Chapter 1691 - WMW 64

"Thank you very much!" Leylin smiled widely as he expressed his gratitude.

Freya pulled on Leylin's arm as they moved to sit on a long sofa. Leylin's eyebrows furrowed, but not taking such intimate actions to heart.

"What exactly did you ask me to come here for?" Leylin thought Freya was not one to look for him because of a small matter— Miranda would be more likely to do that.

Once a serious topic was mentioned, all other expressions left Freya's face as she turned solemn,"Do you know about the events related to the Purgatory World?"

"As far as I know, the elders seem to have acquired some clues, and now they should be searching for the specific coordinates!" Leylin said with an equally strict expression.

"Actually, the search has almost been completed. According to my master's plan, I'm afraid we'll all have to go to the headquarters to participate in the experiments!" Freya added, smiling bitterly.

"This is a responsibility we cannot shirk!" Leylin seemed solemn.

"It's just that… I have a really bad feeling about this…" worry surfaced on Freya's face, "Even in the ancient era, the Purgatory World was a tremendously powerful world, so how is it possible that it would be so easily found? Even if it is found, how would anyone then go past the protectors to enter?"

"I'm sure the mentors have already considered these questions…" Leylin considered his own words as he spoke.

"Well, I sure hope so!" Freya breathed a long sigh, then suddenly remembered something else, "These days, the outside world does not seem to be at peace; you must be careful. These are for you…"

Freya pushed a box over to Leylin. Leylin opened it to find numerous glittering and translucent crystals neatly placed inside.

"Spiritual force crystals? Those that have had their markings completely removed?"

Leylin was taken by surprise. A Crystal Phase Magus could naturally store and preserve his own crystallised spiritual force, and leave these crystals for future use.

But for such a pure colour to appear meant that Freya not only washed away all the spiritual force inside her crystals, but she also eliminated all her spiritual imprints.

To a Crystal Phase Magus, this was no different from reducing their own spiritual force. Although it wasn't impossible to replenish them, it was still extremely troublesome.

Such crystals with their marks removed could be given to other Crystal Phase Magi to use, and could quickly replenish spiritual force. They were rare treasures, and had always been a top-class resource that was only circulated among Crystal Phase Magi.

For Freya, someone who had just advanced to the Crystal Phase, this gift was extremely precious to give.

Freya stopped Leylin before he could say anything. "Don't decline it, this is what you deserve. I have yet to thank you for the bloodline crystals from last time…"

Leylin remained silent for a while, but eventually, managed to speak to express his gratitude, "Thank...thank you…"

...

A black horse-carriage slowly exited from the Ancient Blood Serpent Castle's main gate..

Inside the magnificent carriage sat Leylin. He was looking at the box in his hand, a bitter smile on his face.

"She's very considerate…" He sighed lightly. During this period of an unknown crisis, Freya was still able to remember him. This thought inevitably led Leylin's heart to flutter.

"In the future, if I have the means, I will definitely help you!" Leylin firmly decided in his mind.

"Are you certain the target is inside?"

Not far away, there were tremors felt on the ground surface. Two shadows dressed in yellow appeared. "It is confirmed, inside that carriage is the Ouroboros Clan's Marquis, Leylin!"

The other figure had a scratchy voice.

"Hehe...this is the Magus who the Demon Hunter put a high price on… And he has Hydro Phase strength!" The person who spoke first immediately laughed coldly.

"Everything is already prepared. Once our target enters the ambush, we spring into action at once!" There was a hint of bloodthirst in that scratchy voice.

"Hmm?!" Leylin, who was just resting on the carriage, abruptly opened his eyes, revealing a cheeky smile.

"Someone wants to attack me?" Although he had not heard the conversation between the two shadows, the A.I Chip's detection clearly showed that, in the forest not far away, there was a trap.

Even if the other party had already carefully set up three layers of aura-concealing spell formations, from Leylin's point of view these spell formations were like sieves that were filled with holes.

Especially the radiation from the Magi hidden within— that was as obvious as a burning torch in the night.

"Julian!" He called in a low voice.

"What's the matter, Lord Marquis?" the coachman from outside replied immediately.

"Maintain the speed, there's a group of friends ahead of us waiting for a greeting!" Leylin spoke in a low voice, and he was certain the Magus had already understood what he meant..

"Yes, my lord!" Upon hearing this piece of news, Julian's voice was still ever so steady, like he was not in the least bit worried.

The grand horse-carriage proceeded at a constant speed, moving along on the road by the forest as if unaware.

A yellow fireball boomed as it crashed down on them, ruining the walls of the carriage and causing it to break apart. The giant rut and the wheels of the carriage flew out.

A waft of smoke rose just outside the area, isolating this piece of land from the rest of the world.

A few men dressed in black immediately pounced towards the carriage. One of them held a huge hammer up high, and smashed down on the carriage directly.

The land rumbled as the huge hammer mercilessly crushed the remains of the carriage and created a gigantic pit, as if by an earthquake that sent out strange ripples.

"Eh? There's no one?" The person who spoke was someone with the voice of a child, and the body of a seven- or eight-year-old. Yet, he was holding a hammer that was bigger than his own body, making him look a little ridiculous.

"Blacksmith Mia? I don't recall there being any grudges between us." Several black tendrils covered the whole area, and Leylin carried the trembling coachman as they walked out of the shadows.

"Hehe! Do I need a reason to kill you?" Mia lifted her hood, revealing a face befitting the body. A face that should have been filled with the joy of a child was instead warped with bloodlust.

Blacksmith Mia was the central continent's most infamous bandit, a peak Crystal Phase Magus with countless crimes to her name. Under the guise of a little girl hid a vicious, scary monster. She'd once used a metal hammer to kill an entire family of Magi. Male, female, old, young; no matter who it was, they were simply added to the mountain of flesh.

"And I reckon these people are courting death too?" Leylin looked around at the other few black shadows. Numerous elemental particles transformed into shields and appeared before him.

"Assassin Hill! Brutal Bear Fein!"...

A few of the Magi reported their names successively. They were all characters whose names were known far and wide for their notoriety.And they all emitted waves of Crystal Phase energy.

"You sure do think highly of me…" Leylin said, smiling while shaking his head. Without warning, he sprung forth violently.

"Go to hell!" He whirled the coachman who was in his arms upwards, smashing him towards Mia as if he were a sandbag. The numerous potion bottles on him scattered outwards.

"Rank 3 potion combination spell, Divine Prairie Flames!" Burning flames immediately formed a wall of fire in front of him, isolating Hill and Fein to one side.

On the other end, the coachman who was thrown by Leylin changed in a bizarre manner. Mia, who was standing in front of him, whirled the heavy hammer without regard for anything, trying to smash the coachman into pulp.

He pulled out a golden dagger in mid-air, and his whole temperament instantly changed. The originally timid man turned sinister and crazy, as if a cowardly rabbit transforming into a tiger.

"Blacksmith Mia?" He laughed coldly. His whole body seemed to have become as flexible as a snake's, and he moved his body in a way no ordinary person would ever be able to as he avoided the huge hammer. In the same instant, he stabbed the dagger right into Mia's chest.

*Weng!* An aura of gold was emitted from Mia's body, but even that was shockingly dimmed as it was stabbed firmly by the dagger.

Mia's body went stiff for a split second before her innate defensive spell shattered into pieces under the dagger's attack.

Swiftly after, the sharp dagger mercilessly slashed at Mia's skin and its sharp blade entered right through her chest, ripping through flesh and entering her internals.

Seeing the fresh red blood spurting out, the coachman's face instantly revealed joy. And yet, the moment he saw a crazed expression on Mia's face, his heart froze.

"Die!" Mia let go of the hammer. Holding on to a dagger, she crashed forward.

The sound of bones breaking came from the coachman's body. His face revealed his astonishment as blood flew from his mouth onto the street.

"Boneless Snake Julian?" Mia's body constantly wiggled, covering and repairing her internal organs and wounds immediately. She looked at Julian with eyes filled with hatred.

"As expected of the legendary Magus with body refinement, who soaked in the Corrosion Swamp! To think my strength and magic equipment isn't enough to kill you in one shot!"

Having been revealed, there were slight alterations to the coachman's face, and Hydro Phase waves were emitted from his body. He was a Magus as well!

Or rather, an advanced Magus who had already reached Hydro Phase.

The Boneless Snake, Julian, was one of Freya's family's most powerful warriors. He was notorious for assassination ability, causing enemies to be terror-stricken at the thought of his existence.

"Damn it, I knew those bastards' plan was not reliable!" Mia's face changed. "Retreat immediately!"

Hill and Fein glanced at each other, doubt surfacing on their faces.

Even if Julian and Leylin stood shoulder to shoulder, they were merely two Hydro Phase Magi. On the other hand, their group had a bunch of Crystal Phase Magi who had been famous for a long time, how could they run away from them with their tails tucked between their legs?

But subsequently, their facial expressions drastically changed.

