Chapter 1695 - WMW 68

*Hiss!*

In the void that seemed to resemble the universe, a gigantic black serpent emerged. With a body more than ten thousand meters long, it looked like it could swat an entire star out of the way with a sweep of its tail.

It was a predator at the top of the food chain which only existed during the ancient times, and was only heard of in rumors and myths. The Giant Kemoyin Serpent had actually descended!

The huge black serpent occupying the void had large amber pupils that resembled stars, and the fine black scales on its body twinkled, reflecting its glossy texture.

This wasn't a phantom that was combined with his bloodline aura using spells; this was an actual living being, made of flesh and blood!

The Morning Star Arcane Art of Giant Kemoyin Serpent Warlocks was indeed this Kemoyin Serpent Transformation! It allowed the Warlock himself to temporarily revert to his ancestral form, and turn into a terrifying ancient creature!

The ancient Morning Star realm creature was still completely under the Warlock's control, and he even retained his original spell-casting abilities.

With the terrifying strength of the corporeal body and great magical prowess, Kemoyin Warlocks at the Morning Star realm were definitely a nightmare for many Morning Star Magi!

Cyril broke out in a cold sweat when he realised that the large pupils were staring right at him, and the fear hidden in his deepest corners of his psyche suddenly burst out.

"No! NO! I still have a Morning Star Arcane Art! I'll give it my all!" At this moment, Cyril had also completed his own Morning Star Arcane Art. Splendid rays of light exploded forth from his body.

"Rank 1 innate spell— Chaos Forcefield!"

"Rank 2 innate spell— Meteor Force!"

"Rank 3 innate spell— Celestial Explosion!"

"Rank 4 innate spell— Rites of Turbulence!"

"Combining to form the Morning Star Arcane Art— Aerial Meteor!

*Bang!* The void exploded, and an enormous meteorite that seemed like a star emerged, transforming into a streak that charged towards Leylin and fire flickered continuously in the space the meteorite travelled through.

The Giant Kemoyin Serpent hissed, greeting the huge meteor in a great clash, just like in the legends.

...

Above Phosphorescence Swamp in the Magus World, numerous Morning Star conscients were at a loss for words.

"How… How could it be… Why is that youngster's Kemoyin Serpent Transformation so strong?"

After a long silence, the strongest central thought spoke up, "The strength of a Warlock's innate spell is not only decided based on their rank, but also on the bloodline. The purer the bloodline, the more powerful the Warlock!"

"What you're saying is that the purity of that fellow's bloodline is even higher than that of Gilbert and the other two?"

"Yes, it's such a regret that we didn't discover him earlier and kill him… Now that we have allowed him to grow…" The central conscient sighed, feeling that it was a great pity.

"Seems like Cyril is bound to lose…" Soon after, the numerous voices started making gurgling sounds like strangled ducks. Even the Morning Star Magi watching the battle were alarmed.

"You must be joking!" "How is this possible?"

They seemed to have seen something unfathomable happening before their eyes, and sank into collective despair.

*Buzz!* Above the battlefield, the void contorted. Leylin changed into his black Magus robe and proudly straightened himself.

Upon seeing him, the numerous Bloodline Warlocks below finally heaved a sigh of relief, yelling forth, "Leylin! Leylin!"

However, the shouting from the crowd suddenly stopped.

This was because Leylin had lifted up a head, one that didn't even have the chance to die a peaceful death with its eyes closed. It had thin lips and silver eyes— just that they had lost their luster. This was the head of the Demon Hunter, Cyril!

"Demon Hunter Cyril has already fallen in battle. Which one of you would like to be next?" Leylin stood proudly on the battlefield with Cyril's head held high, and looked around.

This rank 4 Magus had always been held in high regard for a long time, and was even seen as a Morning Star Magus. But now, he had actually fallen right in front of their eyes?

It wasn't just the Magi in the allied armies, but even the Warlocks of the Ouroboros Clan who pinched themselves, unable to believe their eyes, and thinking that they were dreaming.

The battlefield fell into a deathly stillness for a moment. When the Warlocks regained their senses, they all started screaming wildly.

All this while, the burden they had been carrying in their hearts was too heavy. Now that they had the chance, they naturally unloaded everything off their chests, and they even seemed to have gone a little insane.

At the same time, Leylin was also communicating with other Morning Star Magi.

"You shouldn't have killed him!" A large conscient sounded.

"This is a war, an endless fight to the death!" Leylin refused to concede.

"Does this mean that you will fight us to death as well?" The other party was naturally not startled by Leylin's threat.

"Of course… Not! If you still decide to continue to battle, I will abandon the Ouroboros Clan headquarters and flee, then attack your territory!" Leylin answered without a single bit of shame, and instead caused the other party to be caught in a dilemma.

The battles between Morning Star Magi usually lasted for long periods of time. If one could not subdue the other and let him escape, no organisation would be able to withstand the consequences if he came back for revenge.

Leylin had already proven with his military accomplishments that he wasn't your average newly-advanced Morning Star Warlock. He had great capabilities, even among those at the Morning Star realm.

His enemies, who were Morning Star Magi, would be able to defeat him if they joined forces, but they would have to pay a tremendous price. It would also pose a problem if he ran away after they suffered serious injuries!

The risk was not nearly worth the reward. And with the possibility of a hidden danger being present even Morning Star Magi would not attack head-on.

The many conscients immediately started quarrelling.

"Are we going to let him go just like that? He killed Cyril!"

"Doesn't Cyril still have a doppelganger?"

"It is only at rank 3, what use does it have? Furthermore, Cyril has bad blood with many other Morning Star Magi, and they won't let this chance slip by. He's as good as dead!"

"No! We cannot let him go!" The Azure Mountain King bore the most hatred towards Leylin.

"Really?" Leylin's voice was transmitted to his mind directly.

"Dear Azure Mountain King, if the allied armies still decide to start a war in the end, I can guarantee that the stardust bugs will immediately be made known across the whole of the central continent!"

The Azure Mountain King's was startled. He glanced around his surroundings. Seeing that none of the Magi discovered that he was communicating with Leylin, he spoke with less restraint. "Are you threatening me?"

"Yes I am!" Leylin answered without a tinge of modesty. "Now that I am already a Morning Star Magus, you can't erase all traces of me. In comparison to you, how many people will choose to believe me?"

He even added another sentence at the end, which ruthlessly pierced through the Azure Mountain King's heart like a dagger, "Also, I seem to have found some possibly disastrous items among your grandson's belongings! So many interesting sketches… If they are leaked, I'm afraid…"

"Enough!" The Azure Mountain King's tone went an octave higher, and he had no choice but to accept a compromise, "I promise you!"

Even as he said this, his heart was bleeding. He understood that with such an agreement, not only would he be unable to seek revenge in the future, he would also be subjected to Leylin's threats.

However, he had no other way out. After all, his strength was not even as great as Cyril's. If Leylin could kill even Cyril, using military force against him would just be a joke.

...

"Damn it! How could such a thing happen?"

On the ground, in the command centre of the allied troops, the Bloodline Warlocks on the entire frontline were counter-attacking. This made the green-haired commander hysterical, especially with Leylin having just attacked and killed a Morning Star Magus.

"What do we do? What do we do?" Hesitation flashed across his face, and the green-haired Magus tightly clenched his teeth. "Order the Kyasha Beast to attack with full force, and self-destruct at the end. Even if we cannot reap the fruits of the battle, we have to make sure the other party suffers great losses! We have to at least get rid of that Giant Serpent puppet!"

The Kyasha Beast and the Duo Serpent Annihilator of the Ouroboros Clan were both puppets; artificially manufactured products at the Morning Star level. Although they had partial Morning Star strength, they were unable to fully put it to use. They were not very intelligent either, and were rather rigid.

But even so, the terrifying damage one could cause upon self-destruction could not be looked down upon. If Leylin didn't pay attention, forget the Duo Serpent Annihilator, even the entire town of Warlocks would be reduced to ruin.

Just like how other Morning Star Magi were apprehensive towards Leylin, but did not take action. It would not be wise for Leylin to harm the green-haired Magus just because of the damage he caused. Because threats would always be always mutual.

The green-haired Magus then made a decision. He fished out a necklace from his waist pouch, adorned with emerald. He was about to issue an order.

At this moment, he was greeted with a fragrant smell. A figure that he was familiar with appeared behind him, and the smell of perfume lingered around the tip of his nose.

"Quit playing around, I'm doing something serious!" The green-haired Magus furrowed his brows, but didn't push the other party away. He knew this person all too well, thus he took no precaution at all.

All of a sudden, his face turned blank. He lowered his head, seemingly in excruciating pain, and saw the tip of a blade sticking out of his chest. Fresh, scarlet blood stained the knife, dripping down.

A gentle voice explained next to his ear, "The minister of the Dark Serpent department, Trelisse, sends her regards!"

"You… You…" Blood foamed at his mouth continuously. He had not been wary of that female Magus at all, and his innate defence was as weak as paper when faced with that dagger.

