Chapter 1693 - WMW 66

Naturally, this female Magus was Tanasha. As a Crystal Phase Magus from the Forgotten Land, she had a sensitive identity and served as Leylin's hidden force.

Tanasha also participated secretly in several battles. As soon as he'd noticed the sudden change in the Parble family, Leylin had sent her to rescue his Magi in the castle.

"Parker, how are the casualties?" Even so, injuries and deaths couldn't be prevented, although it was still better than being wiped out.

"Master, we lost two rank 3 Magi this time, one of them at the Vapour Phase…" Parker didn't look well, and the big loss this time could be seen on his face.

After listening carefully, Leylin sighed.

The Magus world was full of danger. Death was common in fights between Magi, so those who fought in battles seldom cared about it.

But as an enforcer, he couldn't say this out loud.

Leylin pointed three fingers to the sky. "I swear on the name of Leylin Farlier, every Magus who fights to the death for me will be adequately compensated."

His vassals followed him for different reasons. Some of them wanted to further improve themselves, but many worked for their families like Parker. Thus Leylin's oath successfully relaxed them.

"What happened in the Parble Family was very complicated. Prepare a room for me, I need to contact the headquarters." Knowing there were great dangers, it would be foolish to make further movements.

Leylin had his own forces to back him, and it was time he put them to good use. This clone was only rank 3, and this was his only chance to kill it.

He was very confident in the strength of his forces.

"Your room has been prepared, please follow me!" Tanasha led Leylin deep into the cave.

Although this secret base was temporary, it wasn't a big problem to construct several rooms using spells.

Parker looked at Tanasha whose face was covered by a black cloth, moving his mouth but finally said nothing.

Only now did he learn that another Crystal Magus served his master! Rich in experience, he felt an aura of danger from the cold-blooded aura of that Magus.

How many hidden powers did master have?

Although he was used to his master performing miracles, Parker felt like he was shrouded with another mysterious veil.

Of course, this was just his imagination, he would rather die than inquire about his master's secrets or even the woman's identity. This was how a subordinate should behave.

Not only him, the other Magi accepted the existence of Tanasha immediately as well, as if she had been with them all this time.

And with the help of Tanasha, their base was quickly tidied up.

When facing great danger, great power could give people confidence. This wasn't limited to ordinary people; even Magi felt the same way.

In a cave dug with earth elemental spells, Leylin found the secret imprint of his communications officer. He pressed his hand on the imprint, and soon the device was covered in black light.

After several minutes, Leylin's face turned dark, "It can't get through!"

He pressed down on the imprint once more, "Headquarters! Is anyone there?"

After several attempts, he couldn't help but admit that the liaison assigned specifically to him, who was expected to be ready for his message any second, had deserted his post.

Knowing this, Leylin frowned. He had no other backing in the central continent except the Ouroboros Clan, and he would be in danger if something happened in headquarters. The pressure from Azure Mountain City alone would force him to hide in the underground of society, with the dregs of the Magus world.

"What the hell happened?" Leylin searched the other pages. There was no feedback from Kesha. Lucian was there but he didn't say much, just that some accident had occurred and all outer-ring movements were cancelled.

"Cancelled? Now?" Leylin smiled coldly, directly ending contact with Lucian. Judging from his tone, something must have happened in the headquarters that caused them to lose their ability to react.

And from his secretive manner, he still didn't take him to be a core member, and was suspicious at this key moment.

It was too dangerous without accurate information. Leylin considered calmly for a moment, and flipped to another scale-shaped red imprint.

After a short while connecting, a response finally came in, "Is this Leylin?"

"It is!" Leylin spoke in a low voice, "Freya, are you in the headquarters now?"

"Yeah, I'm here. Leylin, it's now an emergency! You better come back immediately and not go out!"

Leylin was surprised about her panicked voice. She hadn't acted like this even when the bloodline of her own family was deteriorating.

"I have trouble here too. The Parble Family colluded with Azure Mountain City, and even the clone of the Azure Mountain King is here!" Leylin related the information he hadn't told Lucian just now.

"The Parble Family, a clone of the Azure Mountain King?" she cried out in surprise. Anyone would be nervous if a Morning Star Magus, even if just a clone, appeared in their hinterland.

"I knew it!"

"Knew what?" Leylin asked.

Freya seemed to notice her slip of tongue, and after a while she spoke in a low voice, "Are you in a safe place?"

"Absolutely safe!" Leylin moved his fingers, and black light covered the whole room.

"Wait a minute, I need to change into an encrypted channel!" As Freya's voice arrived, the light on that brand first vanished and then returned, now brighter.

"Things don't seem good…" Leylin listened carefully, he knew that what Freya was going to say definitely affected his life.

"We can't make contact with Mentor or the other two elders…" Freya's nervous voice came from the brand.

"Can't make contact? What does that mean?" Leylin was confused.

"My teacher said they were about to find the coordinates of the Purgatory World, and they needed to conduct detailed experiments and couldn't be disturbed! Thus, they cut off all connection with the outside. Yesterday, I found that the spiritual flame my teacher gave me was about to die out, so I broke into my teacher's lab...and…"

"What did you find?" Leylin's voice also became nervous.

"Nobody was in that lab, even the astral gate had stopped working!" Intermittent sobs laced Freya's words.

"The same thing happened in the labs of the other two elders!"

"I...I...I…" Leylin was about to curse, so he took a deep breath to calm himself down.

Experiments on the astral gate were very dangerous, and if you didn't return before the astral stones ran out of power, the Magi who passed through would be trapped in another world.

As Freya said, the astral stones had run out, and even the spiritual flame was extremely weak; they were trapped in another world!

The three Morning Star Magi were the backbone of the Ouroboros Clan. Once they lost them, it wouldn't be long before the whole clan was destroyed. No wonder the headquarters was in a mess, and even Lucian was thrown into disarray.

"Are you sure?" Leylin felt his throat tighten, but he still held on to hope.

"We have tried everything to contact them, even projecting the spiritual flame. Nothing worked… My Mentor... I'm afraid they're lost in another world…"

On the other side of the brand, Freya couldn't restrain her choking sobs.

When someone was lost in another world, it wasn't as simple as not being able to come back. Big worlds always hated outsiders, and once you were unable to return in time, the Magi stuck there would have no good end.

Nibble away from the safety of the astral gate, and finally reverse the attitude of the world, that was the best way to seize another world.

Now, the three Morning Star elders were like ordinary people lost in the boundless ocean, surrounded by bloody sharks.

Nothing could be worse than this.

After she wept for a while, Freya's voice finally grew firm, "Do you know why the Azure Mountain King is here?"

"I have no idea, I thought it was for the Parble Family or me, but now I'm not sure…" Leylin smiled bitterly.

If it was just an experimental accident, there was still hope. But what if the whole thing was set up by their enemies?

Thinking about the omens of war recently, and the abnormal behaviour of the Azure Mountain King, Leylin thought this was very possible.

After thousands of years, why did they find the Purgatory World at this exact time? It made sense if this was their enemies' plot.

"Good job! Good job! One astral coordinate trapped three Morning Star Magi…" Leylin took a deep breath, if he was right, after the Morning Star Magi of the Ouroboros Clan disappeared, they would be dealt with as fast as lightning.

If they couldn't settle this matter, from now on, whether the Ouroboros Clan would continue to exist in the central continent was a question.

Cutting off the connection, Leylin fell into deep thought.

-x-X-x-

What happened this time round was evidently a conspiracy, a huge conspiracy against the Ouroboros Clan!

First, it was the revealing of the world coordinates so as to attract three Morning Star Magi, which caused them to fall into enemy hands.

After which, the military controlled the borders heavily. First, they created trouble to sound out the situation. Upon confirmation that the three Morning Star Giant Kemoyin Serpent Warlocks were all not around, they would proceed to exterminate entire family clans!

During that unstable period, Leylin, who was a rank 3 Magus in the Crystal phase, was considered a small and insignificant figure, and could potentially be exterminated at any time!

"I have to be a more prominent figure if I do not wish to be attacked. More so if I wish to even go against the tide!" After some contemplation, Leylin's expressions revealed more determination.

"Those who are below the rank of Morning Star are considered insignificant figures, what about those who advance past the Morning Star realm?"

Leylin's eyes shone, "Only upon advancement to a rank above Morning Star can I decide my own fate. Then, I will not be abandoned or destroyed at the wishes of others!"

"A.I. Chip, what's the progress on the collection of data with regards to the Morning Star realm?" Leylin immediately asked.

[Beep! The Morning Star realm deductions are currently 34.5% completed!] The A.I Chip intoned.

Leylin had always been fixated on data in this area, but due to the lack of actual specimens, the progress was barely halfway through. The recent progress was all thanks to the Azure Mountain King's clone, which had allowed for the progress to increase by quite a bit.