"Pssssst!"

A menacing Blood Serpent's shadow abruptly bombarded the surrounding haze. The whole spell formation was immediately breached.

Warriors wearing dark red Magus robes with Giant Kemoyin Serpent tattoos surrounded the area, and covered Leylin who had just been promoted to the Crystal Phase.

"Ouroboros Clan Warlocks?"

Hill cried out beneath his breath, knowing that today's business would be hard to handle…

-x-X-x-

"You lot knew our plans from the very beginning?" As Mia looked at how they were heavily surrounded, her face turned grim.

The fighting strength of high-ranked Warlocks, especially that of Warlocks like Leylin and Julian, could without a doubt compare to ordinary Magi in the Crystal Phase.

The Blood Serpent Warlock Organisation was the elite force of Freya's family, not something to be trifled with. They were actually dispatched all at once, and were even led by Freya herself, a Crystal Phase Warlock!

Due to the additional power from their bloodlines, Warlocks were usually stronger than ordinary Magi. Once they advanced to the Crystal Phase, they would immediately be able to compare to peak Crystal Phase Magi.

Given all this, it was no wonder that Mia's face looked glum.

"All of you have been wreaking havoc near the territory of the Ouroboros Clan! How can we let all of you go so easily?" Freya wore a tight-fitting hunting suit, and looked extremely heroic. Of course, that was only if one ignored the childish face.

"River Agu's warehouse robbery, the extermination of the Rolithe Family, and Count Oakta's disappearance. Who exactly is the mastermind behind all these?"

Freya stared at the three Magi, and an extreme feeling of danger overwhelmed her.

To subdue and order three vicious Magi in the Crystal Phase was not something that could be done by any ordinary power. With the addition of the chain of events that had occurred recently, Freya had a bad premonition.

"Just the Ouroboros Clan?" Mia's group of three Magi all registered smiles of disdain.

"Watch out! Lest they…" After seeing that smile, Leylin's pupils shrank, and he quickly gave a reminder.

*Boom! Boom! Boom!* Three other rays of black clashed with the Blood Serpent Organisation like lightning, overcoming the strong obstructions before arriving next to Mia's group.

"Three… Crystal Phase!" Freya grit her teeth, and she sounded bitter.

Little did she expect that the opponents had reinforcements, which obviously meant that they had made preparations with regards to the plan of hers.

She was already at the limit of her current strength in subduing three Crystal Phase Magi. But now that there were three more? Freya felt her heart sink.

"What now? If you don't wish for the elites in your family to perish here, then release us now!" Mia's voice had a tinge of complacency.

"That's not enough! He needs to stay!" The three Crystal phase Magi who'd appeared afterwards pointed at Leylin.

"What? Why?" Leylin touched his nose.

"The damage you've done to us is not light, and only the Demon Hunter's rewards can make up for it!" Hill shot Leylin a look before glancing at Freya.

"He is not a Warlock from your family. Miss Freya, I presume you wouldn't want to simply treat us as your enemies just for a member of your organisation?"

Leylin rolled his eyes internally. It would be impossible for discord to be sowed with such simple tactics. However, due to the fact that personal interests were involved, this could bring about more trouble.

Thankfully, Leylin had not planned to put his own safety in the hands of others, and had backup plans already.

"The Demon Hunter?" Freya muttered to herself. She had heard of how Leylin and a few others had offended that particular Morning Star Magus. If those Crystal phase fugitives were under the Demon Hunter's wings, it would be understandable.

Many of the Warlocks thought of that point, and after hearing Hill's words they looked at Leylin in a different light.

Even though they belonged to the same organisation, and they'd had some friendly interactions before, Leylin was simply not important enough for them to offend a Morning Star Magus without hesitation.

Morning Star Magi in the central continent had power and status, and their dignity could not be infringed upon lightly.

Even though the two organisations were hostile, they hadn't yet completely fallen out with each other. As a result, many of the Warlocks thought that it was worth it to give up Leylin to get on Cyril's good side.

A few Warlocks immediately distanced themselves from Leylin. This included the very Julian who had been fighting at his side all this while.

Freya's face immediately registered a change. She grit her teeth as she looked at the numerous Warlocks from her family.

"Leylin is a Marquis of our clan, we will never hand him over!"

"Master!"

A clamour was started amongst the Warlocks. From their point of view, their family did not have to do so much for an outsider.

"My decision is firm! All of you, quickly get out of my territory, or else you'll come to regret it!" Freya said firmly.

"The one who'll come to regret it will be you!" Mia said furiously, and together with the five figures behind her, turned to leave.

"Wait a minute!" Just when the Blood Serpent Organisation had made a path, an ill-timed voice sounded that caused both parties to look around.

"Leylin, don't do anything rash!" Freya's voice betrayed her anxiety.

Even though they were related by bloodline, the Ouroboros Clan was divided into many factions that competed with each other. This was the most she could do for Leylin. Were he to go and provoke them without discrimination, Freya would not risk the danger of her family's elimination to accompany him.

She looked at Leylin's back, and bit her lips.

"What? Youngster, you're lucky today to be able to hide under the skirt of a woman. Next time, you won't be so lucky!" Mia raised her giant hammer and threatened him.

"Three Crystal Phase Magi for the ambush, and another three as backup… this should be the limits of your strength!" A blue light shone in Leylin's eyes as he sighed, "Don't use the Hunter as a facade, he's not fit for that!"

"Hmmm? What did you just say?" Fury appeared on the faces of some of the Crystal Phase Magi.

"What I'm saying is that you have to stay here today. There's no escaping from that, even if you're using the name of a Morning Star Magus!" Leylin's tone was light, but seemed to emphasise his words. At the same time, a mountainous might instantly erupted from his body.

"Crystal… Crystal Phase! How long have you been..." Freya covered her mouth in extreme shock.

Giant Kemoyin Serpent Warlocks would typically depend on the accumulation of time to make a breakthrough via their bloodlines. Freya's own breakthrough to the Crystal Phase at her age had deemed her a genius.

But Leylin? He was only 200 years old, and yet had already broken through the bottleneck to the Crystal Phase!

Freya immediately thought of the changed situation on the battlefield after Leylin revealed his strength.

The other party had a total of six Crystal Phase Magi, and Freya's side had two with the addition of Leylin Julian and the other members of her organisation could at most resist the attacks of three Crystal Phase Magi. Overall their strength was still lower than that of their opponents.

Of course, in that case, for the other party to want to cause great damage to Freya's team, their chances at succeeding would be greatly minimised.

With the small disparity in strength and the apprehensions about damages on both sides, ordinary threats would have no effects.

"I'll deal with these three Crystal Phase Magi! You can settle the remaining ones right?" Leylin had undone the pretense of the transfiguration spell, and had released his entire strength without any qualms as he pointed to Mia's initial group of three.

"No problem!" With Freya's Crystal Phase strength and the addition of Julian and the Blood Serpent Warlock Organisation's support, to annihilate the three Magi would not be a problem. It would only be a matter of time.

"But, are you sure you're up to it?" Freya glanced at Leylin, and in her eyes was worry that she could not conceal. After all, the enemies were Crystal phase Magi as well.

"Haha… Don't worry…" Leylin laughed, and numerous black flames shot out like arrows as they trapped Mia, Hill, and Fein within.

He actually wanted to, in one move, deal with three Magi that were similar in strength to him together.

"I'll grant your death wish! Just nice, my Bloodthirsty Hammer lacks the spiritual wailing of a Crystal Phase Magus!" Mia smiled coldly as she rushed forward with the metal hammer.

*Bam!* The heavy hammer rippled with terrifying amounts of energy, creating a huge crater on the ground.

"A lass who only uses brute force! I happen to detest beings like these lately!" Leylin's silhouette grew translucent, giving off a glow which swiftly appeared before Mia.

"I cannot stand you, but it's a piece of cake to subdue you!" Leylin's eyes registered coldlness, a black ray slowly appeared from his hands.

"Fatality's Tip!" The black ray of death tunneled through the hammer and the innate defensive spells, shooting at Mia's forehead like black lightning. When it exited, it brought with it a large amount of blood as well as brain matter.

*Bang!* It was not until Mia's corpse fell to the ground that Hill and Fein reacted to it.

What had they seen? The famed Mia who was known for her hammer, someone at the peak of the Crystal Phase, died at the hands of her opponent. The two had not even dueled for a few seconds.

'Could it be that he has already advanced to the Morning Star realm?'

All of a sudden, an idea that shocked the two appeared within their thoughts, which instantly caused their limbs to become colder.

Leylin himself had not expected the effects of the sudden attack to be so successful as well.

He had originally already reached the state of a rank 3 Hydro Phase Magus, and with his bloodline strength matured to an extent, he had managed to prematurely reach his limits now together with the help of the Lamia fingerbone.

Currently, he not only had a terrifying spiritual force, his other credentials had far surpassed that of ordinary Crystal Phase Magi by a huge margin.

