"This… is the bloodline power of the Devil White Phosphorus Serpent?"
Leilin's pupils contracted. As a warlock, he would never mistake bloodline power — but the implications of what he was seeing gave him pause.
"A descendant of the Mother of Ten Thousand Serpents holding a high position within the Eye of Judgment's forces — was this a personal arrangement, or a transaction between the Mother of Ten Thousand Serpents and the Eye of Judgment?"
The massive phantom of the great serpent bore sleek white scales, its scarlet vertical pupils radiating a suffocating cold gleam, while the fanged specter of the python seemed to merge with the ambusher's palm, carrying an even more terrifying fluctuation.
At that moment, the white scales on Leilin's own face flickered, their pulsing almost impossible to suppress.
[Beep! Fluctuation detected in the Devil White Phosphorus Serpent bloodline the host uses for concealment. Suppress?]
The Chip had popped up a notification prompt.
"No!" A glint flashed through Leilin's eyes as he directly refused.
A wisp of bloodline power surfaced from his body, and the ambusher sensed it almost instantly. Leilin could clearly see the probing gaze flick toward him.
But by now, the ambusher could no longer hold back. Empowered by bloodline force, the terrifying palm — its nails brimming with razor-sharp power — shot straight for Iyase's chest.
There was nothing protecting Iyase's chest now but that silver armor — no one doubted it would be torn open.
Crack! The clawed palm froze in midair, unable to descend even a fraction further.
What had seized that slender, scale-covered hand was another massive fist, hard as steel.
"You thought… that the Beast Soul Arts were all I had to rely on?"
Governor Iyase's voice was low and heavy, his grip tightening like an iron band closing in — so forceful that cracking sounds emanated from the ambusher's wrist.
"Ngh!" The ambusher grunted, and a plume of white flame spread outward from her palm.
Crackle! The pure white flame blazed with searing heat, warping even the surrounding air — yet when it struck Governor Iyase, it had no effect whatsoever.
His entire body was now enveloped in a layer of dark gray radiance. Before the flames, this glow stood like an impenetrable barrier, without the slightest damage.
At the same time, the phantom of a massive gray raptor had manifested behind Iyase, its wings folded together as though cradling him within.
The entire gray raptor radiated an aura of vivid life — though it too was a phantom clone, it was worlds apart from the one Gegeduoer had summoned earlier.
"My Lord Wings of Turbulence! You are the master of chaos and the symbol of freedom!" Many of the port's onlookers, upon seeing the phantom of the great gray bird, dropped to their knees with devout reverence in their eyes.
This was clearly the sight of devoted believers beholding their true god.
"A priest! A fourth-tier priest!"
The ambusher retreated swiftly, simultaneously revealing herself to everyone.
Snow-white hair, a slender frame, and white scale patterns adorning her face — this was clearly a half-serpent, and moreover, a descendant of the Devil White Phosphorus Serpent.
The high-pitched voice, along with certain features, allowed Leilin to confirm she was female.
However, her right wrist now showed a disturbing twist, hanging limp — clearly not a light injury from Iyase's sudden strike and counter.
"A serpent woman? Interesting." A faint look of "concern" surfaced on Leilin's face, as though he were worried about her safety.
But the Chip was continuously scanning Governor Iyase — clearly, Leilin was far more interested in the man's identity as a fourth-tier priest than in the serpent woman.
Governor Iyase was not only a Rank 4 Beast Soul Master, but also simultaneously a fourth-tier priest!
"Fourth tier — that's the Morning Star level in the
Leilin instantly recalled the research he had gathered before: "Furthermore… a fourth-tier priest is also the minimum requirement for certain rituals that permanently enhance physical attributes!"
Half-serpents inherited the bloodline of ancient giant serpents, giving them naturally terrifying physiques and strength. The ease with which Iyase had blocked the serpent woman's attack showed he had undergone numerous permanent attribute enhancements. His strength and constitution were astonishing — even surpassing those of the serpent woman, who was herself augmented by bloodline power.
[Beep! Target is shrouded in unidentified power! Identified as the power of Chaos Rules! Unable to scan!]
The Chip projected a stream of information before Leilin's eyes, plunging him into contemplation.
"Priests carry the indelible mark of their Sovereign, and the power of seventh-tier rules is something the Chip currently cannot parse — so it can't scan him?"