Leylin recalled what he had used when advancing to Morning Star, "The Lamia fingerbone has already been prepared. The bloodline combustion experiment has also been tested multiple times, and there wouldn't be any errors. The only thing left now is the A.I Chip's deductions on the Morning Star realm!"

Those three factors were the key to Leylin's confidence in advancing to the Morning Star realm.

On the other hand, the A.I Chip which had to deduce the nature of the Morning Star realm was also a pivotal factor, "The current progress is insufficient. We need a progress of at least 50% and above to be able to avoid mistakes during the formation of the point mass!"

"A sample of the clone of a Morning Star Magus would be sufficient!"

A ray of determination shone across Leylin's eyes. He turned his palms upwards, where stony rune filled with holes appeared.

"If this still doesn't work, then we'll add this in…"

A Magi who had just attained Crystal phase and want to construct a point mass in order to be promoted to Morning Star rank would at the very least, take a couple hundred of years of accumulation and hard work. Leylin naturally knew that, but time was not on his side. Furthermore, he had many hidden trump cards, and had a deep enough understanding, which could surpass that of many Crystal phase Magi who had hundreds of years of accumulated knowledge!

...

At the fringes of Parble Family's territory stood a starry-eyed Magus with long blue hair, his face red with fury.

The numerous high-ranked Warlocks and even larger numbers of common soldiers before him were too numerous to count.

Not far away, the outline of a giant city could be seen. Above it there were flames that had started to consume the city. The cries and sobs of the residents seemingly passed through the raging flames and arrived before the Magus.

The resentment, together with the extreme agony accumulated could cause a catalyst for a terrifying existence to be borne.

As compared to Leylin's previous life, in this world where the power of energy was more reactive, anything was possible!

But the Azure Mountain King had not once furrowed his brows. It was as if exterminating the tens of thousands of people was like swatting a fly, which had not stirred up any of his emotions.

"Seven cities have already been destroyed, and there're more than five million casualties. More than ten high-rank Warlocks have perished…"

The Azure Mountain King gave a cold smile: "To think that the Ouroboros Clan is still burrowing its head into the sand like an Ostrich. Looks like Gilbert and the rest have already fallen into the other realms…"

His visit this time round was obviously not just for Leylin, but more so to sound out the reactions of the Morning Star Magi.

If the other party was around, how would it be possible that they'd watch on as he wreaked havoc? Warlocks typically had very fiery tempers, and they might even have directly attacked Azure Mountain City. But now?

The other party's high-ranked military prowess was evidently held up, and even the reinforcements from the high-ranked Warlocks seemed chaotic. This was why they were so easily massacred.

"I had originally decided to just let my clone perish here. But from the looks of it now, I think I can get far more benefits…"

The Azure Mountain King's eyes shone with greed that could not be concealed. But he swiftly caressed his face and his expressions slowly became gloomy.

"Leylin Farlier!" He deeply called out the name of the man who had caused him to suffer losses to the extent that he had disgraced the name of his clan.

"I hope you'll continue living long enough to see the day that I attack the Ouroboros Clan…" The Azure Mountain King laughed coldly.

In an instant, his brows furrowed, and his eyes widened. "This aura? He has the guts to appear here?"

Part of the Azure Mountain King's facial muscles cramped up, "Since you have a death wish, I'm more than willing to help you with that!"

*Boom!* The entire body of the Azure Mountain King transformed into a blue ray, and in an instant he streaked across the sky and disappeared. It was not until half an hour later that a few cowering low-ranked Warlocks emerged from the sea of corpses. Their faces registered horror, and they did not dare to shoot a single glance at the direction the Azure Mountain King before they swiftly escaped from the area. What had happened today would forever be a nightmare in their lives.

West Sea Canyon.

This was a rank 3 danger zone in the Parble Family's territory. From the depths of the crevices, a hurricane that could obliterate anything in its path would appear. Any being below rank 4 would not have a chance at surviving the hurricane.

Currently, Leylin was standing at the edge of the cliff. The strong winds caused his robes to flap in the wind.

*Jiu!* An ear-piercing explosive sound could be heard from a distance.

Pure energy waves led to a chain reaction. Large amounts of air were displaced, instantly forming a vacuum.

*Thump!*The Azure Mountain King's body landed on the floor steadily. His brows were furrowed as he levelled a deadly stare at Leylin. It seemed as if he was afraid that the minute he was distracted the sly Magus would escape like he did the previous time.

"To think that you still dare to appear before me. Am I supposed to clap for you at your bravery?" After the scanning with soul force, and upon confirmation that there were no Morning Star Magi lying in ambush, the Azure Mountain King caressed his own face. Even though the part of his face where Leylin had attacked previously did not have a mark, the humiliation still lingered on.

The humiliation could only be wiped away with Leylin's fresh blood!

"Why would I not have the guys to come?" Leylin laughed lightly, "You are but a clone who can't make a breakthrough to the Morning Star realm… Furthermore, I'm the enforcer of this region. The crimes you've committed must be tried by me!"

Obviously, Leylin could not divulge the news that all of the three chief Warlocks of the Ouroboros Clan had gone missing. As a result, he skillfully used his status as a smokescreen.

As he was the enforcer of the region, after he had confirmed that he could not complete the task himself, the reinforcements from the headquarters took over.

The Azure Mountain King was not a fool, and there was no guarantee of deceiving him. However, as long as he could arouse the Azure Mountain King's suspicions, it would be considered a success.

If there was a possibility that there were still Morning Star Magi present in the Ouroboros Clan, the enemies would not dare to be too unruly.

The destructiveness of the killing tactics of a Morning Star Magus would definitely do both parties no good. Once a Morning Star Magus was pressured, he would disregard the peace treaties and begin to unbridledly utilise Morning Star Arcane Arts. The destruction that they could cause would be so immense that even Radiant Moon Magi would not be able to account for it.

In other words, even if they were to successfully attack the Ouroboros Clan, the benefits they got might not even make up for the losses that they would suffer from the Morning Star Arcane Art.

Magi were not fools, and if the battle would not bring about benefits, and even potentially cause them to suffer losses, they would not be willing to engage in it.

It was under such threats that those with the powers of a Morning Star Magus could peacefully co-exist in the central continent, which was also why there were rarely any large conflicts.

From Leylin's understanding, a Morning Star Magus was equivalent to a nuclear weapon from his previous life. Countries with nuclear weapons could choose mutual destruction. As a result, they would tolerate each other, which was why the peaceful outlook could be sustained.

But now? If outsiders got wind about how all of the nuclear weapons in the Ouroboros Clan were missing, then a calamity would be imminent.

As a result, in front of the Azure Mountain King, Leylin presented himself as a high-ranking official who was very concerned about his honour.

Before he was certain that the problem could not be handled, he had not requested for reinforcements from the headquarters. That would explain, though barely, why there was no response from the Morning Star Magi.

He had done all that he could, and could not be bothered about how the Azure Mountain King would react to it.

Sure enough, the Azure Mountain King was only thrown off for a while, before a mocking smile appeared on his face.

"Do you think I would believe your nonsense?"

"It's up to you to believe it or not!" Leylin shrugged his shoulders, "But you will have to perish here today!"

*Rumble!* In an instant, as if to prove what he had said, the calm waves of the West Seas Canyon started to crash against the cliff.

As a royal of the Ouroboros Clan, Leylin naturally had access to a lot of reading materials. Since the geological conditions of the West Seas Canyon were not a secret, that piece of information would have naturally have been recorded in the database of the A.I Chip.

And Leylin who wanted to keep the Azure Mountain King's clone had immediately thought of the West Seas Canyon's unique environment and the obliterating hurricane.

His abilities were not on par with that of the opponent, and hence he needed external aid!

After serious inspections of the area, and upon using the A.I Chip to stimulate the eruption process of the West Seas Canyon, deducing the concrete timing was merely a matter of time.

After which it was the selection of a suitable timing to attract the Azure Mountain King

Leylin believed that due to the hatred the Azure Mountain King had towards him, once he discovered Leylin's aura, he would definitely come forth.

Sure enough, everything had worked out as he had expected.

*Howl!*

The raging hurricane whistled like a giant black dragon, and it suddenly rushed towards the sky, spewing out its rage.

Leylin, who was standing in front of the raging flames, was like an ancient heroic knight riding upon a giant mystical creature.

-x-X-x-

"So you're relying on this?" the Azure Mountain King laughed coldly, "Do you think you can control this hurricane? It may be possible if I came with my main body…"

Nonetheless, his face was full of fear, and he unconsciously took a few steps back.

"If you don't try, how would you know?" Leylin chuckled, and suddenly rubbed the ring on his hand. A strange energy wave seemed to pass by at the speed of light.

Miles away, Parker looked at the communicator in his hands with a stern expression. He then ordered, "Activate!"

"Beginning operation! Preparing number 1 energy reactor!" Snoopy shouted immediately.

"The elemental particle gathering device is complete, beginning ground vibration!"

Many Warlocks, as hardworking as ants, began to get busy, and one by one, strange symbols were lit up on the surface of the huge pyramidal reactor.