"This mission was completed successfully all thanks to you! Also, don't even think about using the life entrustment spell to reincarnate; I already learnt of the location a long time ago… One last thing, your choice was a grave mistake. You really shouldn't have turned against us…"

The lady's voice seemed like the sweetest venom, entering the male Magus' body along with the dagger. His vitality trickled away unceasingly, and even his vision was starting to blur.

Soon after, a black ray of light flashed and the ring finger on his left hand was burnt to ashes.

As a high-ranking Magus, and also the commander of the allied armies, he had methods that he could use as a last resort to ensure his survival, the most important one being the life entrustment spell. This would allow him to transfer his soul to any part of his body; as long as that part still existed, he would be able to reincarnate.

But what a pity it was that the other party had already seen through it all.

-x-X-x-

*Boom!* Upon pulling out the dagger, a beautiful red-haired female Magus grabbed the emerald necklace from the male Magus expressionlessly.

"Command: gklm…" After a series of spells, the aura of the gemstone necklace burst forth, as if a miniature war giant had emerged from its core.

"Get as far from here as possible, beginning self-destruct procedure!" After she coldly issued the command, the necklace in the female Magus' hands immediately turned to ashes. Shortly after, her entire body was engulfed in a dark green flame, disappearing into thin air…

The headquarters' allied army had been thrown into confusion. It instantly became a mess, and some of the soldiers had already chosen to retreat.

"Very good! Very good! The 'Shadow Snake Department' of your Ouroboros Clan has even infiltrated our main command post!"

The conscient in the middle gritted his teeth.

"How would I know?" In his heart, Leylin rolled his eyes. Previously, his position in the Ouroboros Clan was not one where he would be exposed to such things, but it did not stop him from improvising.

"War is always unscrupulous. Now, it's your choice. With the current state of the allied army, I'm afraid that even without us attacking, it will immediately descend into chaos…" Leylin spoke very confidently, as if he was the one who had sent out the female spy.

The Kyasha Beast growled, abandoning the fight with the Duo Serpent Annihilator as it made a run for the outer regions, causing the ground to shake vigorously. The allied army soldiers in its surroundings became minced meat one after the other.

Big chunks of flesh fell off its body even as it ran. This was the activation of the previous self-destruct command.

Watching this, many of the conscients fell into a silence, then began to talk to one another soon after.

Leylin smiled confidently instead.

Now, they were evidently carrying out an arduous but unrewarding job, and were in the midst of hesitation. And just now, the most stubborn Azure Mountain King had been changed from opposing him to being a supporter. With these changes, the strong force that had at least two votes had become the one to decide between the two previously evenly-matched choices.

Indeed, after a short moment, the large conscient emitted huge soul force waves, communicating with the many soldiers of the allied army.

After receiving orders, the Azure Rain knights, as well as the other numerous allied Magi, began to retreat gradually.

Only the Demon Magus Army, and a few other small organisations like the Arm of Vengeance, held their positions with a look of helplessness on their faces.

"You have won this time!" The large conscient spoke from opposite him.

"Thank you all! I only need to preserve the core territory, which is Phosphorescence Swamp. As for this war, pin the blame on the City of Sins, Nefas, and that Arm of Vengeance…" Leylin quit while he was ahead, speaking with a slight bow.

What he meant, was to maintain the current situation, make the opponent hand over all the territories they were occupying, and not to look into the responsibilities of other forces.

Leylin had considered things thoroughly. Because of the support of the 3 dukes, the Ouroboros Clan could originally hold such a large territory. Now, with him alone, the results of this war were considered a success.

Furthermore, with his current frail strength, forming rivalries with so many Morning Star forces was unrealistic. He could only assign a few scapegoats to settle the problem.

The Arm of Vengeance was originally a predetermined choice. With the addition of Nefas, which had already lost its Morning Star protection, it was enough.

"Very well! You have made the right choice!" A hint of rare gentleness floated in the conscient's voice.

"I believe in the future, we will become good friends…"

The interactions between those at the Morning Star realm was this simple. Once they realised they could not completely annihilate the other party, it was very normal to humble themselves to form good relationships.

Two great forces in heated conflict could sometimes bury the hatchet the next day. All of this was definitely not unlinked to the Morning Star Magi backing them.

If not for Leylin coming out of the blue this time, how would these starving wolves have been so easy to convince? Perhaps the entire Ouroboros Clan would have been swallowed up without any remains.

*Swoosh!* Many conscients disappeared, and only at this time did Leylin slowly heave a sigh of relief.

He knew that, at least for now, the Ouroboros Clan had crossed its predicament.

"Sir Leylin!" "Sir Leylin!" "Sir Leylin!"

On the ground, many of the bloodline Warlocks had injuries on their bodies. As they watched the allied army retreat, they could not help but rejoice. Especially upon seeing Leylin's gaze, it was as if they had seen a deity.

Faisal, who saw the scene, could only smile bitterly to himself.

He knew that from then on, the entire Ouroboros Clan would probably fall into the hands of the Morning Star Warlock floating above.

...

"Ugh… I… Where is this?"

Freya groaned. After waking up, she looked at the familiar ceiling with a little disorientation in her eyes.

Suddenly, the devastating great war, the blood and flesh flying all over, the appearance of a Morning Star Magus emerged one by one in her mind. At the end, was that pair of gentle eyes.

"The chief has awakened!" The two pretty maids at the side noticed Freya coming to and they immediately rejoiced, scurrying out.

After a moment, Freya who had regained her usual astuteness and capabilities, tidied up her clothing and sat by the bed. Listening to the many elders who had rushed here, as well as Julian's narration, her tiny lips slowly spread apart.

"That means… Leylin! Oh no! Sir Leylin has already advanced to rank 4, to the Morning Star Realm?" Freya muttered, unsure of the feeling in her heart. Previously, it was because she had been driven by Leylin that she went into seclusion in order to cultivate and advance into the Crystal Phase.

She had originally thought that she had shaken him off, but little did she know that Leylin would display such great strength at the Crystal Phase after that, even advancing before her.

Now, he had even broken through the Morning Star bottleneck directly, achieving the dream of many of the central continent's Magi—rank 4.

Furthermore, he had even killed Demon Hunter Cyril in one blow, and with a determined stance remedied the Ouroboros Clan's perilous situation.

"So, without me even realising it, the gap between us has already grown so large?" Freya's eyes grew hot, almost tearing up. However, after having trained for such a long time, she was able to hold it in by force of will, not exhibiting the slightest bit of emotion on her face.

"Yes! According to Sir Leylin's previous diagnosis, your spiritual force is exhausted. You require more rest…" Julian looked at Freya carefully, making eye contact with most of the clan elders.

Deep in their hearts, they were extremely impressed by Freya's previous support for Leylin. Now that he had been promoted to the Morning Star realm, even obtaining the great power of making changes the Ouroboros Clan, he would definitely favour their clan in the future.

Even… some elders stole glances at Freya.

Because she was seriously injured, Freya's face was slightly pale yet it did not cover up her touching expression. It was a pitiful look.

If this clan leader could mesmerise Sir Leylin, wouldn't the clan be able to introduce a Kemoyin bloodline of the Morning Star rank?

Just the mere thought of it made these elders flush red, and their bodies trembled uncontrollably.

"No need, I'd like to see him!" Freya took the thick fur jacket, draped it over her shoulders, and walked out.

The physique of a Crystal Phase Warlock was beyond one's imagination. With only a short rest, Freya's body was more or less recovered, posing no problem for her to move around on her own.

Julian wanted to follow her initially, but was stopped by an elder with a strange smiling face…

The heart of the Ouroboros Clan's regime was originally a senate formed by the 3 Morning Star Warlocks. However, with Leylin as the only one left, he could naturally decide everything as he wished.

He no longer worked in his own manor, but in the most luxurious hall in the headquarters. Many high-ranked Warlocks bowed humbly, awaiting orders from the young Magus on the throne.

"Dark Serpent Section, the military, the technical department... 57 Marquises, as well as many Earls and Viscounts have announced their loyalty to your highness. They are all willing to follow your highness, and revere your highness as the highest veteran of the Ouroboros Clan!"

A smile of flattery hung on Faisal's face. Like the most loyal dog, his back was hunched almost 90 degrees as he reported to Leylin.

"Very good!" Leylin was now wearing a platinum robe embroidered with a fierce black serpent. In the vibrant lights and colours, even the totem of the Giant Kemoyin Serpent was on the robe. At the sides of the robe, many runes were sewed on with thin golden thread.

The robe itself was a low-grade magic artifact! And Leylin, who wore it, seemed much more majestic for it. Being on the throne was like being the central power of the universe, and it had him brimming with dignity.

As he watched Faisal and the other Warlocks giving him an abnormal amount of respect, a playful smirk curled up at the corner of Leylin's lips.

Ever since the war ended, these Warlocks immediately crowned him lord, showing the utmost respect for him.

The strong rule, this had always been a fundamental truth!