This terrifying strength had the support of the powerful spell tailored for him by the A.I Chip— Fatality's Tip!

All the factors had come together, and perhaps with the help of Mia's complacency, he had managed to achieve such success. Even Leylin himself was grateful for this stroke of luck that arrived just in time.

"It seems that in my current state, few can match up to me unless they're at or above the Morning Star realm!"

Leylin looked at the venue which had instantly quieted down, and let out a sigh of relief.

"What are you looking at?"

Freya was distracted for only a short while before she instantly ordered the gathering of the Blood Serpent Warlocks. Leylin's terrifying outburst had allowed her to see hope for subduing and annihilating the opponents here!

The thought of her earlier humiliation seemed to have triggered the adventurer in her.

-x-X-x-

"Surround them! Formation number 2!" Under Freya's command, the Blood Serpent Organisation firmly trapped the three other Crystal Phase Magi in a formation.

With their own strength and the assistance of Julian's expertise in sneak attacks, the three Crystal Phase Magi in the formation were immediately surrounded by danger.

"It's your turn now!" Seeing that the three Magi had no hope of escaping, Leylin turned towards Hill and Fein on the opposite end, a brilliant smile spreading across his face.

To the two Magi on the other end, though, this smile was more frightening than that of a demon's.

Upon seeing Leylin's grin, they knew that he definitely would not let them off, and immediately rushed to take action first.

The moment Hill had that thought, numerous black thorns instantly appeared, bursting forth in the blink of an eye.

"Umbra Sting!" The many sharp thorns screeched across the sky and scattered down like a torrential rain of spikes.

"Useless!" A layer of dense scales emerged on Leylin's body. All that the thorns could do on collision with these scales was make a loud noise before snapping apart, merely causing white specks to appear on the black scales.

Leylin's physique had always been extremely shocking, and the current him could practically fight against any rank 1 or rank 2 Magus with his body alone. With the addition of the Kemoyin scales that strengthened his defense, even if he went up against a rank 3 Magus in the Crystal Phase, any spells used against him would have nearly no effect unless they were prepared over a long time.

In the middle of the black rain, Leylin seemed to have transformed into a giant savage beast, advancing while sheltered from the numerous sparks.

This ferocious posture instantly scared the wits out of the two Magi.

"What we do now? Quick, think of something!" Hill shouted at Fein next to him, cold sweat dripping down his forehead.

He was very clear on how terrifying the effects of his spell were, but the other party had unexpectedly resisted it with a mere layer of scales. How strong was his body?

Perhaps only the legendary Morning Star Magi, whose bodies had been transformed by soul force, could compare to him.

"Gaia's Cage!" Fein did not waste any time either. A multitude of yellow crystals appeared around him as he muttered a long unintelligible chant without pause.

When he was done chanting, the earth shook, causing the soil to disintegrate and reveal a sparkling jade structure within.

A cage brimming with the resplendent radiance of a gem suddenly fell upon Leylin, covering him and trapping him inside.

"Earth Elves! Listen to my instructions, bury him completely in the abyss…"

A cheery look briefly appeared on Fein's face before he hurriedly started casting more spells as numerous rays of dull yellow light flashed. Large amounts of soil coagulated to form an even bigger rock that buried him inside. The earth even started to crack apart, as though wanting to swallow up the cage deep into itself.

"Well done, Fein!" Hill, who was on the other side, immediately yelled excitedly, but then saw his comrade's forced smile.

"Be careful! He's struggling inside, I can't control it any longer!" Following loud thumps that made one's heart palpitate, the numerous rocks swelled and broke apart to form huge cracks.

The many cracks then connected to each other and broken rocks suddenly fell everywhere, as though there was a dreadful creature locked up inside that was struggling so hard with mere brute force that the entire cage seemed to have gotten misshaped.

With every thump, Fein's expression grew a little paler, as though he was getting punched hard. By the end of his chant, he spat out large mouthfuls of fresh blood, and almost looked like he was dead.

"The… The seal!" Fein tried his best to say as blood gushed out in large amounts from the corner of his mouth.

*Boom!* The very mountains shook, and the huge cage of rock was sent into the cracks just before everything completely fell apart. The earth slowly closed up.

"Great!" Hill cheered, finally managing to let his guard down.

*Thump!* At this moment, he saw his comrade Fein faint, as though he had already used up all of his energy.

"Don't worry, buddy! I'll take you away now!"

Hill's eyes flickered in multiple colours. Peering over at the few black silhouettes belonging to the Blood Serpent Warlock Organisation who were not far away, he gritted his teeth and left quickly.

"Master?" Julian looked over at the location where Leylin had been buried, "Aren't we going to help?"

"Don't worry. That fellow has never been blocked by an obstacle, he definitely still has something up his sleeve!" Freya rolled her eyes, "Why are you speaking up for him all of a sudden? You clearly approved of the ceasefire previously!"

'That was when I didn't know that the other party was so perverse!' Julian secretly criticised, but did not dare to express it in words.

"Lord Leylin actually revealed his true ability and will likely be the biggest hope in our clan. It will definitely grant him a status much higher than before..."

The highest authority in the Ouroboros Clan belonged to the three Morning Star Warlock elders, followed by a whole bunch of bloodline Marquises among whom the ownership was split.

But Julian knew that above these ordinary bloodline Marquises were actually a special group of people!

They were young Warlocks— children who had already achieved the Crystal Phase and had hopes of advancing to the Morning Star realm! Such people were few and far between in the entire Ouroboros Clan. Their status was only lower than that of the few rank 4 Warlocks, and they were provided with the best resources, aiming for nothing less than advancing to Morning Star.

Although Robin was Gilbert's main steward, his actual position was previously lower than these seeds by a notch.

Of course, after getting some unknown profits, his strength had improved tremendously, and upon entering the Crystal Phase, Robin was on par with the others.

Now that Leylin had shown that his potential was not inferior to Robin's, exceeding it in fact, he would definitely receive more attention from Duke Gilbert!

"Now it seems that when Master met him for the first time, you had already discovered that he wasn't ordinary. Your foresight indeed exceeds that of an average person!" Julian expressed his respect sincerely, making Freya blush.

"You want to leave? Have you even asked me?"

*Boom!* The rock exploded, exposing a deep gaping hole in the ground.

A black figure forced his way out recklessly, causing rocks to fly everywhere.

"Ley… Leylin!" Hill gazed at Fein who had already fainted on the ground, but couldn't even bring himself to cry.

At the bottom of his heart, he had already cursed at the people in charge who initially made this plan. How stupid were they to have put their sights on Leylin, such a ferocious person?

But he didn't have much chance to think about it. Leylin, who was exuding a brazen aura, had already appeared in front of him.

"My Lord! Spare us…" Hill's voice distorted, and various accessories on his person exploded, forming many layers of radiant armor that floated around his body.

"When you dared to ambush me back then, you should have expected to be killed!" Leylin's was callous. In a situation where Morning Star Magi would not appear, there were few things that could constrain him.

After all, since he was unable to continue hiding his strength, he had to ruthlessly display it and intimidate the rest who wanted to go against him.

*Thump!* A black fist attacked the outermost barrier of light, smashing it into pieces. The other layers of defence immediately started tottering, on the verge of collapse.

"My Lord! I am willing to reveal the mastermind behind all this!" Hill gritted his teeth and finally pulled out his trump card.

"Not interested!" Leylin really was not interested in probing behind the scenes. War was almost upon them, and it would be easiest to build an atmosphere full of panic by assassinations and by getting rid of the other party's weaker troops.

He didn't want to be implicated and end up provoking a Morning Star Magus.

Right now, as long as he firmly broke the claws that the other party was reaching out with, it would be enough!

After sorting out his thoughts, Leylin appeared even more apathetic, and was indifferent to the other party's pleas for forgiveness. He eventually ripped apart Hill's innate defence under his despairing gaze.

A sinister-looking head fell onto the ground with a thump even as the body it was previously attached to let loose a shower of blood. It looked like a red fountain had erupted.

'As for this… I'll leave it to her.' Leylin instantly thought of Freya. Fein, who was still unconscious and lying on the ground, would still take some effort to deal with.

Upon inspection, he discovered that Fein's spiritual force had been exhausted, and swiftly removed all of his spatial objects before forcing his consciousness shut.

With his magic equipment and potions all taken away, and his spiritual force sealed, even if Fein was a Magus in the Crystal Phase, he wouldn't be able to do anything.

*Hiss…* On the other end of the battlefield, in the spell formation formed by the Blood Serpent Organisation, the battle was at its most heated moment.

Although the Blood Serpent Organisation was comprised of the elites of Freya's family, who were also proficient in many types of formations, Freya had discovered to her surprise that the three Crystal Phase Magi were also experts in all kinds of terrifying secret techniques. Through combining their strength, those Magi had managed to survive the assault of her troops until now, even if they were trapped in a formation.