*Rumble!* At this moment, the surface of the ground seemed to come alive as a large amount of energy was bound and transmitted towards Leylin's direction.

This violent earthquake did not cause much trouble for the warlocks, as expected. Snoopy wiped away the cold sweat on his forehead and went to his grandfather's side with an evident look of worry on his face, "Grandfather, will Mentor be able to succeed? I've never heard of this idea before… No! I wouldn't be able to think of this even in my dreams! Once any node goes wrong, I'm afraid what awaits Mentor will be…"

Before he could finish speaking, a thick, muscular palm pressed down on his shoulders, "Snoopy! You have to believe in your mentor!"

Parker's eyes did not mask his respect for Leylin, "He is the most profound scholar and the strictest Magus amongst everyone I've met! Once the lord makes a decision, it will definitely be correct, we only need to follow and execute according to the plan devised by the lord!"

After interacting with them for more than a century, be it in force or knowledge, Leylin had long ago subdued these men of his.

"Yes!" Snoopy nodded repeatedly, and his previous worries disappeared immediately.

At another place, Tanasha was also doing the same thing.

A perfectly straight lightning rod, almost piercing through the horizon, stood firmly on a pile of black rocks.

Thunder roared and lightning flashed. Many blue electric waves growled and rushed towards the black needle, before diverging in all directions through the path that was laid out.

"Sir! I Hope you will succeed!" Tanasha grew a little excited in her heart, praying silently.

…...

"Preparations for node 1 completed, review of node 2 completed, preparing to charge node 3…"

Data kept pouring out from the A.I. Chip continuously and many fluorescent-blue information windows flashed past Leylin's eyes.

*Rumble!* The howling hurricane that was brewing in the sky seemed to be controlled by someone, and it slowly began to transform and pack together, converging behind Leylin.

The windstorm roared, dissipating the dark gas and silently turning the rocks and plants on the roadside to dust. It then wrapped the Azure Mountain King within.

"How… How is this possible? Why can you..." The Azure Mountain King's eyes almost popped out.

How could a mere rank 3 Crystal Phase Magus possess such enormous power?

After he came here, he had definitely tested with his soul force that there were no other Magi lying in ambush. There were also no signs of any spell formation!

"I am unable to hide anything from soul force scans, hence I did not plan anything here…" Leylin stood above the hurricane, as if he was a deity from another world.

"Thus, the closest spell formation that I've set up is 45 kilometers away. The underground hurricane is being manipulated through redistribution points and could be temporarily kept under control! I call this spell formation—farcast support spell formation!"

Using the superimposition of small influences from other areas, he ultimately gained control over the hurricane!

It was easier said than done. To do it, the calculations needed were terrifyingly complex, fit to be described as perverse.

Even if there was a slight error the data, there was a possibility that the hurricane would ultimately lose all control. As the one to bear the brunt of the damage, Leylin would be the first to die without any remains.

Such horrifying calculations, even the Azure Mountain King felt giddy from just simulating them in his head.

Leylin had done something even Morning Star Magi could not thanks to his A.I. Chip, a scientific chip from his previous world which possessed incredible abilities after numerous extreme transformation and advancements!

"The hurricane can destroy anything under rank 4, you are destined to die today!" Leylin's expression was calm, his face showing no signs of sadness or happiness.

But the hurricane, which was under his control, suddenly screeched. A large gust of strong black wind surrounded the Azure Mountain King and began to spin around him, as if it wanted to drag him into the eye of the hurricane.

"No! I have not fallen yet!" The Azure Mountain King's eyes flushed red, and his facial muscles twitched as he suddenly growled.

Explosions rang out as the crystal clear soul force transformed into a defensive film on his body. Terrifying accessories, which had reached the level of magic artifacts, began to explode one by one.

The massive explosion caused a horrifying driving force, and even the hurricane was momentarily blocked out.

Using this hard-earned chance, the Azure Mountain King immediately dashed out to break through the barrier.

"You can't escape!" The large Multi-Armed Race phantom thrashed and growled behind Leylin. The hurricane gathered in Leylin's hands as he stood before the Azure Mountain King and threw out a sudden punch.

*Boom!* Like the roar of an ancient giant snake, along with the accompanying howls of the many hurricanes, a terrifying energy instantly extinguished the explosion from before, breaking through the Azure Mountain King's body.

Even if it was soul power, under the the besiegement of the hurricane, it was exhausted too quickly. The protective film immediately crackled and broke.

Cracks began appearing one after another, and due to Leylin's attack, the Azure Mountain King was once again pushed back into the eye of the hurricane.

While watching Leylin, who stood outside like a war god, a hint of despair surfaced on the Azure Mountain King's face…

*Rumble!* It was as if the world exploded, reaching its end.

Among the many dark storms, a touch of blue light suddenly exploded. It immediately intensified, offsetting the dark storms persistently.

The terrifying energy waves dissipated as streaks of silver cracks in the space emerged endlessly.

The dark storms howled, but it also seemed to weaken under the blue radiance as time passed. At the same time, the blue radiance slowly began to dim.

The earth rumbled, and after what seemed like a sky-shaking and violent magnitude 9 earthquake, everything finally calmed down. Only, the surroundings had already been destroyed beyond recognition.

Even a part of the West Sea Canyon was totally wiped out, becoming a large, ruinous rocky plain.

"Master!"

This was the scene that Tanasha and Parker, who had rushed over, saw. Their faces seemed to search for answers anxiously, until they saw Leylin who was standing on a large rock proudly. Their faces were immediately overcome with delight.

"Yes!" Leylin nodded.

Currently, he was in a very bad condition. Not only were there blue wounds all over his body that were bubbling and corroding it, there was also an obvious dent on his chest.

In his hands, there was an already prepared crystalised test tube, in which laid a piece of burnt flesh. Surrounding it were some squirming tentacles.

"I'm fine!" Leylin waved, stopping Tanasha and Parker's greetings.

"I give you all an hour's time, search this area immediately and look for bloody pieces of flesh like this! No matter what the outcome is an hour later, we will leave immediately!"

"Yes, Sir!"

Watching his men busy themselves, a bitter smile emerged on Leylin's face.

The Azure Mountain King was indeed a Morning Star Magus, with an extremely determined mind. After he realised that there was no hope of escaping, he immediately cast some sort of secret spell, detonating his clone.

The self-destruction of a rank 3 Magus' clone would cause major damage.

Not only was Leylin's spell formation utterly defeated, he himself had sustained serious injuries. This could be said to be a loss for both parties.

'But as long as these things can be obtained, it'll be worth it,' Leylin put away the pieces of flesh safely, before his heart lightened.

Although the Azure Mountain King had self-destructed, losing him the opportunity to collect his complete body, the tissue structures of these bloody pieces of flesh and such were enough for the A.I. Chip to study for a long time.

And after obtaining these, the A.I. Chip's deductions on the Morning Star Realm would be able to advance to at least 50% and above!

"If it's like that, the conditions are more or less all set! We only need to prepare for the Azure Mountain King's counterattack!" Leylin stroked his chin.

Originally, he and the Oakheart Clan were prepared to give their lives to achieve their goals. Now, the other party's Morning Star Magus had lost his clone at his hands. Surely the Azure Mountain King would be going crazy.

'We cannot stay in this territory anymore, we must hurry back to the organisation and evacuate as soon as possible…' Leylin was stuck in thought.

Although it still seemed peaceful at his Onyx Castle in the core of the Ouroboros Clan, with Robin's Parble Family reduced to their sorry state, was it really?

Perhaps, as of now, only the area at the headquarters of the Phosphorescence Swamp could forcibly maintain stability.

Although they lacked Morning Star battle power, under circumstances where outsiders were still unsure, keeping it a secret for a period of time was no problem at all.

Furthermore, based on the Ouroboros Clan's arduous accumulation as well as the spell formations, defence installations and such by the Morning Star Warlocks ancestors, hindering a certain Morning Star Magus for a duration was still not an issue.

What Leylin needed most right now, was time!

This was because the headquarters of the Ouroboros Clan was definitely a point of attack for many enemies in the future. Once it was confirmed that the battle powers of the Morning Star were gone, there was a high chance that they might face a siege from numerous Morning Star Magi.

By that time, the headquarters would be a deathtrap!

If they lost the other territories, without advancing to the Morning Star level before the Phosphorescence Swamp was attacked, all of the Warlocks at the headquarters could only accept death!

-x-X-x-

"All in all, Phosphorescence Swamp is going to be the safest right now, but the most dangerous place in the end..."

Leylin smiled reluctantly, "It's just that… do I have any other choices?"

At this time, he was sure the Azure Mountain King was hot on his heels. Once he left the Ouroboros Clan, he feared he would not get to live another day.

Unlike his rank 3 clone, the Azure Mountain King was a famed Morning Star Magus! The disparity in power was too large for any strategies to be of use.