Furthermore, with Leylin's current strength and the reputation of saving the clan from its perilous situation, even if they disagreed he could force a massacre upon his subordinates. By that time, things would no longer be as simple as handing over power. Hence these Warlocks were very obedient, fearful of Leylin finding their weaknesses.

*Thump!* After Freya stepped into the hall, two rows of Warlocks immediately stared at her, giving forth a pressure that even she could not endure.

"Blood serpent Marquis Freya greets Sir Leylin!" Freya was also unsure of the feelings in her heart, and she just bowed respectfully.

"Everyone except Freya, leave!" Leylin nodded. The two rows of Warlocks immediately exited in an orderly manner, shutting the door silently to make space for Leylin and Freya.

"What's wrong?" Leylin stepped down, watching the slightly strong-headed yet confused and fearful Freya, accurately capturing the trace of fear deep in her eyes.

"You… really are different now!" Freya muttered softly as she watched the heroic young warlock before her.

From his aura that was as calm as the ocean that had an extraordinariness to it, one could tell that he had really advanced to that far-fetched Morning Star Realm, and was probably even stronger than her Mentor.

It was just that, such a powerful Leylin gave Freya an urge to cry instead.

-x-X-x-

With a sweep of his soul force, everything regarding Freya was revealed in front of Leylin.

"Your injuries are pretty much healed up, though your sea of consciousness still needs nourishment. I recommend the Giant Serpent's Spirit Potion! There are already very few Crystal Phase Warlocks like you in the Ouroboros Clan…" Leylin sighed.

After the great battle, the ten or so Crystal Phase Warlocks had dwindled in number to a pitiful seven or eight. Even Leylin's senior, Lucian, had been unlucky enough to lose his life at the hands of the plant legion.

In a situation like this where there were few trump cards remaining, Leylin knew that even though he was in charge every single Crystal Phase Magus was a precious resource.

"Many thanks, my Lord!" Freya bowed, seemingly very solemn.

"Oh, right. One more thing. I hope the Blood Serpent Family can help me arrange for my Morning Star Ceremony." Morning Star Magi had very high statuses in the central continent, especially since it was so difficult to advance. Every instance of it was a joyous matter worthy of celebration with a huge circle of friends, and was even a grand ceremony for the entire continent.

Based on conventional practices, each appearance of a Morning Star Magus meant that there had to be something like a ceremony. This was an announcement of power, which was even more important for the Ouroboros Clan, given its current state.

The bloodline Warlocks, who were in a state of chaos, were in desperate need of a burst of motivation.

"It shall be my family's honour to do so!" Leaving it to her family meant valuing her. Whatever it was, this was beneficial to the Blood Serpent Family. As the leader, Freya could not reject them, nor did she have any reason to do so.

"I am also planning to release another piece of news during the ceremony." Watching Freya, who was biting her lips with an odd look on her face below him, Leylin smirked.

"What is it?"

"After the ceremony, I shall organise a huge wedding and marry you into my family!" The words that left Leylin's mouth were earth-shattering, leaving Freya completely stunned.

"Marry into your family?" Freya repeated it like a mantra, her child-like features perplexed. Leylin was a Warlock who had recently joined and basically had no support from any bloodline families.

"Yes, the Farlier family. Although there's only me on the central continent for now, I believe we'll become the first family of the Ouroboros Clan. We'll even become the best of all bloodline families!" Leylin touched his nose.

Though he was the only Warlock in his family and it seemed pitiful, Leylin didn't care.

After all, how could a family with a Morning Star Magus be common? With his pure bloodline, the chances of his descendants advancing were much higher than for other Warlocks. In no time, it would be capable of becoming the greatest family in the Ouroboros Clan!

The central continent was much too large. Though Leylin now held control over the Ouroboros Clan, he needed to develop an organisation that was uniquely his. How could there be anything that could beat a family he created himself? Others would have another layer of bloodline restrictions, and this would count as insurance for himself.

In addition, he who had already reached the Morning Star realm no longer had to worry about the leakage of information regarding the purity of his bloodline. He now held enough strength to protect himself.

Since he needed a female Warlock to spread his bloodline, Leylin naturally chose Freya. First of all, she was clean and honest, and treated him well. She looked pretty as well. What else was there to hesitate over?

"What if I… reject you?" Freya bit her lips, slightly unwilling. Though she liked Leylin, she didn't want things to go this way.

"You can't reject anyway. I rule the Ouroboros Clan!" Leylin's tone could not be questioned. The rims of Freya's eyes reddened, and she lightly grasped Leylin's hands.

"I know you're unwilling to do this because you're hoping I'll marry into your family instead of the other way around. Is that right?" Leylin completely saw through Freya.

Deep inside, Freya still hoped to bring Leylin into the Blood Serpent family, but this was obviously not possible.

The Leylin right now would definitely not agree to this at all. Even before he advanced, he would only get others to do as he wished, and there were never instances of others getting him to do something.

One had to acknowledge that Leylin was a male chauvinist. He would marry Freya of his own accord, and not because he was thankful towards her. And he would definitely not marry into her family.

"You know all this, but why…" Freya raised her head, face glimmering with tears as she protested.

Seeing her reacting this way, Leylin knew that she had pretty much made up her mind, and couldn't help but chuckle, "Because I am stronger than you! This is what you're destined to do!"

Strength ruled the Magus World. This was an undisputable truth.

Since Freya had completely given in, Leylin softened his tone and began to console her, "Don't worry. I will naturally take care of your family. When we have many children, I can even send a son over to the Blood Serpent family…"

This was an attempt at pacifying her. Since Freya had done so much for Leylin, he had to pay her back. However, Leylin's nature was such that he had to take the initiative, instead of being begged to act.

Upon hearing this guarantee, Freya nodded, finally at ease.

Leylin could tell that Freya had nodded slightly and agreed, and laughed heartily at that.

...

The battle that happened at Phosphorescence Swamp swept through the central continent like a whirlwind.

In particular, Leylin's exceptional and powerful appearance, from how he had killed the Demon Hunter Cyril and caused his fall, increased the enthusiasm towards the situation till the extreme.

Demon Hunter Cyril was not a nobody, even amongst the Morning Star circles. Rather, his strength had been proven to surpass the masses, and as a newly-advanced Morning Star Warlock, Leylin had been able to cause his downfall. Such strength immediately led to the dread of other Morning Star Magi.

From the outside, it seemed like not only had the allied armies that had attacked the Ouroboros Clan completely withdrawn from key regions such as Phosphorescence Swamp, they had even drawn a certain line of isolation, seemingly wanting to avoid conflict.

After the fall of the main body of Morning Star Magus Cyril, Nefas, the city of sin, fell into a state of confusion. The Magi there weren't good people from the start, and mostly comprised of vicious bandits and those with death warrants for them. Without Cyril's suppression, the place grew rife with violence.

The areas surrounding Nefas gradually descended further into chaos as news about the death of Cyril's clone came in, confirming his fall.

In that period, spells flew everywhere in the city, and the architecture was engulfed in a sea of flames.

As many Demon Magi gleefully broke into Cyril's Magus Tower and were prepared to loot the place as they wished, a large number of elite Magus armies suddenly descended upon them.

Under the suppression of the Magus army, as well as with a Morning Star Magus' help, the chaos in Nefas died down.

After losing the deterring power of Cyril, the defenceless Nefas had basically turned into a giant gold mine, attracting the interests of many Morning Star Magi.

This was especially true for those few Morning Star Magi in the original allied army. In the name of their comrades, they dispatched forces and took over the city, making up for all their previous losses.

By the time the matter with Nefas had died down, an even more startling piece of news spread throughout the central continent.

The one who had caused Cyril's fall based on his own strength, and thus protected the Ouroboros Clan, the Morning Star Magus Leylin Farlier, had invited many friendly organisations to his Morning Star ceremony.

In response to this invitation, many large-scaled organisations who had intentionally kept a distance due to their disdain towards the Ouroboros Clan saw a chance to repair this relationship and sent people to attend.

Other organisations also saw the ceremony as a great chance to figure out the situation within the Ouroboros Clan, and to better understand Leylin's strength. They, too, sent out spies or envoys.

During that time, numerous Magi hurried towards Phosphorescence Swamp, causing the swamp to be bustling with life, a huge contrast from the normal deathly silence.

...

Within the city headquarters, Leylin reclined on the couch comfortably, listening to the female Magus reporting from beside him.

"The messengers we sent out have mostly returned with positive replies. Most of the emissaries of those organisations have already set out. Recently, Phosphorescence Swamp has not been very orderly. Though preparations for the ceremony are completed, I think it's necessary to prepare a few emergency contingencies…"

Freya leant against the couch while holding countless files and wearing a pair of frameless glasses, seemingly very busy.

"Let's do as you say!"

"Also, the bloodline Warlocks from Spirit Circle and Wind Wolf Lair are about to reach headquarters. You need to take some time out to meet them…" After finishing her report, Freya laughed delicately and moved away from the couch, leaving quickly.