The three Crystal Phase Magi in front of Freya had now morphed into a monster.

This monster was thrice the size of a normal human, had three heads and six arms, and its body was covered with moving black runes. It looked as though it was a fusion of the three Magi.

The head of an elderly man placed right in the centre opened its eyes and issued its last warning to Freya. "Let us go! You don't want to pay the price for detaining us!"

"Don't trust him!" A corner of the spell formation split apart, allowing a ray of light to enter. Leylin stood beside Freya.

"Hill and company have already been completely destroyed, and you still wish to leave? Dream on!" Leylin naturally reprimanded his enemies without restraint.

Seeing that the fused Magi appeared to have made suspicious movements, Leylin immediately turned to Freya.

"You're in charge of controlling the spell formation, I'll take care of the front!" he said and then dashed away.

The spell formation of the Warlock organisation was not bad, but Leylin was clear that what it lacked was a pivot who would dare to fight against the other party head on.

His rays of death had been prepared long ago, flickering with a dreadful lustre...

-x-X-x-

Due to the sudden incident, Leylin's return was delayed and he returned to the Ancient Blood Serpent Castle to rest.

"Thank you so much for what you did this time!" Freya sat beside Leylin and personally poured tea for him, her face full of gratitude.

It was evident that the opponents had come for the Ancient Blood Serpent Castle, and attacking Leylin was only an afterthought. If not for Leylin's help, the six Crystal Phase Magi would have attacked together. The castle might not have been able to defend against such an abrupt attack, and there might have been colossal damages.

"That's nothing much. Friends should help each other!" Leylin smiled.

"Just friends?" A gleam of disappointment shone across Freya's face.

The sudden turn of the situation made Leylin feel somewhat awkward, and he tried to divert the conversation elsewhere, "Were any of the other guests present, they wouldn't have stood the savage behaviour of those fugitives either!"

During the battle the previous day, other than Fein who had been taken captive by Leylin, all the five Crystal Phase Magi had perished. The announcement of those horrifying battle results had rendered many people speechless, and had caused a lot of commotion in the Ouroboros Clan headquarters.

The only captive, Fein, was naturally sent back to the headquarters. In the meanwhile, Leylin would have the lion's share of the spoils of war.

Compared to Freya who had to look after her family clan, Leylin had much less pressing on his mind. Whatever he had acquired belonged to him alone, and he had indeed managed to get a huge sum. And there were even more surprises in store for him!

The only thing Leylin could not understand was why Freya did not invite the other guests to assist in subduing the opponents.

If only she had invited more high ranking Warlocks, Leylin would not have to be forced to reveal his true powers.

"Them…" Freya smiled wryly, and actually looked pitiful. Upon seeing her expression, Leylin immediately went silent, guessing what had happened.

Freya had definitely discarded quite a few people in the past, offending them while under the wings of a strong, protective mentor. At this point in time, those people most likely hoped for her to mess up.

Furthermore, there were many factions in Ouroboros Clan, and recently there had been immense tension between them. The environment had given rise to an unstable situation.

Power conflicts tended to be more horrifying than battles. Freya could not find even a single person she was confident would aid her.

"Is the situation already that bad?" Leylin stroked his chin.

"Yes. You're the only one I trust now!" Freya's eyes became red as she leant her head on Leylin's shoulders.

"Wait a moment!" Leylin smiled wryly as he shook his head, "I can understand your need to rant. But what's the point of placing mistletoe powder in the candle?"

The mistletoe was a cherished plant in the Magus world. Seen as a symbol of making love and giving birth, its powder was commonly used to make enticing medicine.

For Magi, it even had the mystical power of increasing impregnation rates, and hence was in excessive demand.

Freya held her breath as she sat in a corner. Her face did not reveal any sense of embarrassment, but was only tinged with anger.

Since she knew that Leylin was a Potions Grandmaster, and had techniques that could protect his seeds of life that even Miranda was unable to do anything about, she would naturally not make a forceful move, and instead leave obvious hints.

And yet Leylin acted like a fool. It infuriated her so much that she didn't want to be near him.

"Master, news has arrived from headquarters!" At that moment, the gates opened and Julian walked in, something that resolved the awkward situation.

"No one here is an outsider. Go ahead!" Freya nodded. In front of others, she had reinstated her prestige.

Julian shot Leylin a glance. A sudden realisation flashed across his eyes, but his face remained solemn.

"According to the orders of the headquarters, Sir Leylin is to become an enforcer of the Ouroboros Clan, and will be in charge of patrolling all the regions under our control! He has the powers to attack any royals under the rank of Marquis. Even if it's a Marquis, he has the rights to imprison them!"

"That…" Freya could not believe it, "They just want to put you in a spot!" She could see through the intentions of such an arrangement by the high ranking officials.

"But I have no other choice, do I?" Leylin shrugged his shoulders.

"According to the orders from the headquarters, Marquis, you have to accept the appointment as soon as possible!"

Julian bowed slightly. The powers of an enforcer of the Ouroboros Clan would naturally be great, but if he was not mindful he could potentially offend many people. This did not bode well for Leylin's future prospects

But since it was an order, it indicated that the internal affairs of the Ouroboros Clan were not too good, to the extent that they had to rely on Leylin to clean up the system.

'From the looks of it, I'll have to leave!'

Leylin got up and gave Freya a hug, "I'm going!"

"Mmm! I'll be heading over to the headquarters to find Mentor some time soon as well. Please be careful!" Freya's eyes actually did turn red this time round.

"Don't worry! There are few people who can scheme against me now!" Leylin laughed with confidence.

...

Phosphorescence Swamp, within the Ouroboros Clan headquarters.

Gilbert's living quarters were small and narrow like before. The walls on two sides even had some green mould growing on them.

If he had not been to the basement, even Leylin would not have believed that this was the residence of a Morning Star Magus.

Leylin saw Duke Gilbert in the study room, not a single strand of hair on his face or head.

"Mentor!" he respectfully bowed.

"Mmmm! You've actually advanced to the Crystal Phase! Not bad, not bad!" Gilbert nodded his head, his gaze scanning across Leylin's body like a ray of lightning.

"I was just lucky!" Leylin obviously would not agree, and he pushed all the credit on to so-called luck.

Thankfully, Gilbert did not continue questioning him either. He held a goose hair pen and started writing on a piece of parchment paper, eventually leaving a marking on the paper using his own secret imprint.

"This is for you! From today, you are the enforcer of the Ouroboros Clan!"

Gilbert passed Leylin the freshly written appointment letter, and his face broke into a sarcastic laugh, "Our organisation has had some matters popping up internally lately. They require your attention!"

"Understood, Mentor!" Leylin let out a long deep sigh inside.

If this was in the past, Gilbert would obviously get to the bottom of things. Even though Leylin had prepared a corresponding response, he had not expected Gilbert to let things off so lightly.

looking at how Gilbert hadn't even taken his biochemical clothing off completely, Leylin's heart throbbed. He asked, "About the Purgatory World…"

"Mmm! We have already discovered its direction, and we need only spend a bit more time to get its coordinates!" Gilbert's eyes lit up, showing his celebratory mood.

"The thousand year search by the Ouroboros Clan will finally see an end! We only need to enter the Purgatory World before we Kemoyin Warlocks won't have to worry about the problem of our bloodlines declining. There's even the potential to break through the bloodline shackles and advance to a higher rank!"

Leylin remained silent and looked at his mentor who was beaming with joy, unable to bring himself to say a word.

He had the A.I Chip as his trump card, and the hopes of the Twilight Zone's Icy World. He naturally wasn't like the Ouroboros Clan Warlocks, who had a deeper understanding of the pains brought forth by the bloodline shackles.

From the looks of it, a thousand years of hope had caused Gilbert to finally drown himself in jubilation.

For the three Elders, all the battles were simply nonsensical. Even if the Ouroboros Clan was to perish, in front of the Purgatory World, it seemed to have no weight.

As a result, Gilbert had allowed him to pass the ordeal so easily.

"Alright, get down to doing it soon. You can seek help from Lucian and Robin if need be! I still have experiments to work on…"

Gilbert's experiment was obviously very pressing. Even during his short conversation with Leylin, the secret imprint on his hands had lit up quite a few times. He eventually chased Leylin out, certainly on his way back to the laboratory.

God knows why, but upon seeing Gilbert like that, Leylin felt a sense of pressure.

Greed drove one to madness before it drove them to death. This was a maxim from his previous life, but one that was still applicable in the situation now.

Since war was about to break out, the few Morning Star Warlocks had actually couped themselves up at home, which resulted in their opponents brazenly taking up the offense.

Leylin smiled wryly internally, and yet had no solution to offer.

Since the Morning Star forces had chosen not to show their faces, it was hard for the subordinates to do anything, and now that Gilbert had actually passed on a portion of the authority to him, it was obviously a difficult task.

"Parker! Bring along my capable subordinates and rush to the headquarters quickly!"