Thus, he was left with no choice but to take a gamble. Fortunately, he had already exterminated the opposite party's clone, earning him and the Ouroboros Clan some extra time!

Otherwise, if they allowed the Azure Mountain King to continue to stir up trouble, word may leak out to other power-thirsty parties, that the Ouroboros Clan no longer had Morning Star Magi defending it! He could imagine them swimming forward like sharks towards their prey.

For now, since the Azure Mountain King's matter had been settled by Leylin, he'd presumed Leylin's strength was why Gilbert and the others chose to lay low.

This was what Leylin was striving for, a little of their apprehension!

"Morning Star realm! I must advance to the Morning Star realm!" Leylin clenched his teeth.

At this moment, Tanasha brought forward a transparent box, "My Lord, this is our harvest."

Inside the box were some scraps of flesh and hair, and even some blood-stained clothes and other fabrics and such.

"Well done! For your contributions, I shall reward you in the form of contribution points later on. Right now, let's go home….." In front of his subordinates, Leylin resumed the attitude of a master.

...

"My Lord!" Back at his own Magus Tower, upon hearing the green tower genie's greetings, Leylin felt as if he had been away for a lifetime.

His departure had started with a banquet, celebrating Freya advancing to the Crystal Phase.

Who would've thought that, within such a short time, so many drastic changes would take place. Even the entire Ouroboros Clan was in a crisis, and was almost destroyed.

The failed mission of Gilbert and the other two was something Leylin could never have predicted.Morning Star Magi's failed mission on a whole, was something Leylin could have never predicted.

After losing the deterrence of Morning Star Magi, the Ouroboros Clan immediately showed signs of instability.

"Tower genie, backup the entire experimental data to the A.I. Chip. Destroy all original experiments, starting from the natural resources. Prepare to transfer!" Leylin drew a deep breath, and requested.

"Authorization confirmed. Spiritual force connected, data transmission in progress!" Compared to a human Magus, the tower genie's level of compliance is as good as first class. Immediately, a link was formed between it and the A.I. Chip.

Leylin had always held the habit of backing up his important experimental data to the A.I. Chip. The amount the genie had was only a small part of the whole, and he took the time to patch up the holes in his database.

The most important step was to destroy the experiments themselves. For the past century, Leylin had secretly carried out many bloodline experiments. He had been fortunate to not leave any clues behind, otherwise he would have gotten into deep water.

Following the command of the formation genie, many secret paths and doors started opening up, revealing the concealed spaces and storage facilities.

Inside, bountiful magic crystals and precious objects glowed in brilliant lights and vibrant colours. It was a feast for one's eyes. Leylin heaved a sigh and picked out many of the stored magic crystals.

He was sure he had provoked the Azure Mountain King to the maximum this time, thus he didn't have high hopes of being able to preserve the Magus Tower.

Compared with the main headquarters at the Phosphorescence Swamp, his Magus Tower would be the first to be ravaged. Since he had decided to seek refuge at the main headquarters, he didn't want to be taken advantage of and lose his magic crystals.

With these thoughts in mind, he turned to the experimental room where he absorbed Lamia radiation.

After complicated and meticulous verification, Leylin saw the brilliant milky-white bone in the center of the crystal ball.

"A.I. Chip!" Leylin's face contorted as he yelped.

"Begin compatibility scan, unscrambling data in progress…" A huge amount of data flowed in the form of blue streaks of light from Leylin's eyes, and seeped into the crystal ball held by a machine.

After two minutes of data transmission, a clear, distinct sound echoed, as a tiny pin-sized hole appeared on the surface of the crystal ball, slowly enlarging.

"This is what my advancement to Morning Star will depend most upon!" Leylin exclaimed and sighed. He drew out a box made of crystal and carefully kept the Lamia bone.

Prior to this, he didn't want the Lamia bone to be kept on him for fear of Gilbert finding out. But right now, there wasn't even a single Morning Star Warlock in the headquarters, so Leylin naturally had nothing to be afraid of.

"Mentor, are we really leaving now?" Before they set off, Snoopy looked at the black tower and Onyx Castle in the distance, his eyes filled with a look of unwillingness to let go.

Having stayed here for more than a thousand years, he had already developed feelings for it, hence his hesitance to leave.

Similarly, Kubler, Parker and the others who were behind Leylin felt the exact same hesitance and unwillingness, even though they had obeyed Leylin's orders and packed all their belongings.

"We must leave!" Leylin's reply was resolute and decisive. "You should know the situation and how things are right now. Except for the main headquarters, everywhere else is dangerous…."

Parker and the rest solemnly nodded their heads. They had not found out about the three missing Morning Star Magi yet. However, the chaos that had happened was enough to keep them on the edge for a long time.

Magi who were able to live past three, four or five hundred years were all intelligent, and the recent spate of events had made them realise that something unusual was going on. Hence, their support for Leylin's decision was unanimous.

Glancing at his rather muddle-headed apprentice, Leylin shook his head and patted his shoulders:"We will be back! I promise!"

"Mmm. I believe you, Mentor!" Snoopy nodded his head passionately. Parker, on the other hand, forced a smile.

…....

Inside Phosphorescence Swamp.

Numerous sulphur-filled bubbles rose from the sludge, becoming green balls of flame as they escaped.

Erected in the center of the swamp, the Warlock City was as busy as always. In fact, the population seemed to have increased.

It wasn't just one or two families that could feel the oddity in the air. In the early days, when there were instabilities at the border, many Marquises and Counts had reallocated their families and servants over here, blowing up population and city.

As for the issues of their territories and such, they had no worry about that.

To the Warlocks at the top of society, commoners were like wild grass. After trimming them, come spring time and they would tenaciously grow again. So if the taxes were reduced for the people, in less than 10 years, the population would boom again.

Regardless of whether it was the invading troop or the defence troop , they did not need these commoners as resources, thus the commoners were able to lead a rather good life before and after the war with no major changes.

Compared to these commoners, the Warlocks' regrets would be losing their castles, Magus Towers and such.

Just like Leylin, who had built his Magus Tower in his own territory. He supposed that after the war was over, his tower would be gone too. And it did not matter who the enemy was, they would be ruthless and would helped themselves to the structures. Also, once a tower genie discerned a master, she would never change. Thus, total destruction was the only way.

"Hehe… Leylin, it looks like the bad blood between you and the Oakheart Clan is serious. Looking at this latest intelligence report, your territory had been occupied by him and your Magus Tower has been demolished…" Freya smiled as she handed the intelligence report to Leylin.

"It is serious!" Leylin stroked his nose, "Even their chief died in my hands!"

In his heart, he silently added 'and a Morning Star's clone' next to it. Under such circumstances, if the opposite party were to be polite to him, it would truly be odd.

After moving to the Ouroboros Clan headquarters, over ten days had passed and within this time, many things had happened.

Every territory had its fair share of unceasing riots, and there were multiple forces would invade these areas. Naturally, Leylin's territory was not spared .

Freya, too, had lost her territory. Hence, she teased Leylin with a bit of schadenfreude.

However, Leylin could sense the fear and restlessness beneath Freya's smile. This time, the power of the enemy had surpassed the expectations of many. The Azure Mountain Clan was but one part only, there were other more powerful ones yet to show themselves.

The Ouroboros Clan was strong in appearance but weak in reality, and everyone could see it. Hence the minor skirmishes at the borders had escalated to entire territories being taken over.

Even the outer regions of Phosphorescence Swamp were not spared. From time to time, scouts sent by many different powerful families were discovered. Warlocks from the Ouroboros Clan could only rely on the headquarters' defensive spells as a core, building an extremely narrow defensive perimeter and guarding it resolutely.

Anyone with a discerning eye could tell that if the Morning Star military strength did not make an appearance soon in the Ouroboros Clan, the entire clan could face imminent destruction.

"Over at the astral gate, how is the progress?" Seeing Freya's strong and obstinate persona, Leylin couldn't console her directly, as otherwise, he would have hurt her pride. Instead, he changed the subject and asked her a question.

The truth of the matter was, the root of all the problems were the three elders. If they could appear immediately, even if just one of them could show their face in public, not only would the Warlocks of the entire Ouroboros Clan gain confidence from their pillar of strength, the number of enemy scouts would reduce drastically too.

"Some of the Marquises from the technology department have been working for days in there..." Freya smiled wryly.

"But in the end…. Only someone of at least a Morning Star Magus status, can open an astral gate. Otherwise, no one can support the crossover of the body. Forget rescuing them, we can't even find someone here qualified to open the astral gate…"

Seeing Freya, Leylin knew deep in her heart that she had some disagreements with the Blood Duchess Emma and the other two Morning Star Warlocks. But since she was a student of theirs, she couldn't say anything.

"You can't blame our Mentors, the allure of the Purgatory World is simply too huge…" Leylin sighed.

-x-X-x-

There was another concern bugging Leylin.

As compared to the factions that had shown themselves in Azure Mountain City, what worried him the most was still the Magus that had set the trap.