"This time, that serpent woman is in real danger!" Leilin watched her, and at that moment, the serpent woman covertly shot him a sharp, warning look.
"Hm? She's actually warning me not to intervene!"
Leilin was quite surprised.
"Iyase is a Rank 4 Beast Soul Master and priest — if he's also of a special race, his combat power could rival a six-star Morning Star Wizard in the Wizard World! That serpent woman is no match for him at all, yet she still has the presence of mind to worry about a fellow tribesman's life?"
For a moment, Leilin didn't know whether to laugh or cry — though new ideas were already forming. "If she values bloodline ties this much, perhaps there's something I can use to my advantage…"
Meanwhile, the tide of battle had turned in an instant.
The accumulated attribute bonuses of a fourth-tier priest gave Iyase terrifying physical prowess and combat strength, while his Rank 4 Beast Soul Master abilities granted him versatile magical attacks and ranged offensive capabilities — placing him at virtually the pinnacle of all fourth-tier powerhouses.
"Keee-keee…" "ROAR!!!"
The Night Eagle and the Lightning Storm Bear had moved behind the serpent woman, sealing her escape route and forming a loose encirclement with Iyase.
Thanks to the direct soul link between a Beast Soul Master and his beast souls, they could effectively serve as Iyase's own extensions.
"Surrender! You're no match for me! I've deployed a great number of elders for this operation — your subordinates and every other faction here will be caught!"
Iyase advanced steadily, while black tempests erupted from the Night Eagle.
"In your dreams, heretical chaos cultist!" The serpent woman's eyes reddened, resembling the phantom of the Devil White Phosphorus Serpent behind her, as a more profound dream power began to ripple outward.
"The Devil White Phosphorus Serpent inherited a portion of the Mother of Ten Thousand Serpents' dream power — so this is her trump card…"
The dream power spread continuously, forming a vast ring of dark crimson mist.
Around them, civilians and even guards with weak constitutions collapsed with vacant eyes, clearly pulled into the dream realm.
The scene descended into mild chaos, and Leilin used the opportunity to slip into a nearby alley.
"What a shame… If she were a true-blooded Devil White Phosphorus Serpent, this sudden burst of dream power would have been enough to help her escape. But her bloodline is impure — the dream power she can channel is far too weak…"
Leilin's mind raced as he shifted to a different vantage point to survey the battlefield.
At that moment, within the dark crimson mist, Iyase's eyes grew hazy for a moment before snapping back to clarity: "This… is the illusory power of dreams!"
He recovered instantly, and the Night Eagle — linked to his soul — let out a piercing cry, its wings beating up fierce gales as though trying to blow the dream power away.
"You won't escape!" Iyase fixed his gaze on the serpent woman, whose body was now fully covered in scales as she entered her complete combat state.
"Governor! All enemy positions in the port have been cleared — we are here to reinforce you!"
Several loud voices rang out, and three streaks of light raced toward the scene — each radiating fourth-tier energy fluctuations.
At this sight, joy appeared in Iyase's eyes while the serpent woman fell into utter despair.
She covertly glanced toward where Leilin had been, and upon finding his figure gone, a bitter smile touched her lips: "Thank goodness that little one got away — otherwise, I might have dragged him into this…"
"Seems like it's my turn to step in."
At that moment, Leilin stood on a rooftop surveying the scene, a sharp gleam flickering in his eyes.
In his view, saving her now would prove far more valuable. As for the fact that he had deliberately leaked information and even drawn the enemy here — Leilin simply chose to forget about it.
After all, maximizing his own benefit was the only goal that mattered. The methods used to get there — like betraying one ally after another — held no psychological weight for him whatsoever.
"In this Inferno World, it seems casting spells requires more power…"
Leilin closed his eyes, sensing the differences between the Inferno World and the Wizard World.
"Perfect — the residual dream power she left behind can be put to use. Even for a descendant of the Devil White Phosphorus Serpent, her handling of dream power is remarkably crude!"
After this brief aside, Leilin's fingers moved subtly.
Like the most masterful weaver, the misty dream power under Leilin's control suddenly surged to life, rippling with various shades of crimson light.
Vast quantities of mist condensed, even forming a massive magical array.
"No! Watch out!" Iyase's expression changed drastically — he clearly hadn't expected the serpent woman, who should have been ready to surrender, to have an accomplice!