Gilbert had only given him a position, but had not allocated any subordinates to him, which had rendered Leylin speechless.

Fortunately, within his own territory, he had nurtured a few talents, and now was the time he could put them to good use.

Kemoyin Warlock Marquises were like feudal lords in the Ouroboros Clan, and had many Warlocks seeking refuge from them. Should there be more time, Leylin could even build an elite Warlock team himself, which he believed would not be inferior to the Blood Serpent Organisation.

"As you wish, Master!" Parker's voice from the secret technique imprint was firm and determined. He had obviously received some news already.

"Very good. I'll be waiting for you in the manor!" After a few words, Leylin ended the call.

As a Marquis, he had a huge manor in the Ouroboros Clan headquarters. Even though the facilities could not measure up to that of the Magus Tower and Onyx Palace, it was sufficient for an ordinary high-ranking Warlock to use.

What's more important was that the facilities were all complimentary, and Leylin did not have to pay a single penny!

As a result, Leylin had kept the manor and treated it as his residence in the headquarters.

After sending away the two Warlocks who were looking after things, he went into his bedroom and entered deep thought.

A while later, he waved his arms and numerous objects appeared. Many of them had terrifying magic powers. In an instant, the entire room started to glow.

Those were all his spoils of war. The opponents this time round were a bunch of Crystal Phase Magi who were relatively affluent. It had given Leylin a pleasant surprise.

-x-X-x-

Glancing through the many pieces of magic equipment and precious materials, Leylin set his gaze on a pile of crystals.

These were all pure spiritual force crystals. On their surfaces, he could faintly feel the energy of elemental particles.

Crystal Phase Magi had the tendency to stockpile their crystallised spiritual force. In times of need, they would use them to replenish their own spiritual force, or trade them for something else due to their value.

Leylin's move had been quick and violent, leaving no opportunity for the opposite side to use such tactics.

Compared to the spiritual force crystals gifted by Freya, these crystals were obviously unclean, and had to be processed before use. "Crystal Phase spiritual force crystals..."

Leylin stroked his chin, and a tube of golden blood appeared in his hand.

"It's unexpected that I managed to gather these two items so quickly. I guess I'll just go ahead and carry out Quicksand's experiment!" Leylin sighed, and his eyes flashed with a dark solemnness.

His harvest from Quicksand Castle had been much greater than just the Lamia fingerbone.

After he finished deciphering the experimental procedures, the great amount of data became useful for his own bloodline research. Over the past century, he'd digested it all, and even improved on some of it. The technique of preserving his genes was just a marginal result of the experiment.

In fact, Leylin felt that his research into bloodlines was amongst the best in the entire Ouroboros Clan, just below that of the elders.

And one of his experiments involved a method of igniting a Warlock's bloodline to strengthen them.

Leylin had kept this experiment top secret, unwilling to perform it even after he advanced to the Crystal Phase. The effect of the first ignition would be the best, and subsequent ones would progressively decrease in value. Hence, Leylin planned to use his first ignition to break through the bottleneck to the Morning Star realm.

Of course, one measly experiment would not be able to propel him to rank 4. Moreover, he was only at the beginning of the Crystal Phase, so he hadn't even reached the threshold for advancement.

There was an enormous gap between rank 3 Magi and those at the Morning Star realm. There was an abundance of Magi in the central continent, yet Morning Stars remained few and far between, their positions envied by all.

Igniting one's bloodline had the potential to boost one's strength greatly, and even that had slim chances of facilitating a breakthrough.

Still, this bloodline experiment wasn't the only trick Leylin had up his sleeve.

"My cumulations to advance to rank 3 have been progressing well! I have to start considering the next stage—Morning Star…" Leylin stroked his chin, evidently pleased.

The central continent was currently in a dire state, especially the Ouroboros Clan. Not only were there disturbances on the borders, many families had perished and core members had gone missing. These disastrous events were a bad omen for the future.

Amidst such chaos, the best defence one could rely on was their own ability!

"I'm sure Mentor Gilbert and the other two have already been alerted about the circumstances. Why are they yet to make a move?" Leylin muttered under his breath. Suddenly, he thought about his own appointment as an enforcer. "Perhaps they were aware of it and had secret plans of their own that I might have missed noticing it…"

Time crawled on as he waited in silence.

Later, Leylin welcomed the presence of his own bodyguards. Boosting his own confidence was the presence of Lucian.

"Do you really wish to do that?" Lucian stood in front of Leylin, unable to mask his astonishment.

After finding out that the current Leylin had advanced, and was on par with him at the Crystal Phase, he sighed in his heart.

This junior only needed a hundred years to catch up to his level. His talent exceeded any member the organisation had ever seen even in Morning Star seeds. And yet, compared to the temperamental Robin, Leylin whose potential was much higher remained humble and earnest. Lucian found this extremely admirable.

"If we investigate further, the number of people implicated in this will increase… Although Mentor ordered me to assist you…" Lucian, after seeing the current Leylin, felt that this junior ought to have wholeheartedly entered seclusion, waiting for an opportunity to break through the Morning Star bottleneck instead of focusing on such small matters. He wondered what his mentor was thinking.

Thoughts about Gilbert made Lucian heave a big sigh.

To these high-ranking Giant Kemoyin Serpent Warlocks, the allure of the Purgatory World was much too huge, and they couldn't help but be engrossed in their search.

Thinking about the recent situations and Leylin's terrifying military power, Lucian heaved another big sigh.

"I'm in charge of information in the clan. I can give you anything you need. My only wish is for you to not get yourself involved!" Lucian smiled bitterly, took out a translucent crystal ball, and handed over to Leylin.

"As an enforcer, it is imperative that I locate the rebels and all the disruptive elements hidden in the Ouroboros Clan and get rid of them!" Leylin smiled faintly, as if he was not affected by Lucian's words. But once his spiritual force entered the crystal ball, his face changed.

"The situation has deteriorated to such an extent?" He looked up in disbelief and glared at Lucian.

"Yes…" he answered after a heartbeat, "The chaotic power struggles are not confined to the border regions. Even internally, some ambiguous problems have cropped up. Some of the clans and families especially, their betrayal is pretty much confirmed…"

This top secret information was only available to Leylin because he currently held the position of an enforcement officer. If it were in the past when he only held the position of a Marquis, he wouldn't have access to such things.

'What exactly is Mentor doing?' The thought left a bitter taste in Leylin's mouth.

"There's no need for excessive worry. As long as we don't lose our main base at Phosphorescence Swamp, given the presence of the three elders, we of the Ouroboros Clan will never be vulnerable and weak."

Leylin let loose a long sigh before he stood up.

"I want the list of confirmed traitors!"

"Alright, I'll ready them immediately," Lucian promised, "What do you plan to do?"

"No matter what, since they have the audacity to betray the Organization, they will have to pay the price!" Leylin spoke with a steely voice. With his men behind him, he headed out.

…....

"The Stuart Family at the Stuart mountain range!"

Black fires were blazing furiously. A large number of high-ranking Warlocks were surrounding a huge mountainous brutal bear.

Behind the bear was a fort that was half-built into the cliffside.

"Enforcer Leylin, I demand an explanation for this!" In the middle of the castle, the silhouette of an old Magus appeared. It entered the sky, becoming a huge projection.

"Even though you are an enforcer, you do not have the authority to besiege the castle of a Marquis!" The illusory image of the old man roared in his hoarse voice.

"Authority? Only the weak will abide by such rules and regulations while wishing that their predators would abide by them in this way too. By placing your hopes on such enforcements is truly foolish!"

Leylin sneered. Still, on the account of the other men that went on this mission with him, he decided to explain further, "If I have to give you an explanation, it would be your betrayal of the Organization. That is why all these Warlocks are out to kill you, and that is why you cannot escape your fate!"

"Rubbish…" Having his biggest secret exposed, the Magus acted like he knew nothing and was hearing it for the first time. Veins popped out of his flushed neck and he fumed with anger.

"True or false, we'll know after you surrender." Leylin's face was emotionless. A brilliant ray of black ripped through the vast sky and streaked across the brutal bear's head mercilessly.

*Bang!* The huge mountainous brutal bear's head was cracked open like a watermelon.

"So long as they are from the Stuart Family, we have orders to kill them without exception. Property and assets will also be confiscated. We'll be given bonuses of equivalent value!" Parker ordered clearly. Those Warlocks thirsty for achievements, and those who longed for the huge payout from the mission, howled and dashed forward.

Seeing Snoopy taking the lead and defeating one Magus after the other, some even dying on the spot, Leylin couldn't help but nod his head.

The reason he'd taken on the job of enforcer, other than to acquire the huge wealth of the rebels, was for him to bring his men together for a round of actual field training.

The bloody battle of magic and death carried on for a short while. Ten or so minutes later, Parker grabbed the Magus that had been speaking from the fort, and pulled him out. With the matter settled, he stood in front of Leylin and reported like a loyal long-time butler.