To be able to give up a world coordinate and also successfully entrap three Morning Star Warlocks, he was definitely not a simple person.

Furthermore, if Leylin's mentor, Gilbert, joined forces with the other two Morning Star Warlocks, they would have a terrifying strength on par with that of a Radiant Moon Magus!

Since the mastermind could successfully scheme against them regardless of that, it was only a matter of time before his actual strength would be revealed.

If the other party came at them openly, the current Ouroboros Clan would not have any strength to resist.

Fortunately, for reasons unknown, he had not taken any other action apart from setting the trap. No one knew what qualms he had, or whether there was something holding him back.

Leylin secretly guessed that perhaps the other party had suffered a violent counterattack when he'd plotted against his Mentor, and thus suffered a hidden loss. He was likely still in the midst of recovery, or else he definitely wouldn't have let this chance slip through his fingers.

Even so, the pressure the Ouroboros Clan faced was crushing. The tiniest bit more and they would collapse completely.

After parting with Leylin, Freya took a short walk and arrived at a small garden full of white roses.

A distorted human shadow appeared next to the garden. When the figure came into view, a Warlock dressed in a crimson Magus robe bowed to Freya.

"Greetings, chief!"

"Mm!" Freya nodded, "The crisis that the Ouroboros Clan has met with will require the combined effort of many marquises, but Leylin's team of vassals is really too weak, and they also suffered heavy losses in the previous suppression. I plan to let the Blood Serpent Warlock organisation take over some of their missions!"

After a long silence, Julian then spoke with a hoarse voice, "This… is not in accordance with the rules! Furthermore, the elders…"

"This is an order!" Freya's voice turned cold, and an aura that was unique to Crystal Phase Warlocks surfaced on her body.

"Yes! Yes!" Julian quickly agreed, but let out a silent sigh.

Even he could see that his chief had feelings for Leylin, but the other party still showed clear signs of rejection.

It would be understandable if Freya had only lent a helping hand once or twice, but she had already done so many times. This problem had left many elders with authority dissatisfied. It was in stark contrast to how Miranda simply gave up on her pursuit.

In ancient Warlock families like Freya's, even the chief could not go against the opinion of the majority, and had to take the entire family's opinion into consideration.

Freya's actions had already aroused a certain degree of discontent in the family, but was suppressed by her promotion to the Crystal Phase.

However, Julian had a feeling that if Freya continued, the accumulating dissent would one day burst forth.

Judging by her attitude, though, would it be possible to change her ways?

Julian shook his head and forced a smile, then bowed to Freya and vanished into the sea of flowers.

...

In the depths of a white canyon, a team of Warlocks were hurrying through the steep mountains.

These Warlocks were all clothed in crimson Magus robes, with the Giant Kemoyin Serpent motif on their collars. A platinum-haired high-ranking Warlock led the way.

*Shoom!* At that very instant, a crooked shadow shot out from the side of the cliff like an arrow, right into this Warlock's hands.

"Be alert!" Kemoyin's Scales appeared on the bodies of the numerous Warlocks as a mode of defence. Assuming their various positions, they emitted an aura that was full of solemn determination; evidently, they were elites with rich experience who have been fighting for a long time.

"It's a shadow snake messenger from our family, cancel the alarm!" The platinum-haired high-ranking Warlock furrowed his brows and quickly shouted to the rest. The entire troop was tranquil again, and they slowly started to continue walking.

"They actually want us to offer support to Enforcer Leylin's vassals?" Upon recalling the content of the message, the leader of the Warlock team seemed gloomy. He was, of course, unhappy about his chief's actions.

But looking at the authoritative imprint on the back that reflected the family chief's position, the leader gritted his teeth and yelled out, "Turn around, we're going to the Teal Tusk Highlands, and fast!" He was still dreadful of the consequences of disobeying orders and betraying his family

Although they questioned why their leader suddenly gave such an order, their pleasantly compliant nature allowed this small team to make a full turnaround within a few minutes, and they continued to rush off in another direction.

"Hehe, found the Blood Serpent Warlock organisation!" At this moment, the immature voice of a young boy sounded out, causing the team leader's expression to change drastically.

"Who's there?"

The Magi under him immediately broke into formation, with many of them already holding on to multiple magical items for attacking purposes.

*Bang!* The rock wall at the side blasted open, and a gigantic flowering plant emerged from within.

This flower was about 5 or 6 meters tall, its sepals full of sharp buckteeth. It suddenly spread open its petals, and with its huge mouth similar to that of a beast from the ancient times, it swallowed a Warlock who couldn't dodge in time.

"AHHH…" He let out a distorted, muffled shriek. The innate defence of the snake scales seemed to have no effect on the corrosive juices in the stamen. Through the translucent petals, the Warlocks could see their comrade's scales corrode, then quickly soften and reveal his skin and muscle tissue...

*Bang! Bang! Bang!* Before they could rescue their comrade, more carnivorous flowers suddenly emerged from the rock walls, and started attacking them.

"A military troop of carnivorous plants, it's…" The expression on the platinum-haired team leader's face changed drastically. Before he could even exclaim, a carnivorous flower that was more than 10 meters tall bore out of the ground and appeared in front of him in a flash.

On the stolon of this carnivorous flower was the face of a little boy, and it seemed that the voice from earlier was his.

"Innate spell— Toxic Bile!" The team leader gritted his teeth, and venomous gas immediately diffused out into the air.

"It's useless! We have already made special improvements through several mutations targeted at awakening the ability of self-control, just to counter your poison and scales!" A grin spread across the boy's face. The humongous carnivorous flower ferociously opened up and countless minute pollen grains scattered onto the ground.

The Giant Kemoyin Serpent Warlock's expression changed rapidly. He could clearly sense that the venom in the air had been neutralised by the pollen from the carnivorous flower.

Not only that, once a single pollen grain landed on him, his scales instantly started to soften.

"Haha… Kill! Go on, kill! After today, the Ouroboros Clan and the Giant Kemoyin Serpent Warlocks will become a thing of the past!" The boy cheered, while more and more carnivorous flowers started to emerge from the soil and the walls, drowning out the members of the snake bloodline Warlock organisation.

The colourful lights of spells exploded, and finally, all was silent again...

...

On the other end, in a small and prosperous town.

The shadows of many densely-packed sails appeared all of a sudden in the sky.

Numerous huge ships soared through the air like dark clouds, blocking out all the sunlight and casting large shadows on the earth, as darkness enveloped the entire town.

"What's going on?" The Kemoyin Warlock in charge of guarding the place walked out and his jaw instantly dropped.

*Boom!* The gigantic cannon stowed at the front of the fleet started to rumble, and terrifying energy waves immediately wreaked havoc throughout the town.

In that instant, the entire city was filled with terrorised cries as blood and fire flooded the land.

The ever-plentiful city that had always been under the protection of the Ouroboros Clan was suddenly drowning in calamity. Those who could not escape in time turned into ashes under gunfire, average humans and low-ranking Warlocks alike.

After a round of bombardment, numerous silhouettes appeared beside the fleet, and descended to clear out the remaining few high-ranking Warlocks.

"No Warlock that belongs to the Ouroboros Clan will be spared!" A crippled male Magus who was propping himself up with a wooden leg gave an order, his eyes boiling with hatred that he did not even bother to mask. His face was filled with numerous scars and was badly disfigured.

"Those damn bloodline bastards don't even deserve to be alive…"

Following his command, the resistance in the battlefield intensified, but all that anyone could do was to struggle in the face of death.

After purging the resistance, it was time for a feast, one of plundering and venting their anger.

But even in a situation like this, the commander's face remained cold and indifferent, as though he never saw it at all.

...

Such scenarios continued to play out in the Ouroboros Clan's territory, and even started to inch closer to Phosphorescence Swamp.

The atmosphere at headquarters was gloomy due to the huge war.

In one of the rooms in the headquarters of Warlock City, a faint warm glow flickered. A group of Magi gathered around a circular black medieval table.

They were all Giant Kemoyin Serpent Warlocks, and the aura exuded by every single one of them was highly terrifying, even exceeding the threshold of the Crystal Phase.

Leylin was among them, scanning through his companions— there were more than ten of them.

These people made up the entirety of the Ouroboros Clan's upper echelons, and they were of the highest ranks apart from the three Morning Star Warlocks. Their decisions would represent the entire Ouroboros Clan!

Lucian and Freya were also among them. Upon seeing Leylin, they nodded in acknowledgement, but anxiety was written across their faces.

A red-headed Warlock stood up, propping himself with his hands on the table, and roared loudly, "Only yesterday! In a mere 13 hours, the attacks we have suffered have surpassed the sum of all the damage we have ever sustained! The Blood Serpent Warlock organisation, the Black Iron Warlock organisation and the castigators have all been razed to the ground! Even Greenflame City that guards our Phosphorescence Swamp has fallen to the hands of our enemy!"

