"It's still not working!"
Leilin carefully put away the Destiny Coin with a pained expression.
The conditions for forging a Destiny Coin were extremely harsh. This time, it had suffered severe damage from being used to divine a Morning Star
He could, of course, use low-level wizards for divination as he had done with Ailin before, but they were simply unable to divine beings of higher existence, and the risks involved were far too great.
Humans were creatures of infinite possibility. If a wizard chosen by Leilin suddenly stumbled upon some great fortune and advanced to the same level as Leilin, divining him in turn — then what would become of Leilin?
So, he'd rather use this kind of inanimate tool. It was troublesome, but at least it was convenient and safe! That was what he valued most.
"With my third-rank strength, I still encounter unpredictable dangers in the Frost World. It seems that place isn't something I can peer into just yet..."
Leilin had a clear sense of his own limitations, and since he already had most of the Dark Polar Domain under his control, there was no need to be impatient.
The Frost Cavern wasn't going anywhere — everything inside would eventually be his!
...
After the Dark Elves' entire clan surrendered, the only things left to deal with in the Northern Domain were the goblins, dwarves, and a handful of remnant academic factions.
Leilin couldn't be bothered with such trifles, so he simply relied on his overwhelming strength to steamroll through.
A few days later, one shocking piece of news after another spread across the land.
The Eternal Gloried One, Guardian of the Entire Dark Polar Domain, Lord Leilin, had stormed alone into the dwarven stronghold of the Talin Cavern.
According to the rumors, this lord had charged through everything relying solely on his own power, ultimately even breaking into the dwarven royal court.
Raging thunder and terrifying death energy shrouded the area day and night. The battle raged on for several days before finally subsiding.
But from that point forward, the dwarven royal court issued an announcement declaring that their Supreme Emperor, Greybeard the King, along with several high ministers, had "passed away from illness." A young dwarven prince ascended to the throne and immediately ordered a full military withdrawal...
The same thing happened in the goblin kingdom.
This time, massive explosions could be seen with the naked eye, reducing their mechanical capital to ruins. The three Colossal Golems — representing the pinnacle of goblin alchemy — were smashed to scrap and carried off along with numerous master craftsmen, vast quantities of rare resources, and advanced alchemical research documents.
From that day forward, Leilin's reputation spread throughout the entire Dark Polar Domain. Moreover, not only humans — even the Dark Elves and goblins dared not speak his true name when mentioning him, instead reverently addressing him as — the Holy Light Guardian!!!
His image was even incorporated into the myths and legends of other races, passed down as an extraordinarily powerful and terrifying being.
Of course, the current Leilin hadn't yet thought that far ahead.
At this moment, he sat upon the most prestigious Golden Throne in Porti City, giving instructions to Yilun.
"All newly reclaimed resource points in the Northern Domain are to be allocated first to those wizard factions that have pledged allegiance to us or expressed goodwill. As for all other gains — confiscate them entirely!"
Leilin hadn't come to conquer the Northern Dark Polar Domain to play the benevolent hero — he was here to amass wealth.
The Northern Dark Polar Domain had been developed over many years and was extremely rich in various resources. Most of the academic factions had perished in the wars, giving him the perfect excuse to annex them.
As for those who happened to survive? Apart from those who actively pledged allegiance to his side and deserved preferential treatment, he had no intention of paying attention to the rest.
"What about... the original wizard factions that held territory?" Yilun asked hesitantly.
The Northern Dark Polar Domain had once been so chaotic that not only foreign races but even other factions from elsewhere in the Dark Polar Domain had sent people there, attempting to seize resources. Some had even established small footholds, engaging in a prolonged standoff with the Dark Elves while stubbornly surviving.
This was only possible because Leilin had single-handedly slain their High Priestess. Otherwise, no matter how bold those factions might have been, they wouldn't have dared extend their reach into this territory.
"Deal with them the same way! And those stubborn holdouts who refuse to submit — arrest and try them immediately on charges of treason and collaboration with the enemy. As for evidence? Contact Alesha — I'm sure she'll be more than happy to provide it!" Leilin said with a cold smile.
This was nothing short of naked elimination of dissent, but under Leilin's crushing strength and his absolute moral authority, everything proceeded in an orderly and methodical fashion.
In truth, Leilin was developing the Northern Dark Polar Domain as the stronghold of
In the other domains, wizard factions were deeply entrenched, making it extremely troublesome to establish a super-large academy.
The expansion of Nature's Alliance Academy in the Central and Eastern Domains had already reached its limits.