"Except for this old man, all surviving members of the Stuart Family had been wiped out!"

"Well done!" Leylin looked at the high-ranking Warlock on the ground. The opposite party evidently had the Giant Kemoyin Serpent bloodline in him too, yet when he saw Leylin, he began to shiver.

"Do you feel resentment? Desperation?" Leylin stepped up, provoking the old Magus.

"Hopefully, the next time, before your soul is destroyed, you should use some brains!"

*Thud!* After Leylin was done speaking the chief's head fell to the ground, staining it red.

"A total of three Giant Kemoyin Serpent Families have been wiped out, along with their supplementary small-scale families and other influences. I think we'll have some peace for a while now…"

Standing at the edge of the overhanging cliff, Leylin glanced at the result of the destruction caused by many Magi, involuntarily heaving a sigh of relief.

"Only a while?" Standing by the side, Parker smiled bitterly.

After numerous episodes, Leylin's reputation had spread everywhere. With his formidable strength that could even slay Crystal Phase chiefs, he'd immediately established his status.

Soon after, through the ruthless means of wiping out entire families and clans, Leylin's fame as an enforcer became even more widespread. Thus, he was labelled 'Annihilator'.

-x-X-x-

No matter what, with Leylin happily going on a killing spree, the internal affairs of the Ouroboros Clan stabilised despite the general unrest.

Leylin guessed that this had more to do with how the opposing Morning Star powers had yet to make their move.

Without these insider spies, it would take more effort to create chaos within the inner circles of the Ouroboros Clan which was currently already on the alert.

With these achievements, his reputation soared not only within the Ouroboros Clan, but even in the nearby regions.

'After the Stuart family is destroyed, we can take a small break!'

Leylin sighed and asked Parker, "How is it going at Senior Robin's side?"

After taking on his role as an enforcer, Leylin was stunned at the realisation that this senior of his had accepted the responsibility from Gilbert before him, and was leading his family and pushing down all rebellions.

In addition, there were rumours that Leylin's senior had a large change of personality. Not only did he like to torture his enemies, he even enjoyed eating human flesh.

Upon hearing this, Leylin's heart sank.

Though it was terrifying when bloodline issues acted up in high-ranked Warlocks, Robin's behaviour had surpassed the pattern of any problems arising from bloodline.

'Mentor might have wanted to capitalise on his insanity, which is why he arranged for him to purge the inner regions.'

Leylin took in a deep breath.

Compared to him, Robin was going too far. Leylin had merely destroyed families where there was conclusive evidence against them, but Robin went even further. If he had the slightest suspicion at all, the entire family would be purged by him mercilessly.

Even a few bloodline noble families who had a deep connection with Robin's own thus lost their inheritance.

Through the list of families Robin had destroyed, Leylin made a discovery. Robin seemed to only to have an interest in pure-blooded families, and the higher the purity, the more pitiful their deaths were. Even their corpses were not complete.

Knowing all this, Leylin felt a chill as he put two and two together.

Though he knew he wasn't the best person in the world, he was still better than Robin. He wouldn't do anything so disgusting.

"Complaints against Robin are becoming more widespread. Who knows, we might need to stop him next!" Leylin smiled wryly at Parker.

"Robin is master's senior. I believe Duke Gilbert wouldn't do this," Parker consoled him.

"I hope so!" Leylin sighed. A distance away, many white dandelions fell down like snowflakes, flying freely atop the ancient castle that had already been ruined.

Night fell, and outside what had been the castle, Leylin's vassals set up simple tents. Iron pots bubbled with meat soup and large amounts of mushrooms, giving off a tempting aroma.

A merry atmosphere permeated the camp; the plan had gone quite well, Though Leylin planned to train his vassals this way, he still made his move when the casualties were about to be too high.

Hence, they had not suffered much, and instead reaped massive gains. For this reason, they were motivated to continue striving on.

Even the most ferocious Warlock was full of admiration when gazing at Leylin's tent at the heart of the camp.

They had been with Leylin for the longest period of time, and could be said to be the people who knew Leylin the best out of everyone in the Ouroboros Clan.

It was because they knew the terrifying strength of their master that they held reverence for him.

Of course, he did not put too much thought into this. As long as he maintained his crushing strength, these vassals would follow him for their entire life.

Within the tent, Leylin was half-lying on the ground, dressed in tight black clothing. His hands were held behind his back in a strange position.

There were a few strange runes written on his body with blood.

Buzzing sounds were produced from Leylin's lips from time to time, his entire body slightly moving along to a rhythm.

During this process, threads of mysterious energy seemed to be pulled from the air, disappearing into Leylin's limbs.

This process continued for almost an hour. Only then did Leylin stand up, taking a look at his hands.

A prompt popped up at this moment.

[Host body completed a cycle of Multilimb Strength. Vitality increased by 0.5, no changes to strength. Estimated that in 20 days and 13 hours, host body's vitality will increase by 6.7, and strength by 2.1…]

"This progress is not bad!" Watching his stats that were refreshed again, Leylin couldn't help but nod.

Multilimb Strength was a cultivation technique he had gathered from the race in the Blackrain World. Though the Morning Star realm chief had purposely left out a lot of things, the complete version of this path to strength was completely deduced, with the A.I. Chip organising the data and making inferences.

Toughening his body with this method, Leylin found that his body, which had already developed to the maximum, now held the possibility of advancing even further.

Though this increase was small, it was enough for him to be happy.

Furthermore, with Multilimb Strength, the toughness and coordination of his body had increased by a whole level. He could even launch a physical attack similar to that of an ancient giant beast.

This coordination, when paired with the Knight techniques Leylin had previously learned, turned his body into a frightful killing machine.

Still, these were all just serendipitous. What Leylin focused on was the increase Multilimb Strength gave to his vitality.

The corporeal body sustained the spirit. If spiritual force was said to be water, then a Magus' body would be the cup. The larger and sturdier the cup, the more liquid it could contain.

Leylin was still unable to peep at the Morning Star realm, but after reaching the Crystal Phase, what he needed to do was continuously increase his vitality and accumulate spiritual force. Once enough had been gathered, his crystallised spiritual force would eventually condense to form point mass.

The point mass represented everything to a Magus. It represented their journey, bloodline, strength, and even soul!

Hence, this process was irreversible. The moment the ascension to the Morning Star realm failed, and the point mass grew unstable, a terrifying explosion might occur.

If a Magus encountered such a situation, they would be left without a corpse.

Historically, the Magi who failed to ascend to the Morning Star realm and fell far outnumbered those that had succeeded.

Wondering about his future path, Leylin's expression changed as he asked the A.I. Chip a question, "How is the simulation of information regarding the Morning Star realm going?"

[Simulation is 13.5% complete. Unable to process deeper calculations without concrete data] The A.I. Chip robotically answered.

If he could gain an understanding of the Morning Star realm now, it would be incomparably useful to Leylin's advancement.

However, it was difficult to meet with Morning Star Magi, and even more impossible to perform research on them.

It wasn't as if Leylin could look for Gilbert and tell him that he wanted to do an experiment, and ask him to be a specimen.

It would be a wonder if Gilbert did not destroy Leylin in that instant!

"Perhaps the corpse of the Scorpion Man in Twilight Zone will be useful to me!" Leylin touched his chin. The Scorpion Man was truly a Morning Star creature, and his corpse would definitely be useful as a reference for the A.I. Chip's simulations.

Immediately after, Leylin overruled his own thoughts. "There's not enough time. It isn't the volcano's dormant period. Furthermore, based on the predictions of the Coin of Destiny, rank 3 Magi will meet with dangers that cannot be predicted in the Icy Cave. Only those with Morning Star strength can be safe…"

Leylin steeled his expression and let the A.I. Chip continue research.

Leylin was counting on the Lamia fingerbone and the bloodline ignition experiment as well as the A.I. Chip's analysis of the Morning Star realm to advance.

As long as he did persevered in that regard, he would definitely be able to reach the threshold of Morning Star.

If he was a regular Giant Kemoyin Serpent Warlock, just obtaining one of those would be difficult. However, Leylin had everything, and even without assistance all these would increase his chances of reaching Morning Star by a lot when compared to other Morning Star seedlings.

Leylin had no doubt about this.

...

*Sha sha!* The pendant at Leylin's waist suddenly emitted bright light.

Leylin's brows furrowed, and he tapped on a secret imprint.

"Is this Marquis Leylin, Sir Enforcer?" A low, hoarse voice was produced from the secret imprint.

This was the communications officer that the Ouroboros Clan had specifically allocated to him. He was in charge of contacting Leylin alone, and just by hearing his voice, Leylin could guess that something terrible had happened.

"I am Leylin. Is there anything wrong?" His voice was calm and steady, even causing the voice from the other side to become gentler.

"Headquarters has received a denouncement. Marquis Miranda is accusing Marquis Robin of attempting to kill her. There is also a large amount of evidence! Based on the information, something has also seemingly happened within Robin's family."