After she left, Leylin's expression turned serious. He put on white gloves and produced a broken sword. This sword had the style of casting in ancient times. It was cold and sharp, and even time could do nothing to weaken its firmness. There were even traces of golden-coloured blood on the blade.

"I never expected for the bloodline of the Sun's child and the Wing of the Sun to reach my hands…" Sensing the powerful bloodline strength on the sword's hilt, a hint of a smile revealed about Leylin's lips.

This broken sword was one of the treasures from the Azure Mountain auction. Cyril had shamelessly used his status and pressurised others so he could purchase it.

Leylin had really wanted to get his hands on it, but for one he did not have enough magic crystals. On top of that, he did not dare go head to head with Cyril. However, this was no longer an issue.

Even Cyril's main body had fallen at Leylin's hands. The items he had hoarded and brought along on his body had naturally been kindly accepted by Leylin. Besides many precious materials and countless magic crystals, what he'd really desired was this item.

[Beep! Top-grade meditation technique, Wing of the Sun recorded!] The A.I. Chip transmitted.

"Hopefully it's useful for Kemoyin's Pupil." Leylin sighed, keeping the giant sword well.

Kemoyin's Pupil was merely a high-grade meditation technique with the fourth level as the limit. It was impossible to progress further. For Leylin, this was absolutely unacceptable.

-x-X-x-

Based on the traditions of the central continent, high-grade meditation techniques had a minimum of four levels, allowing Magi to enter the Morning Star realm. Top-grade meditation techniques needed to have six or more levels, allowing Magi to understand the path to the Breaking Dawn.

Kemoyin's Pupil had merely four levels and was considered the bottom of the pack among high-grade meditation techniques. Leylin naturally hoped the A.I. Chip could simulate the rest of the levels.

Leylin had been trying to solve the issue of the bloodline shackles since advancing to the Morning Star realm.

The simulation of meditation techniques was very important. The Wing of the Sun was also a meditation technique for bloodline Warlocks, and there were six complete levels. It would surely be extremely helpful in completing Kemoyin's Pupil.

Since he had the bloodline of the Sun's child as well, he could attempt to purify it. Though the Oakheart Clan had already confirmed that the bloodline had lost all vitality, Leylin still had some confidence that he could restore it.

The ancient Sun's child was a being that could reach rank 6 when it matured. It was even a fixed sun for multiple small worlds, and was, therefore, the best bloodline Leylin had gotten to date.

"With this, I can begin the bloodline experiments…" After advancing to the Morning Star realm, many ancient bloodline experiments, and things like the interplanar experiments, could be undertaken independently. Leylin was extremely eager to spend all his time on this.

However, he still took some time to meet the emissaries from Spirit Circle and Wind Wolf Lair the next day.

It wasn't only the Ouroboros Clan that held bloodline Warlocks in the central continent. There were other organisations and families that had inherited ancient bloodlines, forming a giant alliance.

However, the three Morning Star Magi of the Ouroboros Clan had disappeared all of a sudden, resulting in a drop in their value. Hence, no aid had been given.

Leylin understood this very well, since even when saving allies, one had to see if they were powerful enough. Otherwise, they would only be bringing trouble upon themselves.

Besides, the various Warlock organisations weren't exactly tight-knit. There were conflicts, and a loose alliance was basically as good as a nonexistent one.

Of course, things were different with Leylin's ascension. It was especially so after he displayed his strength. All these former allies rushed forth to mend their relationship.

Spirit Circle and Wind Wolf Lair were the two largest bloodline Warlock organisations that the Ouroboros Clan was close to.

"Hehe… Sire Leylin is so young. This was entirely out of my expectations!" The moment they met, the two Warlocks were blown away by the plentiful life force brimming in Leylin.

Magi obviously did not rely on appearances to determine age. They usually had their own unique methods to determine it.

However, no matter which angle they looked at him from, Leylin was extremely young. He was not like those Magi who were approaching their end and looked young from the outside, yet held a rotting scent.

"Hehe… The two of you, please!"

Leylin was now dressed in a platinum robe that was a piece of magic equipment, giving him a more elegant aura. With his experience in controlling places like the Twilight Zone, he had already developed a distinct aura of a ruler in how he treated others, which made him all the more convincing.

Meanwhile, while the two emissaries were stunned at Leylin's age, Leylin himself was also shocked.

He could feel the energy of the point mass on these two emissaries. In other words, they were actually Morning Star Warlocks as well!

"Looks like these two organisations are taking this very seriously!"

The smile on Leylin's face became even more welcoming as he invited the two Warlocks to the couch in his room. Freya brought three cups of coffee over, bowing to the three of them unreservedly as she quickly left.

"By the way, I've yet to ask you for your names!" Leylin smiled as he spoke.

"Oh, look at me! I was so surprised when I came that I didn't introduce myself. How impolite of me!" A Magus with countless tentacles on his face that looked like a giant octopus head palmed his forehead with a tentacle and answered, "I'm Paul, from Spirit Circle!"

"Sir Paul!" Leylin nodded in recognition, seeming serious.

The bloodline Spirit Circle had inherited came from a strange creature— the Spirit-sucking Oddity! It was said that this being not only had a unique spirit body, it even enjoyed sucking the brain juices of intelligent beings, and had the strange ability of peeking at someone's spirit.

What caused countless bloodline Warlocks to rip their hair out in frustration was that this Spirit-sucking Oddity was no bloodline creature! However, the original Spirit-sucking Oddity Warlock had fused the ability of this creature into his own bloodline and passed it down, resulting in this strange branch of bloodline Warlocks.

This branch was named the 'Spirit Warlock' and had a very special strength. They were more partial towards attacks on the mind, and it was difficult to resist them.

At this point, Leylin couldn't help but look into his eyes.

On the giant octopus head were a pair of dark eyeballs with no pupils, looking like a dead fish's eyes.

However, the moment their gazes met, Leylin felt as if his heart was being stripped and laid bare before him.

*Weng!* The point mass in his body rumbled, and soul force swept through. The discomfort instantly vanished, and Leylin immediately put on his guard even though he smiled at the other party.

"I am Philip of the Wind Wolf Lair. Greetings, Sir!" The other was a middle-aged, burly white man. His face and body were filled with hair, and his sideburns were very straight.

Compared to spirit Warlocks, Wind Wolf Lair was an orthodox bloodline Warlock organisation that had inherited the bloodline of the ancient Wind Wolves. They were exceptionally sensitive towards wind elemental particles.

On top of that, Wind Wolf Lair was a very well-known bloodline Warlock organisation in the central continent that maintained good relations with other Warlocks. They had very deep roots.

"Sir Philip, and Sir Paul!" Leylin nodded, "It is my honour for the two of you to attend my ceremony…"

Whether it was Leylin or the other two Warlocks, all of them were very satisfied. Though there weren't any deep discussions, this was a good beginning.

After that, however, Leylin could not bring himself to feel happy, as the two Warlocks brought him shocking news.

"Jupiter's Lightning?"

After unexpectedly finding out who was responsible for attacking the Ouroboros Clan, Leylin's expression turned grim.

Even if he hadn't been privy to the knowledge among the Morning Star circle before his own advancement, even he had heard of this organisation's fame in the central continent.

Compared to organisations such as Nefas and Azure Mountain City, Jupiter's Lightning was even more tremendous, and perhaps even surpassed the Ouroboros Clan.

It was a shadow that loomed over the continent, and was perhaps more similar to a bandit guild. It regularly took on assassinations, bounties, and the like, preferring to stir up chaos and exploiting it.

The reason why they were so fearless was due to the manipulator behind them. It was a Radiant Moon Magus!

A Radiant Moon Magus was also a great rank 5 Magus, and they were even rarer than Morning Star Magi, as well as much more formidable. In the entire central continent, there were probably less than twenty of them. It could be said that besides the few Breaking Dawn Magi there were, the rest of them split the central continent amongst themselves.

Hearing that Ouroboros Clan was being targeted by such a person, even Leylin couldn't help but break out in cold sweat.

Paul and Philip exchanged a glance and, noticing Leylin's peaceful expression, nodded.

"Don't worry. As allies, we will provide a certain amount of assistance, such that at least the Radiant Moon Magus will likely not deal with you personally…"

'Do you mean that if the other Morning Star Magi of Jupiter's Lightning attack, I have to take them all on myself?'

Leylin rolled his eyes inside, but his expression was that of gratitude, "Thank you so much."

In reality, he had serious suspicions that these two organisations wanted them to fight. Perhaps they had been the ones to provoke Jupiter's Lightning, and yet were now pretending to take the brunt of the damage for the Ouroboros Clan, and were insincere about sending aid.

Of course, he was no child and would not believe everything these Morning Star Magi told him. He would only trust them after performing his own checks.

This was a very simple matter. Though he was unfamiliar with the Morning Star's conscient, he had already recorded the aura fluctuations. With more Morning Star samples, he would be able to make comparisons.