In the past, Leilin would have had no choice but to expand outward, but things were different now. Due to the wars, the entire Northern Dark Polar Domain had been devastated. Not only had numerous wizard factions perished, but the great noble houses had been wiped out to the last.
While the Dark Elves' cruelty was certainly a factor, the machinations of various powers had played an even greater role — a deep and hidden web of intrigue, in which Leilin himself had played a crucial part.
Once the original powers of the entire Northern Domain had been thoroughly purged, it was time for the feast of the strong.
And Leilin and Nature's Alliance Academy, commanding absolute advantage, carved out the largest share!!!
A few months later, a grand branch campus of Nature's Alliance was established here. Though it was still nominally just a branch, all its facilities and personnel had been configured to the highest and finest standards, even surpassing the headquarters in the Central Domain.
The completion of this branch campus signified that the entire Northern Dark Polar Domain had fallen completely under Leilin's control — a tremendous shock to the other two regions that had still been wavering.
In the year 5786 of the Dark Polar Domain, the Western and Southern Dark Polar Domains, which had only offered surface-level submission, could hold out no longer. They announced their acceptance of the Central Domain's Nature's Alliance Academy's proposition, beginning to submit to the guidance of the great Guardian of the Entire Domain, and establishing a joint academy.
The entire Dark Polar Domain was now completely unified. Leilin's prestige as Guardian of the Entire Domain was deeply ingrained in every heart, and human society as a whole entered a phase of rapid development.
History turned yet another page. The curtain fell on the old era and the new one took the stage with such swiftness that even many wizards could barely keep up.
Northern Dark Polar Domain, within the Nature's Alliance Academy.
"Oh no! I'm going to be late!"
The entire Nature's Alliance Academy used large quantities of Sunstone and Eternal Flames for illumination. Even ornamental potted plants had been transplanted along the roadsides — something that would have been nearly unimaginable before.
Along the pathways, other apprentices could be seen rushing about, all heading to their respective classrooms.
"Instructor Jieling's anti-force-field theory is so profound, I can't follow any of it..."
"The principles of spell model construction are incredibly important — it's the foundation for all casting templates. You have to master it thoroughly, not a single mistake allowed!"
"The academy competition is coming up soon. I heard the winners can receive instruction from a full Wizard!"
Numerous conversations drifted past Will's ears, many from acquaintances, but he didn't slow down, continuing to sprint at full speed.
As an apprentice selected from the common folk, he treasured this hard-won opportunity more than anything.
It was precisely because he had stayed up too late reading that he'd overslept.
All the apprentices, upon passing through the teaching building's plaza, would respectfully bow to a statue at its center.
The entire statue had been carved from obsidian, depicting a handsome young man with lofty, far-reaching eyes, as if gazing into the distance. Beneath the statue, an inscription in the Dark Polar language read: "His Excellency Leilin Farell, Guardian of the Entire Domain! Third-rank Wizard, founder of Nature's Alliance Academy. Slew the
"Lord Guardian of the Domain!"
Will gave a slight bow toward the statue, a look of reverence naturally filling his eyes. "If only I could one day become such a great wizard..."
But then he chuckled at himself — he was being far too fanciful.
In the instant he passed the statue, Will couldn't help but glance back, and he seemed to glimpse a figure standing beneath it — one whose face was identical to the statue's.
"That's—" Will's eyes went wide, but when he looked again, the figure had vanished, as if what he'd seen had been nothing but a vision.
Whoosh!
Xiling drew back the curtains. The enormous floor-to-ceiling windows revealed the flourishing prosperity of Nature's Alliance in all its splendor.
"Well? How does it feel to see the glory you've forged with your own hands?"
Xiling smiled as she wrapped her arms around Leilin's waist from behind.
"Oh, and welcome back out! You've been cooped up in that laboratory for fifteen years this time, haven't you?"
Xiling rested her head gently against Leilin's back.
Having tasted the flavor of power, she had become even more beautiful and captivating, like a poppy flower — intoxicating and irresistible.
But Xiling knew full well where her power and status came from. Especially after Leilin had spent a period of indulgence in the Central Domain, her sense of crisis had only intensified. She had even set aside her affairs in the Eastern Domain and rushed to Leilin's side.
Unfortunately, at that time Leilin's mind had been entirely absorbed in the high-level Meditation Methods and various research materials he'd obtained, leaving Xiling coldly sidelined.
"I don't feel much of anything!" Leilin was quite indifferent about this. His reason for establishing the academy was simply to make it more convenient to collect Meditation Method materials and rare resources.