"Get to the point." Leylin raised his eyebrows.

The voice on the other end hesitated, but still presented the news. "According to the order of the Elder Committee, Marquis Leylin is to head to Robin's family immediately, and send Marquis Robin back to headquarters."

"They want me to capture Robin? Do you know that he's Mentor Gilbert's student and my senior?" Leylin's expression became serious.

"I know. This is Duke Gilbert's order!" The voice was silent for a while, and then transmitted a black runic imprint.

This was similar to a person's signature and could not be forged. This black rune was Gilbert's own symbol, and Leylin definitely would not misidentify it.

"I understand."

Feeling jittery, Leylin ended communications and fell into silence.

"Mentor, what are you thinking?" A long while later, a low voice was sounded in the tent.

-x-X-x-

Leylin didn't feel good the entire night due to the orders to capture Robin. Regardless of how things would unfold, it would still be disadvantageous to the Ouroboros Clan.

The disciple of a Morning Star Magus had shown signs of betrayal, which would be a fatal blow to the emotions of the Warlocks that had just settled down. But since it was Gilbert's wish, Leylin could only carry it out.

However, he somehow felt that things weren't so simple.

...

"Leylin! Welcome!" Robin hugged Leylin and laughed heartily. He was full of smiles, and looked as though he wasn't affected by the news.

Robin still had the appearance of a very young male, if one ignored the numerous runes imprinted on his face.

Compared to the last time they met, the imprints on Robin's forehead were even more terrifying, and practically occupied more than half of his face. It made Robin's original facial features seem immensely sinister and horrifying.

"Senior Robin!" Leylin put on a stiff smile.

After making brief bodily contact with him earlier on, a quiver had run through his entire being and he'd felt every pore on his body contract.

Such a feeling was an indication of what a ferocious beast Robin had become, automatically putting Leylin on guard.

Leylin peered past Robin, and he scanned the members of his family behind him.

The family that Robin belonged to was known as the Parble Family. In the entire Ouroboros Clan, their bloodline lineage was one of the purest, and they were a long-standing noble family that possessed great influence.

On previous adventures, Robin could have dispatched fifty rank 3 Warlocks as he wished, and he even brought along a pure-blooded nephew, which went to show how much of a standing their family had.

But now, the teenagers that followed behind Robin had gloomy expressions... Or more accurately, they had an air of death around them.

What made Leylin even more shocked was that behind Robin, there wasn't a single family elder to be seen, and there weren't many Warlocks who were at rank 3 and above. Even Noah was nowhere to be found.

"Such a situation must definitely mean that something huge has happened!"

Leylin's hunch was getting clearer, but his facial expression only became more sincere, and he said slightly apologetically, "I'm sorry, senior, according to Mentor's orders…"

"Oh! Rest assured, it's a total misunderstanding! I'll go to headquarters with you tomorrow to explain!" Robin seemed honest.

He then enthusiastically invited Leylin, "You haven't been to my castle and laboratory before, right? Stay here for the night. Your vassals are also my guests. I have prepared a sumptuous banquet for them, and I believe you'll like it here…"

What else could Leylin say when Robin was being so cordial? He could only check into the vacant room that Robin had specially left for him, just as his vassals that had rushed here with him did into theirs.

The oaken floor had an oily layer of gloss on it. The smell of incense filled the room, and the four walls were filled with portraits, armour and swords.

Although Parker had never specifically learned about assessments in this aspect, he also knew that this was surely one of the best rooms in the castle.

"It's just that… My Lord, you…" Parker didn't have the slightest interest in examining the helmet that was said to have been adorned with the feathers of multicoloured birds, but instead stood in front of Leylin with a worried look on his face.

"I know. You mean to say that I had received orders to apprehend Robin, but yet I'm now associating with him, and this will inevitably make people suspicious and cause them to attack..." Leylin lay on an armchair embedded with huge rubies, and interrupted Parker with a wave of his hand, brushing him off.

"But what else can we do? Robin is my senior after all, and before this matter has been fully investigated, we cannot make any rash conclusions!"

"Anyway, he has already agreed to return with us tomorrow, so we don't have to demand anything else…"

Even upon hearing Leylin's words, Parker's smile remained bitter. This was, of course, the most normal scenario, but from his point of view, Robin seemed to be showing symptoms of insanity., and it was impossible to deduce his next course of action using logic.

Furthermore, it was hard to guarantee that he didn't have plans to first numb them and then get rid of all his problems at once.

Among all the bloodline nobility of the land, they were undoubtedly the best, and even orders from the headquarters would sometimes be boycotted by them, openly or secretly.

*Knock! Knock! Knock!* Just as Parker was about to say something, a steady and rhythmic knocking sound came from the door.

A tender voice sounded from behind the door, "Respected Marquis! The banquet has begun!"

"You may enter!" Leylin nodded.

The door was promptly opened, and a girl dressed as a servant, whose face still had baby fat, appeared in front of Leylin and Parker.

The female servant's face flushed with nervousness as though it was her first time seeing such high-ranking guests.

"How great it must be to be young…" Leylin pinched her cheeks, hardly standing on courtesy. This made her blush all the way to her neck.

He felt the aura of a pure Kemoyin bloodline from the girl. It seemed that she shared blood with Robin, and they were probably weren't far removed.

From the bloodline, it seemed that this girl had a bright future, and might even be in the direct line of descent in Robin's family. But in order to greet Leylin, she naturally had to change into the clothes of a servant.

"What's your name?" Leylin asked, smiling. Parker stood aside, expressionless, as though he hadn't seen Leylin's gesture.

As a high-ranking Warlock, who also once had authority over a Warlock clan, he had become completely immune to such matters.

Even if Leylin did anything in front of him, he would still be able to stand as straight as a pine tree.

"Ed... Edda, Sir! The female servant's voice held a hint of a repressed sob, as though she was about to cry any moment.

At her age, she obviously knew a lot. If this high-ranking bloodline nobleman wanted her, there wouldn't be any objections from anyone, regardless of if it was an elder or her parents. They might even send her over with great joy.

Hence, although she was on the verge of tears, Edda held them back, trying to stay strong.

Luckily for her, Leylin stopped teasing her. He gently asked Edda, whose face was turning fully red, "I also have another close friend in the Parble Family by the name of Noah, do you know him?"

"Uncle Noah?!" the little girl cried out, yet shortly after she seemed to have remembered something, and raised her guard against Leylin.

It was alright, though. From her behaviour earlier on, Leylin became aware of many things.

"No need to be afraid! He and I are good friends, if anything has happened to him, I will definitely help!" Leylin acutely discovered Edda's hidden hostility, and plastered his kindest smile on his face.

"Uncle Noah… He has been locked up!" The little girl finally mumbled after a seemingly long struggle with herself, and her voice was practically so low that it couldn't be heard.

"Got it, I will try rescuing him!" Leylin caressed her head and guaranteed.

"What do you think is the possibility of her telling the truth?" Leylin asked indifferently after sending the servant away.

"The possibility isn't high; after all, she was sent by them!" Parker shook his head.

"I think so too, but it's also possible that it's information brought to us by the other powers in the Parble Family…" Leylin stroke his chin.

He had a premonition that this trip to the Parble Family Parble Family was perhaps not as simple, and it was possible that more unexpected things were slated to happen.

The atmosphere in the drawing room was tense, but a few seconds later, Leylin's light laugh broke the silence. "Let's not think too much about this right now, and just enjoy the banquet!"

"Yes, sir!" Parker nodded and followed behind Leylin. He was decked in a black tailcoat, and wore a beautiful tie around his collar, appearing as if he had made preparations long ago.

While Leylin and company were enjoying the wine and delicacies made by the Parble Family, and even the female Warlocks that were brimming with enthusiasm, somewhere in the depths of the ancient castle an invisible darkness spread endlessly.

"Divulging the information to him on purpose? Your plan is really badly done..." In a dim and narrow room, a blue secret imprint hovered in midair, and the voice of a middle-aged man faintly sounded.

"Rest assured! I know him very well, once he knows about this, he definitely will give chase!" A silhouette shrouded in black gas was conversing with the secret imprint. Numerous squirming veins emerged from the black gas from time to time, and were densely packed, making one's scalp go numb.

"I don't care about your plan, but Leylin has to be handed over to me!" The blue secret imprint spoke with gritted teeth, apparently harbouring an unforgettable hatred towards Leylin.

"We have been making deals and collaborating on many occasions, you don't have to worry!"

The figure shrouded in the black gas was silent for a while, then continued asking, "Actually, these are all small matters. What I really wish to know is: when are you planning to take action?"

"Very soon… The elders in the Ouroboros Clan will soon become a thing of the past. Then, our plan can truly be launched. After all, the counterattack of three Morning Star Warlocks would be hard to bear even for a Radiant Moon Magus…"

The glow of the blue imprint completely dimmed down with the last words of the middle-aged Magus.