He slammed the table, causing the tabletop to shake vigorously. Leylin could feel his wrath through the vibrations.

"It won't take long until we'll be able to see them within the vicinity of the city! Even small fry like the Arm of Vengeance will start hunting us down. Damn it! These were people I could have wiped out single-handedly in the past!"

With that, opinions started to fire across the table, rage filling the air.

-x-X-x-

Leylin watched the performance of these Warlocks, indifferent to it all.

In fact, it was very clear to them that small organisations like the Arm of Vengeance were being used as scapegoats by the hidden forces.

Were Gilbert and the rest to appear, they would just throw out these scapegoats to suffer their wrath, without caring for their life or death.

And even if these small organisations were to find success, they wouldn't end up with much resources. They could only give the majority of the resources to their backers. Thus, these forces could reap the benefits without getting their own hands dirty. It was a great deal indeed.

Although these Warlocks were completely aware of this, they only dared curse these small organisations that had gone insane in their desire for revenge, but did not dare touch the existence in the background. In the back of their minds, even though they lacked Morning Star forces on their side, they definitely did not have the guts to provoke those acting behind the scenes. To them, on their side, they would not have the guts to challenge the masterminds.

"Never mind that. This place is soon going to become a battlefield, so every one of us must take up our responsibilities. Do you all agree?"

"Agreed!" "Agreed!" "Agreed!" Numerous high ranked Warlocks nodded one after another.

"That's great, we still have the two Kemoyin Gargoyles and the spell formation left by the elders. We can still handle a Morning Star Magus if we activate everything… We just need to persist for a period of time, then the three mentors will be able to return from the astral plane!"

The red-haired Warlock was still trying his best to boost the morale, and hence he maintained the delusion.

After he spoke up to that, everyone's sight immediately shot to an old Warlock who was wiping his spectacles with a white handkerchief.

This old Crystal Phase Warlock was the head of their technical department, Schadt.

Schadt put on his spectacles with a bitter laugh, "Our tests have confirmed that the elders really did open the astral gates and entered another world. However, we couldn't confirm that it's the Purgatory World. However, we're trying really hard to calculate the coordinates. I just need ten days… No! Five! We'll have it in five!"

The expressions of the numerous Warlocks dulled when the reply they got wasn't the one they wanted.

The red-haired Warlock forced a smile, and immediately began to assign missions as a leader, "Marquis Schadt, continue to study the astral gate. Headquarters will allocate resources to you as you wish. You have to rescue our three Mentors!"

"I will!" Schadt nodded. There was a great scholarly temperament to him as he still seemed like nothing had happened even in this kind of critical moment .

"Next, Marquis Lucian…" There was pride in the tone of the red-haired Warlock when he heard the other party agreeing to his orders.

Although he was the first disciple of the Grand Elder, his authority was not much greater than that of the remaining Marquises present here. But now, when the circumstances required the presence of a powerful leader due to both internal and external pressures, it seemed like he could try to take control!

"Very well! Next…" The Warlock started to assign missions to everyone. Finally, it was Leylin's turn. "Marquis Leylin, it's no problem if I leave you in charge of the defense of the West Zone of the city, right?"

"Sorry, I do!" Leylin raised his hand up. He'd heard from Lucian about this Warlock before, although he hadn't met him in person many times. He was Faisal, and he had held power for a long time in the Ouroboros Clan. Right now, it seemed that even in all this confusion, his first thought was of grasping power.

Leylin was immediately fed up by this sort of thing. With their current situation, perhaps the entire headquarters would be breached tomorrow, and everyone would be finished. He still wanted to scramble for power and profits?

"What?" Faisal wrinkled his brows. He'd met a challenger moments after he set up his authority. This triggered his immense dissatisfaction, so he decided to suppress the challenger ruthlessly.

"I have an extremely important experiment…"

"Experiment? Just for the purpose of an experiment?" Leylin was interrupted by Faisal before he could complete his words. "Did I mishear? You want to abandon your responsibility in this kind of critical moment just for an experiment?"

Numerous high-ranked Warlocks around the round table also started whispering to each other after they heard Faisal words.

"Let me finish!" Leylin pressed his hands down.

"The experiment I'm working on is an interplanar experiment. I'm confident in being able to find the coordinates of the Mentors in three days. Marquis Schadt can testify to this."

Schadt, who'd been still as a statue from the beginning, also nodded, "Indeed. Marquis Leylin's fundamental knowledge about astral experiments far surpasses mine. Especially in accurately searching for coordinates, he leaves me ashamed of my meagre ability."

"Even so," Faisal ground his teeth, "The defence of the West Zone…"

"I'll take care of that as well," Freya interrupted.

"You?" Faisal was a little astonished.

"Yes. Anyway, my own defence zone is not far from Leylin's. It's alright for me to take care of both, right?" Freya looked at Faisal challengingly. The other Warlocks had a knowing smile on their faces when they recalled the rumours about Freya and Leylin.

"You can if you say so, but what if your area has problems first…" Faisal dragged out his speech, looking at Freya who had an unyielding expression. He thought Leylin was getting more and more out of hand.

Freya ground her teeth and stated stubbornly, "It'll be my responsibility!"

"Fine, I hope you remember what you said today!" Faisal nodded and sat back down.

The person involved, Leylin, sat foolishly at a distance from the beginning. Only after it ended did he respond and look at Freya. This woman had helped him over and over again, even at the expense of her own family's interests, and was already facing criticism from her elders.

He hadn't expected that she would be willing to help him to this extent.

Actually, this so-called important experiment was just to pull the wool over Faisal's eyes. With his knowledge, it was easy for him to convince Schadt by exposing a bit of his abilities.

If Faisal hadn't agreed even after that, he would've looked for an opportunity to shirk his responsibility.

However, Freya unexpectedly took it on for him. Leylin suddenly felt a bit of a headache as he looked at her.

"You don't need to do this, you know…" Leylin walked to Freya's side and said softly after the meeting dispersed,.

"It's my choice." Freya gathered her black long hair together and left quickly. She seemed stubborn and firm.

Leylin shook his head, then communicated with the A.I. Chip and took a look at the latest data.

[Progress on deduction of information about the Morning Star realm: 52.7%]

After more than ten days, the A.I. Chip had finally finished analysing the flesh of the Azure Mountain King's clone. His information about the Morning Star realm had crossed 50%!

With this, the final requirement for his advancement to the Morning Star realm had been fulfilled.

"The future seems exciting. I will look forward to it…." A smile hung on the corner of Leylin's mouth. He then took a glance at the meeting place and at last moved his legs, leaving with incomparably firm footsteps.

...

In an unknown place, several mysterious conscients¹ were communicating with each other.

"The attacks of the plant legion have had pretty good results! The progress this time is pretty smooth. The air force has also taken down Greenflame City. It seems like the Morning Star Warlocks are already lost in the astral plane."

"Not necessarily. Gilbert and the rest are very cunning. It's possible that they're feigning weakness in order to bait us into exposing ourselves," another voice immediately retorted, "The lifespan of a Morning Star Warlock is nigh endless. Even temporary gains and losses of territory are nothing to them. They can always expand their influence again in the future…"

"What you said also makes sense. We must consider this, and continue to test them. Try to attack their headquarters in Phosphorescence Swamp!" the previous voice said. A powerful stream of thought swept out, "Where's that old Azure Mountain guy?"

"Hehe… he lost a clone to the Ouroboros Clan. With his main body settling a debt with Felix, I'm afraid he won't be available for a period of time…" a woman jokingly said.

"His clone fell? It must have been at rank 3. Even then, who interfered?" The voice who spoke previously seemed sluggish.

"No one! Azure Mountain's clone unexpectedly fell at the hand of a member of the younger generation without the interference of any Morning Star powers. It's even someone who had just advanced to the Crystal Phase. I'm afraid he'll feel too embarrassed to meet people before he thoroughly washes himself of his shame…" The female voice answered

"To have his clone killed by a member of the younger generation. It's simply a humiliation to all Morning Star Magi!"

"That's right!" The numerous thoughts descended into chaos.

"Silence!" the first voice said with immense dignity behind its tone. It immediately suppressed the disturbance.

"Let Azure Mountain's matter go for now. The area he's responsible for isn't that important anyway. The next test will be crucial in determining the existence of those three. This matter also concerns how we'll be treating the Ouroboros Clan in the future, so we should be serious about it!"

The powerful conscient¹ stated, its imposing aura full of dignity.

"We got it!" Numerous thought backed up a step as if expressing surrender.

"Great! The plant legion still needs to advance and push the battlefront forward. As for the air force, remain on the defensive for now. The defence abilities of the headquarters of the Ouroboros Clan are still decent…"

The most powerful thought immediately started to distribute tasks. Soon after, the thoughts in the secret space left one after the other, and the region quieted down immediately.

A deadly stillness permeated the surroundings.

After this meeting, the attacks that were originally planned against the Ouroboros Clan grew in intensity.

