.
A thick tension settled between the two of them, and it was so obvious that even the surrounding warriors could feel it.
"Will Ricky surpass Kamari today and become the new number one casting genius in the Misty South?"
The warriors around them erupted into a flurry of whispers.
"Those two ended up in a draw last round. That shouldn't happen today, right?"
"I doubt it. After all, no two people's casting talent can be the same, and the drum can detect even the smallest sliver of
difference."
"Well, let's wait and see. Can you imagine the look on those members of the Short Human tribe if Ricky wins first place? It's no
wonder Wayne took Ricky as his teacher."
"So many things have changed since Ricky came here."
"Prepare yourself, Ricky! Today, I will prove that the Short Human tribe will always reign supreme in terms of casting, and I will
always be the best!"
Kamari declared with all confidence using his telepathy, and his tone was imbibed with strong killing intent.

"We will let the results speak!"
Ricky firmly countered, not letting the other man intimidate him.
He believed in his skills, and he intended to take the title of the number one casting genius.
As soon as Elder Graysen and the saints arrived, the third round began.
Two more elders of the Helian Clan also came to watch, and both were also in the discussions the last time. One was Elder
Deacon, and the other was Elder Calhoun.
Elder Calhoun was an old lady that Ricky didn't recognize.
On the other hand, Ricky knew Elder Deacon well. He was Wayne's grandfather.
So as soon Elder Deacon spotted Ricky, his eyes bore holes into the other man, and his killing intent rippled around him like a
wave. Out of everyone in the Helian Clan, it was Elder Deacon who hated Ricky the most. That was understandable since
Wayne was his favorite grandson.
He had high expectations for the young man. And Wayne had not let him down and had become one of the top casting geniuses
of the Helian Clan, much to his pride and delight.
Elder Deacon also intended to have Wayne take over his position someday.
But all these dreams had gone up in smoke. Ricky had spoiled all his plans. If it weren't for his position as an elder, the other
members of the clan would have called for Wayne to be executed.
Despite his great hatred, Elder Deacon didn't say anything to Ricky.
'Wayne is my disciple and my friend. I need to save him, '
Ricky thought to himself, his determination strengthening his resolve, even as he felt Elder Deacon's hateful glare.
"The third round begins now! The 100th disciple, step forward!"
Under Elder Calhoun's and Elder Graysen's watchful gazes, the short man in charge announced the beginning of the third round.
Starting from the 100th place, the disciples participating in the competition approached the side of the drum in succession.

When the disciple bombarded the divine drum with his runic power, it rang three times and twenty circles shone.
"Three sounds! Not bad! The highest recorded done by the Short Human tribe's casting geniuses under the age of three hundred
is seven sounds," a warrior commented after hearing the third sound.
"Even the 100th disciple, the least powerful of all the participants, can make the drum ring three times! The Short Human tribe is
indeed filled with the best casting geniuses in the whole Misty South."
"If the last disciple can make three sounds, I wonder how many more Ricky and Kamari can make. Will they break the previous
record?"