"Very soon…" The figure in the black gas muttered, and suddenly chanted a certain syllable. The gas dispersed, revealing a face all so familiar to Leylin.

Leylin, who was still at the banquet, naturally knew nothing about all of this. Now, he was like a huge butterfly, dancing gracefully among a cluster of flowers.

The enthusiasm of the female Warlocks of the Parble Family practically melted the many Warlocks, and those that Leylin had brought over were also immersed in delight.

"Feels like things won't be that simple…"

Parker leaned against a pillar with a glass of wine in his hand, watching Leylin's performance, yet a puzzled look flashed in his eyes.

-x-X-x-

The excitement dissipated with distance from the banquet hall, and the sounds were inaudible from the castle's dungeons.

Dim light shone against the murky walls and reflected numerous shadows that looked like talons. The place reeked.

"We're getting there!" Leylin knitted his brows and sized up the rooms and walls of the castle.

The dungeons of Magus castles were, more often than not, laboratories or storage rooms. He had yet to discover anything of value.

Most of the preventive and detective spell formations were unable to discover Leylin, allowing him to strut through the castle without being realised.

And the Leylin that everyone perceived in the banquet hall was obviously just a clone. Anyway, nobody would want to provoke him, and with a clone and the abilities of the A.I. Chip, a double was no problem.

On top of everything, Leylin could move freely without obstruction in the castle due to his Crystal Phase abilities. He could weaken the effects of many detective spell formations, stopping them from locating him.

'Robin's sudden emotional outburst wasn't all that it seemed to be…' Leylin rubbed his chin in deep thought. 'Moreover, if the situation outside and this were linked, it would spell even more trouble…'

Robin, despite everything, was still his senior and cared a lot for Leylin when they first met. So it'd be unwise of Leylin to make a move before finding concrete evidence.

And Robin's attitude was upright. If Leylin continued to be so unwilling to spare him, his reputation would likely go down the drain. 'Biting the hand that feeds him' would probably top the list of derogatory comments that would be made against him.

'A.I. Chip! How's the progress of the scan going?' Leylin's figure was engulfed by the pitch black as he looked at the walls and questioned in his heart.

[Blueprint of the castle established, spell array formation analysed: 58%, simulation in progress…] The A.I. Chip intoned.

A three-dimensional image was projected in front of Leylin, showcasing the structures of many castles.

The castle of Robin's family was comparable to Freya's impressive Ancient Blood Serpent Castle and there were countless spell formations and bizarre phenomena caused by radiation.

Robin himself might not even know all the secrets within the castle.

The scanning of the A.I. Chip undoubtedly took a while but if Leylin stepped in to explore himself, he would be pretty much familiar with the whole internal layout after walking around so many times.

As for those sections which were yet to be analysed, it was unfortunate that the current capability of the A.I Chip was unable to compute them.

But all this was enough for him.

Under the gigantic projection, Leylin saw another empty construction buried deep underground. And its outer layer was the most Leylin's A.I. Chip could reach.

The blank spaces were marked out by crimson symbols that prevented any forms of peeping, which surprised Leylin.

The core secret of the ancient castle must have been located there. Leylin followed the directions of the map and came face to face with a huge mural.

The mural depicted a grand historical scene—a horned demon skull was guillotined by armoured cavalry and robed Magi, bloodstains and burn marks painted all over their bodies as evidence of war.

It was realism at its best with a distinct sense of style. The 18 eyes of the demon were wide open and glaring at him, as if it was still alive.

'The existence of this cellar is barely brushing the surface of Robin's family's secret. The true secret is hidden behind this mural…' Leylin's eyes lit up as he stroked the mural.

He felt like he could smell the stench of blood and fire as he moved close to the painting. It was as if he was facing the remains of an actual war, where the blood had yet to dry.

[Beep! Ahead is a rank 1 bloodline detector. After thorough scanning, it has been identified to be one that requires a specific incantation and bloodline to pass through.]

The database of the A.I. Chip as of now was as vast as the ocean, just a mere scan could send detailed information to Leylin's memory.

'Bloodline detector?' Leylin touched his chin in deep thought. Since they'd chosen such a defensive measure, it definitely required the bloodline of Robin's family, or even Robin himself, in order to get past it.

But, of course, Leylin was ahead of Robin in terms of his knowledge on bloodlines for he had dedicated more than one century towards the study of the bloodline experiments of Quicksand. His current situation might have been an unsolvable problem for other Magi, but it was a piece of cake for him.

[Beep! Data is being collected, probing for removal measures]

The A.I. Chip operated at Leylin's command, and numerous blue symbols floated before him, forming countless dots before entering the mural.

The whole mural began to quiver and buzz as layers of dust collapsed, distinguishing the characters and making them appear more realistic than ever.

Especially the skull of the demon; an eerie green light seemed to be projecting from its eyes.

"Under the ultraviolet rays, the approaching descendant bloodline will come together and return to its origins..."

Leylin chanted a medieval incantation and a strand of black hair flew from his hand.

It was something that Leylin had stolen from the maid, Edda, when they fooled around, and was specially saved for situations like these.

Warlocks possess the most in-depth knowledge with regards to the power of bloodlines and were thus the most confident as well. So, when they set up traps or other preventive measures, all this would be taken into consideration.

Leylin had thus collected a strand of hair from a direct line of Robin's family for his use.

*Hiss!* A ball of scarlet light wrapped the strand within itself under Leylin's incantation.

The hair disappeared as the light dispersed, leaving behind a droplet of purplish-red blood that possessed a savage aura unique to Giant Kemoyin Serpents.

"That's not enough!" Leylin shook his head vigorously and threw out a handful of crimson rocks. These rocks turned into a fine powder in midair and congregated with the droplet.

The powder transformed into a bright silver liquid upon contact with the droplet, helping it expand even as it diluted the colour of the blood to a washed-out red.

Leylin's eyes glistened all the more as he watched this.

The incantation sounded more mournful with time and the faded red had agglutinated to a dark red blood clot, emitting a dangerously powerful aura.

If the previous bloodline was only Edda's—a low-ranked Magus—then the current ball of blood had already reached the level of a Crystal Phase, and its aura was highly similar to Robin's.

If Robin had installed this bloodline detector, then the key to it wouldn't be as simple as the bloodline of a Giant Kemoyin Serpent. Otherwise, it'd be easy as pie for any Magus to uncover the secret here.

Surely, Robin would only use his own DNA as the key.

Therefore, Leylin was trying to generate a bloodline aura similar to that of Robin's through that of his relative.

Though the DNA couldn't be imitated, Leylin believed that it would be almost undetectable by the spells here given the supreme abilities of the A.I. Chip.

[Beep! Deduction completed for the removal of the spell!] The A.I. Chip alerted and Leylin's face lit up as he sang the incantation.

[Beep! Wrong aura, starting automated matching!] The deep red ball of blood underwent some changes before changing into the aura of another Warlock.

"This is.." Leylin was confused for a moment. He quickly shook his head and sent the blood ball straight into the mural causing the two to fuse.

A layer of red started rippling on the surface of the mural and it was frightening. The characters in the mural, especially, took an eerie turn and started changing under the crimson light.

Thin scales and cysts started getting embedded their bodies and some of the cavalry even had horns growing on their heads and enormous wings on their backs. The mural had transformed into one of monsters.

The demon head, however, still had a sinister smile painted across his face that made Leylin's hairs stand.

"There must be more to this mural, this seems foreboding…" Leyin muttered to himself and looked at the demon head again.

"A.I Chip, scan the mural! Find a similar specimen in the database!" Leylin ordered.

[Beep! Mission received, starting scan! Matching similar specimens in database…] The A.I. Chip replied almost immediately while scanning through the database furiously.

[Beep! Similar image found!] The A.I. Chip projected an oil painting in front of Leylin.

Within the painting was the huge image of a demon, its horns and eyes shockingly similar to the one in the mural.

"What is this?" Leylin looked into the information of that particular section almost immediately.

[The year 2315 of the Holy Calendar, a night where crows wept, the clone of Beelzebub arrived in Verdant City and cause a holocaust before being eliminated by an unknown Breaking Dawn Magus…]

The information presented by the A.I. Chip was very simplified. It was a mere few sentences and the image had a few missing portions on the edge.

These were the defects on the ancient book scanned earlier.

"Beelzebub, who represents gluttony?"

Leylin covered his mouth in shock, "Even if it's just a clone, the only people who could eliminate it were Breaking Dawn Magi!"

Though details weren't mentioned in the ancient book, the marked calendar system belonged to the ancient era where Morning Star Magi reigned, and there were definitely some in the Verdant City too.

"Amongst those who were injured, exactly how many were at Morning Star or even Breaking Dawn…" Leylin sighed.

And right at this moment, both the incantation and bloodline were stimulated and a crack split the mural from the centre, revealing a passageway that led underground.

The bloodline detector was broken by an outsider in a situation that did not alarm the owner.