Among these, parties such as Azure Mountain City and Nefas broke apart all pretense and flagrantly dispatched their elite groups into the territory of the Ouroboros Clan. This resulted in a great slaughter.

The frontline also approached the headquarters of the Ouroboros Clan in Phosphorescence Swamp continuously. In moments, it was like a storm was raging in the region, which practically affected the weather of the entire central continent.

Numerous Morning Star Magi, Radiant Moon Magi, and even Breaking Dawn Magi all diverted their attentions to the sky above Phosphorescence Swamp.

For the central continent which is in dire straits, any minute changes would be able to cause a huge variation.

¹ New term: conscients. A conscient is a high-level projection of one's perception across the land. The person themself is not present, physically nor spiritually, only observing casually from a distance.

-x-X-x-

The chaos in the Ouroboros Clan was like a stone thrown into the peaceful lake that was the central continent, setting off ripples everywhere.

Due to the mutual deterrence of Morning Star Magi, such a large-scale war was rare.

The information about the current state of the Ouroboros Clan spread throughout the entire central continent like wildfire. Many spies, investigators, and idle Magi rushed towards Phosphorescence Swamp.

They had a pressing need to know how it all began, and what the final outcome would be. They would use this information for their own reference, and in the future would hand it over to the next generation.

"Storm clouds are brewing!"

Phosphorescence Swamp, Ouroboros Clan headquarters. Dressed in skintight leather, Freya stood on a high balcony and observed the huge Warlock City below.

"Even a peaceful, prosperous city like this will have to bear the brunt of battle?" Looking at the gloomy horizon in the distance, dismay clouded Freya's features.

Seeing Julian and a few other elders heading towards her, her already cheerless self became even more depressed.

Disregarding the few elders, Freya asked Julian directly, "How is the deployment of manpower coming along?"

"They have been assigned accordingly, but…" Julian showed signs of hesitation.

"Let me explain. A while ago, due to your haphazard assignment of the snake bloodline Warlocks, our family suffered huge losses. And now we have to bear an even greater burden because of your decision to take over Leylin's responsibility of the defences in the West Zone!" An elderly man with a pair of red eyebrows uttered with an icy tone, his face clearly showing his displeasure. The others were the same, dissatisfaction written all over their faces.

"You must understand, our family barely has the ability to defend ourselves, yet you pile up more responsibility on us. We're going to be short-handed, and when problems arise, our family might even be exterminated!" Another elderly woman exclaimed.

"Aunt… I know that, but…" These elderly men and women were all Freya's seniors in the family. Many of them had known her since her youth. Even though her status as a Crystal Phase Magus was higher than theirs, there were still many matters that were not easy to bring up for discussions in the course of the conversation.

"I know. You have developed feelings for that fellow, right?" Another elderly man with a cyst on his face asked sarcastically.

"Uncle Ivanov! So what if I have?" Freya's steely glare was levelled on Ivanov as she drew a deep breath, the tension in the air reaching the choking point.

The cyst on his face trembled and he backed up a few steps, his lips quivering and he remarked, "This is how you want to treat him? That playboy who not only had a fling with his own female senior, but even that slut Miran…"

"Enough!" Freya suddenly yelled, her face turning crimson. The other few elders raised their brows in shock.

Controversial relationships were common among Warlocks, especially when they were young. Leylin's licentious lifestyle wasn't that big a deal. But for Ivanov to bring up the subject, it was unsettling.

However, in hindsight, what Ivanov said made sense. If Leylin was really interested in Freya, they would have gotten together long ago. Right now, it seemed like a one-sided affair for their chief.

Freya's worried aunt asked hesitantly, "Little Freya, you….."

At this moment, another voice echoed, "Marquis Lucian is here!"

Everyone exchanged glances and immediately quieted down. Family scandals like this were best kept amongst themselves.

"We will take our leave now, will you reconsider…" the female elder shot a loving look at Freya before leaving with the rest.

With their departure, Freya sighed a breath of relief and stepped out to welcome Lucian.

"Hehe… Dreadful, right?" Lucian asked with a smile, two other Magi behind him.

"Just some minor inconveniences!" Freya fluffed her hair. Glancing over Lucian's shoulders, she recognised one of the Magi as Leylin's subordinate, Parker. As for the other female Magus who was wearing a veil, Freya couldn't recognise her. However, the horrifying Crystal Phase energy waves radiating from her body were unmistakably strong.

Such power normally would not be kept under wraps. Even within the Ouroboros Clan, Crystal Phase Magi were few and far between. They could easily form an organisation with the highest authority and take control over everything.

"Allow me to introduce you to Parker, I am sure you already knew him!" Lucian chuckled, allowing Parker to make his salutations. He then turned to point at the other female Magus.

"This is 'Shadow', a Crystal Phase Magus Leylin subdued previously. Having a sensitive identity, she cannot reveal her true name. As for their intentions of being here, Parker!"

"Honourable Marquis Freya!" Parker bowed respectfully, "My Lord knows you have insufficient manpower, so he instructed Shadow and I together with our men to come forth and heed your orders!"

"That's wonderful!" Freya beamed and her eyes lit up. She secretly heaved a sigh of relief.

In the beginning, when she agreed to take over the defence of the West Zone, she was indeed rendered short-handed. But now with the addition of Parker and his men, a big portion of her concern was put to rest.

Especially… Freya shifted her line of sight towards Tanasha's black veil. She tried to look through the veil, attempting to figure out her appearance.

Leylin had been keeping such a trump card hidden by his side all along?

A rank 3 Crystal Phase Magus was not easy to subdue. If Freya hadn't agreed to defend the West Zone, with the abilities of that female Magus and Leylin's men, they would have no problem defending it themselves.

Perhaps what Freya did was unnecessary… But, since the opposite party sent over their assistants, evidently…

Freya's mouth curved into a smile which persisted for a short while before she shook her head and abandoned that train of thought.

The current situation had deteriorated so much that no one knew if the Ouroboros Clan would survive to the next year. She could not let her thoughts shift to such superfluous issues.

After watching Parker and Tanasha leave, Freya turned around, "Marquis Lucian, the intentions of your visit this time was not just to send them to me, right?"

"Yes! There are other matters!" Lucian nodded his head.

"I knew there were more!" Freya rolled her eyes, "Spill!"

"According to Faisal's suggestion, I am here to ask you to hand over the authority of the tower genie that your family left at the headquarters!" Lucian muttered in a low voice.

"I think it is time to do that too!" Freya nodded in agreement and extracted a gold ring tossing it to her. "Take it, I hope their defence measures alongside the Magus Tower can impress me!"

"You will not be disappointed!" With the smooth completion of his mission, Lucian also heaved a sigh of relief.

"What else can I do except comply? Freya forced a smile.

The number of Magus Towers in the Ouroboros Clan headquarters was not small. From her vantage point, the whole area seemed to be packed with them.

These Magus Towers were built by high ranking Warlocks, and many of the towers were heavily subsidised by the main headquarters.

Of course, the main headquarters had their own agenda. In the core of every tower were inscribed defensive runes that were built to be combined with the rest. During a crisis, they would be able to activate all the Magus Towers to unite their defences.

Lucian's so-called taking over of the authority was just a formality to save Freya's reputation. Once Faisal shed all pretence of cordiality, he could immediately bypass all the locks on the Magus Tower and forcefully activate the Tower's energy to bolster the defence.

Leylin knew about this, hence his unwillingness to build his Magus Tower at the main headquarters.

Freya was part of an extensive family and they owned massive businesses. Not only did they possessed Magus Towers in their own territory, they even had some high-grade ones in the main headquarters that were used as experimental laboratories. What Lucian wanted was the authority to those.

"I am glad you understand!" Lucian nodded his head and his expression dulled. "Even at such times, there are some people who are unwilling to hand over control, not contributing to our Ouroboros Clan. They deserve to be damned!"

"Luckily, that is just a small minority!" Freya nodded in agreement, knowing those Warlocks absolutely did not deserve to die. After all, they were already dead.

After chatting for a while longer, Lucian took his leave. Given his hasty departure, Freya assumed there were some important matters for him to attend to.

With the impending great war, all the Warlocks were on their toes without rest. It was even more prominent for the core leaders, those at the Crystal Phase.

Snapping out of her thoughts, Freya looked to another direction, "Even with our forthcoming demise, you are really at ease! If you cannot give me a satisfactory explanation, you will be in trouble…"

....

Unknown to Freya, after elder Ivanov left, he locked himself in the room and threw a big tantrum.

"That crazy woman! She is completely sick! How could she be so adamant in betraying our family for an outsider's benefit!" Ivanov roared in rage, his voice blocked and absorbed by the sound-proofing on the walls that kept the outside world from knowing what was going on inside.

"And Amasha is such an old muddlehead! How could she treat Freya like a child and give her more time… Damn it! Soon, our family will face imminent destruction!" Ivanov's face flushed red with anger and his cyst bulged.