He even had a spy like the Azure Mountain King, so information was not an issue.

At the thought of the Azure Mountain King, Leylin's gloomy mood was lifted, and he began to anticipate ascension ceremony.

...

*Boom! Boom! Boom!*

Countless giant fireworks exploded in mid-air. The headquarters of Ouroboros Clan had been painted over, and now no longer had any traces from the battle. There were even fresh flowers and streamers along all the pathways.

The guests from the other organisations in the central continent all had sincere grins on their faces. Under the guidance of the Warlocks of Ouroboros Clan, they headed towards the heart of the city.

This was a palace that had been constructed in a hurry for Leylin, the location of the ceremony.

In order to curry favour with the only Morning Star Warlock in the organisation, as well as the husband of their family's leader, the Blood Serpent Family Warlocks had done all they could and arranged everything tidily. They had even gone out of their way and brought out lavish liquor and delicacies, many of which were unique resources in the Magus World that could increase spiritual force and the effects of meditation. There were so many that they seemed dirt cheap, and it resulted in looks of admiration and surprise.

Many guests were gathered in a hall, though they were separated clearly into tens of little circles.

Bloodline Warlocks and Magi had two large circles, and within those, another ten or so were formed based on various factors like power, ranking, level of intimacy and so on.

The Warlocks and Magi were like the ladies and gentlemen of high society, conversing courteously and occasionally toasting each other. The atmosphere was harmonious, and it was unthinkable that some of the people here had been eager for the death of the other party just a few days ago.

-x-X-x-

"It's time to start the ceremony!" Parker's tone conveyed his high spirits and excitement. He was wearing the suit of a compere, and his hair was sleekly styled.

His previous investment at this time had gained him the most returns. Leylin was advancing at the speed of light, far beyond his own predictions. It made him feel like he was in a dream.

With unanimous joyous cheers, Leylin stepped on the flower petals laid out on his path as he entered the hall, wearing a magical robe with a gold crown on his head.

At the same moment, an overbearing and horrifying force similar to that of an ancient beast was slowly released from his body. From his eyes, one could faintly see the image of an enormous black serpent which was several tens of thousands of metres long.

Morning Star! The formidability of a true Morning Star made many Magi and Warlocks bow their heads respectfully to welcome him. Some of the sullen emissaries were also so overwhelmed by his aura that they too bowed, albeit rather unwillingly.

"In accordance with the rules, Warlocks of the Ouroboros Clan who are promoted to the Morning Star realm will fundamentally acquire the noble title of a Duke! Congratulations to you, Duke Farlier!"

Faisal stepped up and ceremoniously handed a snake-shaped scepter embedded with jet black crystals to Leylin, who accepted it effortlessly and raised it up.

Numerous bloodline Warlocks stood up and bowed in salutation, " Greetings, Duke Leylin!"

This was a tradition of the Ouroboros Clan, something shared by many other Magus organisations. Yet, for Faisal himself to do it meant that Leylin had already succeeded in suppressing internal strife. Seeing this unfold, many influential emissaries were left in deep thought.

"The ceremony shall begin!" Parker yelled after Leylin was seated.

"The emissary from the Rustic Woodlands— Louis greets Duke Leylin!" An old fellow dressed in a red suit took the lead and saluted Leylin.

"The Lord's promotion to the Morning Star is a grand occasion for all of us in the central continent. This is a gift from our Master!"

The entourage standing behind him lifted the cloth off a tray to reveal a rock shimmering with brilliance.

"An astral stone!" "Such a huge astral stone is rare indeed!" "The Rustic Woodlands is so magnanimous!"

The comments from the surrounding visitors were incessant.

Leylin nodded his head and smiled, evidently very pleased. Such opportunities to receive free gifts without obligations were always welcomed.

"I have just been promoted to the Morning Star, and my need for astral stones is undeniable. Thank your Master on my behalf!" Leylin expressed his contentment, and the emissary was delighted. He bowed again and retreated.

"Duke Leylin! I am the emissary from the Fallor Family, and I present to you a personalized private ride— the Colossal Serpent!"

Another emissary stepped forward and presented a core controller. In the middle of it, an image of a private airship could be seen. The detailing and ornamentation of the warship structure were vivid and thorough.

"That is very considerate of you!" Leylin nodded his head.

The Fallor Family controlled the entire airship network. They also had the support of the Monarch of the Skies, and gifting every newly promoted Morning Star their very own airship was their tradition. As such, Leylin voiced, "I thank the kindness of chief Fallor and the Monarch of the Skies…"

Perceiving Leylin to have understood their intentions, the emissary respectfully bowed and retreated. Almost immediately, yet another emissary stepped forward….

The etiquette for this ceremony was complicated, but Leylin still had to receive them one by one and express his own goodwill. It would be extremely important and beneficial for the Ouroboros Clan.

Leylin was brimming with enthusiasm and was all smiles. He conversed casually with many of the emissaries with ease, showing no impatience.

At this time, a Magus with a head of brown hair who was wearing a silver robe stepped forward. Impressive undulations emitted from his body without restraint. He clearly lacked manners, and was disrespectful in front of Leylin.

"You've come with ill intentions!" Leylin's eyes narrowed and he glared at the Magus.

"Greetings, my Lord, from Collins of Jupiter's Lightning!" Collins straightened his back and looked straight into Leylin's eyes without a hint of fear.

"Collins is one of the more able ones in Jupiter's Lightning. He clearly wants to test Leylin's strength as a baseline comparison…" Paul remarked from the side, smiling at Philip with a wineglass in hand.

"Collin's abilities are not comparable to Cyril's. Shall we give him a helping hand?" Philip rubbed his fist, his eyes glistening with ambition.

"There's no need! Duke Leylin is very powerful, do not ever underestimate him!" Paul's dead-fish eyes glimmered with a smile.

The atmosphere inside the hall didn't seem right. All the emissaries' eyes were locked on the confrontation between the two Morning Stars.

Since it was a celebration, Leylin and Collins did not go overboard. On the surface, it looked like they were just staring at each other in the face. However, a ruthless cross-sword fight between the spiritual domains had already unfolded unknowingly.

A few minutes later, the colour started to drain from Collins' confident face, and beads of sweat appeared on it.

Witnessing the scene, the other Magi thought they had seen a ghost. Paul and Philip exchanged glances, and both broke out in smiles.

"Oh!" A moment later, Collins scathingly stumbled a few steps back. Although there were no differences in his expression, the imposing aura on his body had disappeared.

Leylin, on the other hand, continued to sit upright. No one could tell what he had in mind.

"This is a present from our chief!" Collins no longer dared to look Leylin in the eye as he presented the gift. Soon after, he left in haste.

All the Magi who witnessed this silent confrontation grew more fervent about Leylin.

The revelry lasted until midnight. After receiving bountiful gifts, Leylin began conversing about his experience during his advancement.

It was, in a way, his means of imparting knowledge. Many of those present were rank 3 Magi after all.

Leylin was forthcoming, pointing out mistakes made during the construction of the point mass, as well as other general tips. Many rank 3 Magi were intoxicated by this essential information, and even some Morning Stars fell into deep thought. When it was time to disperse, many felt reluctant to leave.

...

After the banquet was over, Leylin chose not to rest, and instead, headed out to meet another guest in a private room.

"Distinguished Azure Mountain King, we meet again!" Leylin smiled calmly and sat opposite the Magus.

The person here was certainly the Azure Mountain King. He possessed the same appearance as his clone, with blue hair and a pair of starry eyes.

He had not come to this ceremony representing Azure Mountain City, and instead snuck in on the pretence of a diplomatic mission. He'd felt threatened by Leylin.

"You can call me Zack!" The Azure Mountain King spoke in a deep tone, without any further intentions of undermining Leylin.

"Alright, distinguished Zack, let's talk about the compensation that you have to make with regards to my territory!"

Leylin leant back on the sofa, intertwined his hands. He was unusually relaxed. Opportunities for such extortion, where one took advantage of another's weakness, were very rare.

"Sure! Your people, your land, and any other losses, I'll pay you for it all. I'll even pay double, as long as you promise not to leak the matter of the stardust bugs!" Zack said frankly.

He only yielded to Leylin as Leylin knew his biggest secret. If this information was leaked out, the entire Oakheart Clan would be faced with imminent disaster. Even his own life would be in danger.

Leylin was well aware of this. But he also knew that the destruction of the Oakheart Clan, and the fall of the Azure Mountain King, would not net him any benefits. On the other hand, such extortion had the potential for a lot of profits.

As such he didn't mind letting Zack leave… as long as he paid his due, of course.

"Let's not talk about the territory for the time being, you destroyed my Magus Tower. Shouldn't you compensate me with another?" Leylin laughed with a hint of profoundness.

"Consider it done! I will build you one that is exactly the same!" the Azure Mountain King replied with a rich and overbearing tone.

"Oh! No, no, no! I think you misunderstood something…" Leylin swayed his finger, " What I need, is a Magus Tower that corresponds to my current status. Do you understand?"