Hands on his back, he started pacing in circles.

"No way! I refuse to witness the destruction of our family's ancestral legacy at her hands!" After a few rounds, he clenched his teeth and tore the sleeves off his shirt.

Branded on his arm was an impressive yet odd-looking plant imprint. With the injection of spiritual force, it immediately started glowing.

"*Sha sha...*" After a wave of noise passed, a low, husky male voice emerged from the opposite end, "You have finally contacted us!"

-x-X-x-

"Yes! I've considered it thoroughly, I cannot sit back and watch my clan die in war!" Ivanov insisted, with an unexpectedly sanctified look on his face.

"Very well! Our targeted enemies are only those evil bloodline warlocks. You guys, who have awakened in time, are still a part of us Magi!" A voice echoed from the imprint.

"There's no doubt about that! I'm honoured!" Ivanov said excitedly.

Immediately, he asked again with worry, "Is this communication channel safe? The headquarters of the Ouroboros Clan has very strict isolation and tapping capabilities!"

"Haha… Rest assured! This has already been encrypted personally! Our conversation will definitely not be leaked out!"

"Alright then, what do you need me to do?" Since he had already decided to betray, Ivanov was pretty much nonchalant.

"Very simple, you only need to…" The voice softened over time, while Ivanov nodded repeatedly.

The dim light slowly extinguished as darkness engulfed the entire place.

…..

It was only a matter of time before the attacks began.

By the time the Warlocks, who had gotten used to the martial law, discovered that the entire city had been surrounded by a patch of carnivorous plants, many of them felt a sort of relief.

Contrary to the previous uneasiness and tension, these visible enemies made them feel more secure. What followed next would be a great war— the winner would survive, and the loser would be doomed for all eternity. It was as simple as that.

Compared to open war, the oppressed feeling of the wait from before was what caused mental breakdowns.

But many Warlocks only felt relieved for a moment. By the time they saw the legion of airships all over the sky pressing in like dark clouds, even Faisal had a slight feeling that it was as if his previous efforts to fight for power had become a joke!

"Alert!" He shouted at the top of his voice, a slight tremble to his tone.

"Magus Tower authorisation complete! Constructing core defence system!" Contrary to him, those Warlocks with specific orders could still carry out their tasks orderly.

*Buzz!* A Magus Tower began to shake, and many runes emerged from the surface of the tower as they shot up into the sky.

All the towers in the city were in the same situation. The many runes, constructed of strings of light, converged at the heart of the city, taking the form of a bright sun.

A water screen surrounding the sun cascaded from all directions with a crystal clear glow on its surface, engulfing the entire city.

"Such a terrifying spell formation, it should be employing at least 50 to 60 elemental reactors and pools!"

In the centre of the enemy camp, a green-haired Magus sneered, "Pity, the other party was too impatient. We were only scaring him, yet he exposed his trump card!"

"Yes!" Another female Magus dressed in red covered her lips and smiled charmingly, "If the Ouroboros Clan's warlocks are all of such quality, victory will definitely be ours!"

"In fact, as long as the other party's three elders do not rush back, there will be no change to this war's result. At most, it will be a matter of time!" the green-haired Magus corrected. As a high-ranking leader of the legion, the intelligence he possessed was far greater than that of ordinary Magi. He even knew about the disappearance of Gilbert and the others.

"Hence, what we need to do now is to try attacking…" The female Magus bit her lips, seeming rather playful.

In front of her, the male Magus appeared very confident, and he announced a little proudly, "There's not even a need to test it. We can have the other organisations to help us with everything!"

"You mean the Arm of Vengeance?" The female Magus nodded, giggling immediately and stretching her body in a relaxed manner, "Since we already have them helping us, should we take this opportunity to do other things…"

Her voice was sweeter than the sweetest honey. The male Magus could not help but be intoxicated by it.

Faintly, two other soft voices echoed over, "Those Magi, are they reliable?"

"Just mere sacrifices. Anyway, when the time comes, they'll be given up. What's there to worry?"

"I'm still a little worried..."

"At worst, I'll hand over command to you. You just have to keep an eye on them for me…" In here, all sorts of conspiracies were gradually staged, yet they were completely hidden due to the many green plant legions.

The things that happened here did not attract any attention from the outside world.

Following the encirclement of the plants and airship armies, dark clouds of war immediately filled the region surrounding the Ouroboros Clan. The approaching storm made many of the Kemoyin Warlocks clasp their hands tightly. Just then, the candidate who was to serve as the main offensive walked down from the airship.

The Magus had a pockmarked face and a prosthetic wooden leg. He walked with a limp, and his face burned with the desire for vengeance. He stared at the city of Warlocks, and if looks could kill his gaze alone would've burnt it down.

"Ouroboros Clan! Kemoyin Warlocks! To think you'd face such a day too!" An ice-cold voice seemed to be forced out from the crevice between his teeth.

"Sir Lober! According to the orders of the alliance, you will command the first wave of attacks!" said a masked figure from beside him as he slightly bowed down. Even with his expression hidden behind the mask, his tone was oozing with contempt.

Robert clenched and relaxed his fists repeatedly several times, but still gritted his teeth and spoke, "I understand! Please inform the sirs that Robert will fulfil his mission!"

"Very good!" The masked man made a swift bow before his body vanished into thin air.

"Mentor! We've finally reached this point!" Another old man, his head full of grey hair, walked down from the airship as well. When he saw the already-surrounded city of warlocks, he could not control himself as tears streamed down his face.

The Magi who descended from the airship were mostly those who had a deep-seated hatred for the Ouroboros Clan.

Due to their vengeful desires, as well as the possible benefits, they did not hesitate to take up the role of the coalition's vanguard. They even embarked on the bloody path of revenge in their own territories, cleaning it up in revenge for all the humiliation and hardships that their ancestors had been through.

And Robert, the chief of the Arm of Vengeance, was the leader elected by the many small groups.

On the other side, many Warlocks were observing the enemy from on top of a great tower. The only difference was, while the other side was quite free and leisurely, even able to pursue the pleasures of life, their situation was much more difficult.

Their expressions, Faisal's included, were dark and filled with fear.

"Azure Mountain City's Azure Rain Knights! And the Demon Magus Army from the Nefas!" Freya's hands gripped the railing as she watched the other two armies who had distinct insignias. Her eyes were full of disbelief.

In the direction she was looking, a formation of knights that were armoured in blue with a bunch of giant feathers on their heads were standing quietly. So were a strange-looking group of Magi who possessed scaly bodies as well as claws and horns.

The mere energy waves unconsciously emitted from their bodies was enough to suffocate a rank 1 Magus. Even the allied army did not dare to stay too close, and kept their distance.

"The Demon Hunter and the Azure Mountain King have shed all pretence of cordiality; they actually sent their elite subordinates out to attack…" Compared to the other forces who were secretive, the Azure Mountain City's and Nefas' forces evidently did not have as many considerations.

This explained the other party's vengeance and hate towards the Ouroboros Clan. It was to the extent that they were already confident that the three elders would not return, so they would give no quarter.

"The Azure Rain Knights are still alright, they are only counterfeits of the ancient Steel Knights, but these demon Magi…"

On the other side, Lucian also frowned, "They are all Magi who have communicated with the demon plane. Their bodies have been altered by demonic power, allowing them to possess a very special power. They even resorted to signing contracts with the demons to awaken all kinds of strange abilities! And only the Demon Hunter can completely subdue them and keep them for his own use. Often, their appearance represents destruction and death…"

"This was all caused by your Mentor," Faisal sneered. "Moreover, even at this point in time, your brother Leylin still hasn't appeared!"

Because Gilbert had forcibly snatched away many portions of the Forgotten Land's resources from Cyril, the relationship between the two was never good. Faisal did not agree with the way Gilbert did things, hence he naturally had to use that as a pretext to make a fuss.

In fact, if he knew that the Azure Mountain King's exasperation was caused by Leylin, he would probably go even crazier.

"What we decided originally, is the Elder Association's decision. Furthermore, the three elders did this together, don't say that you didn't use those bloodline treasures at all!" Freya immediately rebutted.

Seeing her speak up for him, Lucian could not help but direct a kind smile to Freya.

"Ahem…" Upon noticing that the situation was descending into a cold war, another old man whose face had mottled snake scales immediately came over to mediate the dispute.

"Leylin and Schadt both have to deduce Mentor and the others' coordinates. Now is the most crucial moment; it's normal that they're not here. We need to work together to overcome our difficulties right now"

Not only did this aged warlock possess Crystal Phase strength, he was also of a relatively high rank. Even Faisal could only display anger on his face, shutting his mouth after.

By this time, they had also noticed the other party's movements.

Many small Magus organisations swaggered to the city's borders under another Magus' lead. They then began to set up a spell formation.

"Robert?! This bastard! He actually dared to come out!" A feminine Warlock licked the blade of the knife in his hand and said, "I should've given him a few more slashes that time!"