"What…" Zack took a cold breath, and immediately blurted out, "Impossible! This is extortion!"

Although Leylin's previous Magus Tower was of considerably high quality, it was only fitting for a rank 3 Magus. In the central continent, anything that catered to the Morning Star rank would cost more, especially so for the Morning Star Magus Tower!

The construction cost of a Morning Star rated Magus Tower would be at least ten times more than that of Leylin's previous Magus Tower. Even if he were to sell his territory, it could not even cover the cost of building one level of it. Leylin's request was like a lion biting a huge chunk of meat off the Oakheart Clan's body.

Based on Zack's proposed bill of compensation, the Oakheart Clan wouldn't suffer a huge loss. But to build a Morning Star rated Magus Tower? Even if Leylin were to decline all the other compensations, this request alone would still be outrageous.

"Indeed, I am extorting you. Didn't you know?" Leylin mockingly laughed.

"Compared to the matter about the stardust bugs and the whole Oakheart Clan being erased from this world, I think it's a good deal… With the accumulated wealth of Azure Mountain City, there should be no difficulty in constructing one such Magus Tower, right?"

Being reprimanded by Leylin, Zack's face hardened as he gritted his teeth in anger, "… Fine!"

"That's the way!" Leylin smirked, obviously pleased. His expression immediately turned from one of hostility to that of friendliness, and this made Zack perplexed.

"Other that the Magus Tower, I have no other requests, so long as you assist me in building an astral gate…"

Having sensed the limits of Zack's tolerance, Leylin naturally and pursued further benefits without scruples. After all, Zack wouldn't suddenly appreciate him if he lowered his requests, so he could just as well get a hold of as many benefits as possible.

-x-X-x-

After some haggling, Leylin and Zack finally reached an agreement.

The Oakheart Clan would bear the burden of building a Morning Star level Magus Tower, as well as provide him with all the resources for an astral gate. In return, Leylin guaranteed that he would never divulge information regarding the stardust bugs in any shape or form.

The two of them had even made an oath under the Trial's Eye, which was at the request of the Azure Mountain King. However, he did not notice the look of mockery in Leylin's eyes.

After that, Leylin got Zack to narrate the details of the allied army's attack on the Ouroboros Clan from start to end.

After receiving this information, his eyebrows furrowed.

"Jupiter's Lightning…" After sending Zack away, Leylin half laid down on the couch, massaging his forehead and sinking into deep thought.

"I never expected it to be them. Why would a haughty Radiant Moon Magus have any interest in the Ouroboros Clan?"

Before Gilbert and the others reappeared, nobody would be able to give him an answer. Leylin himself could only make wild guesses.

...

Most emissaries had yet to leave after the end of the ceremony, when another monumental event occurred.

The Morning Star Warlock, Duke Leylin, had announced his engagement with the leader of the Blood Serpent Family, Freya!

Bloodline Warlocks were generally very picky when it came to picking partners. This would affect the passing on of bloodlines, and determined the rise or fall of a family.

The engagement of a Morning Star Warlock implied that new Kemoyin blood would spread, forming another formidable family!

Though there were only two people in the family, Leylin and his fiancee, nobody could deny the strength of a family with a Morning Star Warlock within.

Based on some faint rumours, Duke Leylin's bloodline was unbelievably pure, and perhaps even surpassed that of the other three Morning Star Warlocks! His fiancee was also of a prestigious Kemoyin Family, and her bloodline was pure.

The emissaries and Warlocks could envision an exceptionally powerful Kemoyin family rising to power in the Ouroboros Clan.

Though they were cursing within, these emissaries all looked elated at Leylin's engagement, and gave their 'sincere' blessings to them.

Only after the engagement ceremony was over did the emissaries of the multiple organisations leave Phosphorescence Swamp. They had seen far too much at this celebration and ceremony, and needed to report back to their masters.

Leylin could finally relax, handling some miscellaneous work.

"Your Grace!" On the way, many Warlocks stepped aside when they saw him from afar, bowing to him from the sides of the road.

Leylin's expression remained solemn. At most, he sent a nod of recognition in the direction of high-ranked Warlocks, his movements revealing boundless dignity.

His status in the Ouroboros Clan made it such that he could move without obstructions. He headed for a building that seemed like a beehive, formed of countless giant laboratories.

This was the headquarters of the technical department. Upon noticing Leylin's arrival, there was a flurry of activity at the entrance. Schadt, who was wearing glasses, was escorted by Warlocks donning large white gowns as he welcomed Leylin. It made him feel as if he had returned to the research centres in his previous world.

"Your Grace!" Schadt bowed respectfully. He was extremely grateful towards Leylin. If not for his advancement, the Ouroboros Clan would probably have been done for.

"Mm! Bring me to the astral gate!" Leylin said indifferently after a nod. He then followed Schadt as they went in deeper.

After passing through the layers of isolation and detection spell formations, Schadt brought Leylin before a gate formed entirely of astral stones.

The entire gate emanated a starry radiance. The innermost layer actually possessed a stony surface and there were multiple bright runes, floating above the surface of the stone gate.

"This is Lord Emma's astral gate. We've moved it here…" Schadt sighed as he took off his glasses.

"We've determined through multiple experiments that there is no problem with the gate itself. However, there was an unknown interference that stopped us from locating the coordinates, making the second attempt at finding the coordinates even more difficult!

"What level of power do you think is needed for this to happen?" Leylin's eyes shone as he asked.

"I'm afraid…" Schadt's temperament suited research perfectly. He explained things as they were and did not beat around the bush, "Only interference from a Radiant Moon realm Magus can cause the three elders to make an error in judgement!"

Radiant Moon realm! A great rank 5 Magus! The moment the words exited Schadt's mouth, the rest of the researchers all trembled, evidently feeling weak.

Just a Morning Star Magus was enough for the Ouroboros Clan to be on the verge of being destroyed by the allied forces. What if a Radiant Moon Magus were to do the job himself?

The bleak future immediately caused these high-ranked Warlocks to tremble in fear.

"Don't be so negative!" Leylin patted Schadt on the shoulder, "Just focus on saving Mentor and the others. You must work hard on this…"

"Understood, Your Grace!" A hint of shame appeared on Schadt's expression as he lowered his head deferentially.

Initially, he had boldly bragged that he could find the coordinates within five days. However, multiples of that time period had passed, and he had yet to determine which world Gilbert and the others were trapped in.

Every time he was about to find the coordinates, he would be obstructed by berserk spatial turbulence, barring him from finding the real location.

If there was the slightest discrepancy in the coordinates, the two areas could be millions of kilometres away from each other, being two separate worlds!

With trouble both internally and externally, the Warlocks would definitely not dare have Leylin take the risk.

On top of that, they had no clue if Leylin would listen to them.

In actuality, even if they had determined which world Gilbert and the rest were lost in, Leylin might not aid them.

Since they had already determined the other world was a trap set up by a Radiant Moon Magus, how could he go in like a lamb to the slaughter?

Leylin was not so selfless as to take this risk.

"I should find a chance and take care of those Warlocks." Leylin touched his chin, eyes glimmering with a dangerous light.

Those who had been urging him from the shadows to save the elders were not anyone else, but the many descendants and students of the three Morning Star Warlocks. Of course, they did not dare request anything of Leylin in the open, but as long as they was no evidence, they were bold in their discussions.

In Gilbert's case, Leylin was one of them and they thus had the least complaints. With Emma, Freya was a mediator and they were less impatient. Only the students and family of the other Morning Star Warlock pressed him on, and Leylin was preparing to make use of them.

He was no saint, and would not save others and then give up his power to be shared. And yet, Gilbert was his Mentor and had taught him much. Thus he would save him, but now was not the time!

Leylin was confident that with a bit more time, he could set up his own authority and spread his influence. By the time the three Morning Stars were back, they would not be able to affect his status!

Hence, he had to make use of this time. Though he could use his strength and force everything, Leylin did not want to end up with an Ouroboros Clan that was divided.

Schadt's report was exactly to his liking. This way, it was not because he was not trying hard enough, but that he was lacking information and had no way to do this.

Leylin had long since secretly determined their coordinates. But for his own purposes, he had kept mum until now.

After consoling Schadt and the other members of the technical department, Leylin returned to his castle. There, two precious guests needed to be attended to.

"Lord Paul, Lord Philip, sorry for the long wait!"

Leylin apologised to the two Morning Star Warlocks. After the other organisations had left, these two emissaries had stayed behind for some unknown reason. As they were Morning Stars, this was also good for Ouroboros Clan, which was why Leylin had no complaints and was so welcoming towards them.

"We only just arrived as well. Duke Leylin must have investigated thoroughly, right?" Paul grinned, the beady eyes on the octopus head seemingly able to see into the Leylin's soul.

"Yes, Jupiter's Lightning! They went too far!" Leylin clenched his fists, face flushing red and showing his anger.

Through the investigation of the Shadow Snake department as well as the Azure Mountain King's story, he had confirmed that Jupiter's Lightning was behind this.

In this case, he would not reject the good intentions of these two Morning Star Warlocks.

"I'm going to be frank with you. That Radiant Moon Magus of Jupiter's Lightning has been finding us bloodline Warlocks an eyesore and caused conflicts with the union. Even the organisations backing us are in a cold war with them…" Philip said. The burly werewolf smiled wryly.

Leylin vaguely understood their meaning. The intentions of these Spirit Circle and Wind Wolf Lair Warlocks was to seek external aid.

However, he would definitely not reject them. Radiant Moon Magi were not existences he could deal with as of yet. If he could pull someone else over to contend against them, the pressure on him would be slightly lesser.

For this reason, Leylin did not seem to even hesitate as he exclaimed, "If there's anything you need me for, just say the word!"

While that was what he had said, Leylin would not be so stupid as to rush to the frontlines without any benefits.

Paul and Philip exchanged a glance and saw the elation in each other's eyes. No matter what it was, Leylin's attitude meant that this trip had not been made in vain.

-x-X-x-

"Of course, we hope you can form an alliance with us. We wish to take on Jupiter's Lightning together…"

Philip interrupted, "With your current status as Duke, you can definitely represent the Ouroboros Clan!"

"This… I need to think it over… After all, there are many seniors who I need to pacify…" When it came to proper business, Leylin seemed to draw back.

Paul silently cursed at Philip for being too hasty, and also Leylin, for not being willing to be more open until he saw benefits. He merely continued smiling, which was difficult enough with his octopus face.

"Duke Leylin, you don't know this yet, do you? We Morning Star Warlocks organise a gathering every once in a while, where everyone will exchange information. Sometimes, we even have trade meetings…"

"This gathering is only for bloodline Warlocks, who must be at least at the Morning Star level. Someone even needs to vouch for them. A few elders from Spirit Circle and Wind Wolf Lair will attend as well. How about we continue the discussion there?"

"Gathering?!" A gathering amongst Morning Star Warlocks was still very attractive to Leylin.

Furthermore, he was not worried that their leaving the Ouroboros Clan would bring any harm to them.

To be frank, the Ouroboros Clan's safety all depended on him. As long as he was fine, it would be well fortified even if there was nobody here guarding them. If anything happened to him, the allied armies would immediately level the place.

In fact, if he managed to slip out of headquarters without being seen, it would put his foes under a lot of pressure instead.

With this in mind, Leylin answered, "Sure. When the time comes, please notify me!"

Seeing Leylin agree, Paul heaved a long sigh of relief before he laughed in answer, "I'm sure that our other comrades are eager to see an up-and-coming youngster like you!"

It looked like this gathering was a small circle where bloodline Warlocks interacted.

Watching his expression, Leylin nodded inside and began to anticipate the gathering more fervently.

Since everything was settled, Paul and Philip had no reason to stay longer. They chose to leave.

With how hurried they seemed, Spirit Circle and Wind Wolf Lair had probably fallen on hard times. As important deterrents, they would not have been able to squeeze out the time to attend if not for Leylin's ceremony.

"We're rich, my Lord!" Within the hall, Parker's eyes glinted as he gazed at the account book in his hands, "Just the gifts from the other organisations is equivalent to dozens of fiefs…"

"But of course. You only ascend to the Morning Star realm once. And it's a good time for other organisations to form good relationships with them…"

Though Leylin seemed as calm as an ancient, unused well, he was actually very happy; he just kept it in. At the same time, he had gained a better understanding of the great status Morning Star Magi held in the central continent.

The destructive power of a Morning Star Arcane Art was far too high. If a Morning Star Magus were to let go of all qualms and act as they wished, the geography of the entire central continent would be destroyed. Radiant Moon, and even Breaking Dawn Magi would regret the damage caused.

As a result, every time a Morning Star arose, everyone would express their goodwill, and intent to be on good terms with each other. These were actions that large organisations were used to.

"The moment I stepped into this realm, everything changed…"

Leylin sighed to himself, the look in his eyes even more intense. "What would be the scenery be like after the ranks of Radiant Moon or the Breaking Dawn throne?"

In his eyes, rank 4 was far from the limit. His goals were on higher peaks, and he did not pay attention to even the shackles to his bloodline that had troubled bloodline Warlocks for many years.

Of course, he could overlook his opinions while strategizing, but tactics needed to be done properly. Hence, he sent Parker away and ordered for all his gifts to be stored. After handing over the important items, Leylin returned to his laboratory.

He was now the highest power in the Ouroboros Clan, and could mobilise all resources. The laboratory he used was the best they had, which was usually reserved for Gilbert and the other two. This was just another one of the many advantages.

That was not all. The treasury of the Ouroboros Clan was completely open to him, and the treasures accumulated over thousands of years by a large-scaled organisation such at this had Leylin's eyes going green in envy.

The first thing he did was to take a pile of astral stones and keep them in his spatial pouch.

Though the Oakheart Clan had agreed to build him an astral gate, it was better to have more astral stones in reserve. After all, passing through planes required the usage of astral stones, which was why they were so highly valued. They had always been a strategic-class resource.

"Beep! Ascertaining identity! Welcome, Duke Leylin Farlier!"

After passing through the stringent aura detection system and numerous disinfecting procedures, Leylin finally stood in a room seemingly cast entirely in crystal.

The translucent crystals emitted beautiful light, and the area was spotless and unbelievably glossy.

Seeing the data the A.I. Chip provided, Leylin, couldn't help but sigh. "Though the strength setup is different, in terms of disinfecting and dust, it can achieve the same effect!"

Such an environment was extremely similar to the sterile laboratories in his previous world. Ancient Magi were no fools, so how would they not have noticed the effects germs and the like could have on research? Even without scientific methods, they could use magic to achieve the same effect.

Within a giant glass container at the heart of the laboratory, a broken sword was soaking in a translucent green liquid. This was the same blade that held the bloodline of the Sun's child and the Wing of the Sun meditation technique. Numerous transparent air bubbles could be seen arising from the hole-filled dull blade, and only the area with the blood was glowing brightly.

He'd already recorded all the information about the Wing of the sun through his A.I. Chip. The only thing left of value was the blood, which he had yet to extract.

The golden blood was like warm light as it slowly grew on the sword, somehow moving automatically as if breathing.

"As expected of the blood left behind by a rank 6 creature. Even if all its vitality has been lost, a slight simulation from the external world allowed it to regain its instinct…"

Leylin was full of praise. The ancient Sun's child was at the peak of Breaking Dawn, and was an existence he could only look up to. Just a single drop of blood could multiply, enough to form life.

If it placed its spirit branding inside, an almighty ancient being could definitely revive itself from just a droplet of blood. The bloodline of the Sun's child was that terrifying!

Of course, confirmed by the appraisal of top-notch masters, the bloodline of the Sun's child on the blade had long since lost its vitality and was impossible to stimulate. This breathing movement was only an instinctual reaction and not a display of full revival.

If the bloodline of the Sun's child could be made use of, the broken sword would not have been sold off at such a low price. Even if the Azure Mountain King, Zack, had to fall out with Cyril over it, he would definitely use force to keep the bloodline.

However, for Leylin who was an expert in ancient bloodline experiments and had the support of the A.I. Chip, it wasn't an impossible task to stimulate the revival of the bloodline.

He was now gazing at the broken sword in the glass container, a look of satisfaction appearing on his face. "The restoration is coming along quite well! I can begin the second phase…"

He, who had acquired the research data of the Quicksand organisation, had grasped the finest technology of the ancient era. This naturally included many methods to restore bloodlines.

At that point in time, due to his lack of strength, he could not display all his skills. Many of the methods required the coordination of soul force, and Leylin who had only been rank 3 at the time would only be working in vain. Now, however, this was no longer an issue.

"Soul Web!" Threads of black soul force brought with them a simple radiance as they shot out from between Leylin's brows, forming a web-like structure that disappeared into the green solution. Large amounts of fine runes with unknown functions emerged from the thin web.

The soul web seemed to have no effects on the broken sword and went straight through the blade. However, the golden blood seemed to be attracted, gathering onto it.

Minutes later, all the blood on the broken sword had been shifted to the soul web, causing it to turn golden.

*Gulu! Gulu!* As the last thread of golden luster left the blade, the metal immediately corroded into nothingness in the green solution, leaving no residue behind.

"It was only made of the plainest materials. Only because of the will of the Sun's child had it been preserved for over ten thousand years. The moment the blood is removed, it instantly reverts to its original form!"

Leylin's eyes shone, no longer focused on the sword. All his attention was focused on the soul web, as he manipulated the golden web to float over to another large breeding pool.

Countless loach-like long fish poked their heads out of the dim yellow pool, translucent bubbles being spat out from their lips.

These were blood-sucking loaches, and were rarely-seen bloodline creatures. All the reserves of the Ouroboros Clan were stored here.

"Go!" Leylin controlled the soul web until it was atop the pool. Drop by drop, the golden liquid fell, being devoured by countless blood-sucking loaches that were trying to outdo each other.

Water splashed everywhere in the cultivation pool, and Leylin watched the changes in the loaches without blinking.

Golden threads appeared from the stomachs of these blood-sucking loaches. Then, their eyes rolled back and they began floating in the pool.

"The bloodline of a rank 6 creature is too powerful for these loaches…" Leylin shook his head, but did not stop the experiment.

-x-X-x-

Threads of golden radiance emanated from the carcases of the blood-sucking loaches and were then swallowed by other loaches which had not managed to get the blood the first time. This process was repeated as the loaches died.

Leylin watched on expressionlessly. After three rounds, where the blood-sucking loaches could hold on for longer and not die immediately, the golden bloodline seemed to have become more reserved and guileless.

"Looks like I can continue…" A look of excitement appeared on his face.

As long as this was successful, there was hope to stimulate the revival of the Sun's child's bloodline.

"Maintain this process and ensure there are no less than twenty blood-sucking loaches in the cultivation pool," Leylin ordered the spirit genie.

Leylin knew this would take a long time. After observing for a while longer, he left the laboratory for his castle.

He now had many tasks to direct, and while troublesome it was the best way to exert his authority.

Though the students and families under the Morning Star Warlocks' care all hoped Leylin would act as soon as possible and rescue their mentors and family leaders, they did not dare exhibit their wishes openly.

They were also extremely afraid of contradicting Leylin, all doing as asked to the best of their abilities. Even when Leylin took all the astral stones in storage, they did not say a word.

It had to be said that these Warlocks knew their place.

Even so, Leylin could not be bothered to bicker with them over trivial matters. Besides, with his current strength still inadequate to deal with Jupiter's Lightning and Radiant Moon Magi, he needed to save the Dukes first to increase the strength they had on their side.

The issue of when this would happen would depend on him.

This was not just about gaining power in the Ouroboros Clan, but also to avoid the trap set up for them! If three Morning Star Warlocks could disappear, Leylin would not be an issue at all.

Leylin was well aware of this fact, which was why he did not dare make a move until he made sense of the situation.

"Your Grace, there's a female Magus claiming to be from Azure Mountain City here. Also…"

Faisal bowed, with none of his high spirits from before. Humility had taken that place. Ever since Leylin had exited his secluded cultivation, he had been maintaining this attitude. He'd even been the first to side with Leylin, and Leylin relied on him heavily.

"Also what?" Leylin found the puzzlement on his face laughable.

"She also said… she's here to help my Lord construct a Magus Tower…" Azure Mountain City used to be the Ouroboros Clan's enemy. However, they were now coming over trying to get into Leylin's good books. Faisal had lived for over six hundred years, but even he seldom met with such a situation, which led to his confusion.

"In that case, I don't need to see her. Help me choose a good location in the headquarters. My Magus Tower shall be erected there!"

This had previously been decided upon with the Azure Mountain King, and he was merely going through with the agreement. Leylin did not pay much heed to these matters and waved his arms, sending Faisal away.

The reason he had not built the Magus Tower at headquarters originally was because he was afraid of being made use of. However, things were different now. He was the one ordering others to work, and nobody would come and bother him. Leylin naturally wanted the Magus Tower to be located in headquarters now.

"What's wrong?" Leylin asked Faisal who stood in the same spot, eyes full of mixed emotions.

Though these were just a few simple words, Faisal felt cold sweat running down his spine. Leylin was now no longer a Marquis he had jurisdiction over, but a great elder! He was the highest authority, the commander of the entire Ouroboros Clan, a Morning Star Warlock!

Every one of his titles was like a huge mountain weighing down on Faisal's heart. When all these identities gathered on a person, this person was someone he definitely needed to look up to.

"It's like this. Your Grace. My family, the Dose and Olka families, and the others are all willing to contribute to my Lord's Magus Tower…" Faisal gritted his teeth and spoke in a low voice.

From his perspective, it seemed that Leylin had accepted offerings from outsiders, which was a very dangerous sign. It signified that he had lost all trust in all these traditional, well-known bloodline nobles, which was absolutely unacceptable.

At this thought, he could not help but begin to reproach his own allies. Though saving the elders was extremely important, they could not be so hasty. As expected, it resulted in this terrible result.

Faisal could not help but begin to envy the Blood Serpent Family. As long as Freya was still around, Leylin's relationship with them was secure. There were even rumours that Leylin would have one child inherit the Blood Serpent's Marquis position, which immediately resulted in the envy of multiple bloodline families.

The bloodline of a Morning Star Warlock, and especially that of Leylin, who was unbelievably talented! His bloodline was said to be extremely pure and something many bloodline families did not dare hope to have. However, the Blood Serpent Family had gotten this so easily.

It seemed that in the next few hundred years, the Blood Serpent Family would definitely rise sharply. Of course, it would be under the lead of the Farlier Family.

Thinking this, Faisal could not help but sigh inside while simultaneously beginning to wonder if there were female Warlocks like Freya in his own family.

"Good! Go and discuss with Azure Mountain City!"

Since there were people in a hurry to send him money, Leylin obviously accepted it. With the cooperation of so many families, his Magus Tower would be built more quickly, and its quality could even be raised. Why would he have anything against this?

Watching Faisal fall back so fearfully, Leylin couldn't help but laugh.

"Only trying to mend relationships now?" How could sly old Leylin not know what he was thinking? He never had plans of having anything to do with those families, and this was the situation.

This peaceful life continued for a few months.

In these few months, the Ouroboros Clan's surroundings were calm. He had the few key regions in the Phosphorescence Swamp in his palm, while the allied forces seemed to have some worries. With both sides showing restraint, the region completely regained its peace, and and the fires of war seemed to have been put out.

However, only Magi who saw things long-term could see the undercurrents under this calm surface.

In the headquarters of Ouroboros Clan— Warlock City, a giant and awe-inspiring Magus Tower was slowly constructed, full of dignity.

Many high-ranked Warlocks and Magi were all crowded around the tower whose structure had just been completed, and began work on the details.

Every lower-ranked Warlock would bow slightly as they passed by, eyes full of reverence as they glanced at the Magus Tower.

This was the Morning Star Magus Tower, where their pride lies, of the Morning Star Warlock, Leylin Farlier!

"Your Grace! The main body of the Magus Tower has been completed, and it has also been connected with the cores of all the other Magus Tower in the headquarters. It has the highest authority!"

Faisal tried to curry favour as he spoke, while Leylin had his hands behind his back, watching his own Magus Tower with interest.

Compared to the Magus Tower he had constructed himself, the resource consumption of this Morning Star grade one was terrifying. It could be said that the price could not be measured in magic crystals. If not for taking advantage of the huge reserves of the Azure Mountain King, as well as the generous offerings from the old bloodline families, this would not be so successful.

"How much more time will we need?"

Leylin watched the Magi that looked like ants floating at the sides of the Magus Tower, numerous runes flashing in their hands and entering the Magus Tower. He could not help but frown.

There was someone he knew among the ones working on the tower. It was the host who he had seen at Azure Mountain's auction. However, Leylin had no intentions of going forward to meet the said one.

He now had a different status, and it wasn't as if there was anything to say even if he went there.

Faisal produced a white handkerchief and wiped his cold sweat before he spoke.

"The main body of the Magus Tower is the easiest part to construct. As long as there are enough materials, work will be completed quickly. However, the embedding of the spell formations, and especially the construction of the energy pools as well as the design of the tower genie needs to be done by you personally. Just the preparation for that will take ten years, and that's the fastest…"

"As I expected!" The blue rays vanished, and Leylin's eyes returned to black, seeming warm.

"I will be out for a period of time. Handle the matters at headquarters with Freya and Parker. If there are major issues, the majority decides!"

Though secret imprints could be used for communication, they did not extend to a wide area and could easily be intercepted and listened in on, or even used to determine locations. Hence, Leylin typically did not like using them.

"My Lord, you're leaving?" Faizal's eyes widened, and he even forgot to wipe off his sweat.

"Yes. There is a bloodline organisation gathering for the upper class. Lord Paul from before invited me!"

There was nothing to hide, and Leylin admitted this easily. He also had thoughts of exploring the central continent. In the past, he had had too little strength, but after attaining Morning Star power, he could go to many places in the central continent.

"It's very important to be on good relations with other bloodline Warlocks!" Faisal expressed his approval of this and spoke with some regret, "It's a pity that we can't be involved in interactions between Morning Stars, and can't provide you with any useful information!"

Faisal was merely a student, and him knowing which organisations Ouroboros Clan was on good terms with was already a lot. As for which high-ranked organisations the Morning Star Warlocks of the Ouroboros Clan were close to, or who their foes were, and who was only friendly on the surface— all that was a shot in the dark. At this crucial moment, he did not dare give suggestions, and Leylin could only make his own judgements. If not, if anything were to happen, he would not be able to take on the repercussions.

"Don't worry, I will judge for myself." Leylin nodded.