The badge was quite small, its back a bronze-colored base.
When he saw the mark on the front, Leilin's pupils contracted sharply.
It was a massive black serpent composed of countless runes, biting its own tail to form a peculiar circular emblem!
"This mark! I've seen it in Dylan Garden!!!"
Leilin would never forget this — his impression of it was still vivid.
Back in Dylan Garden, among the Crimson Grand
That, one could say, was the very beginning of Leilin's path as a sorcerer!
"A sorcerer! Blood resonance! And this mark!" Leilin weighed the badge in his hand. "It looks like the
"What? Reno, do you know him?" Old Fawen asked.
"No, but we have to save him!" Leilin's voice was soft, yet carried an undeniable certainty.
"Sorry, but if you insist on this, then we'll have to part ways! I don't want any trouble!"
As a wizard's instinct, Fawen immediately refused.
A first-rank wizard with that kind of appearance often represented trouble, and Fawen had no desire to involve himself.
Besides, he and Leilin were merely traveling companions who got along — their friendship hadn't reached the point where they could share such risks.
"Of course, you're free to go first!" Leilin replied, not the least surprised by Fawen's choice.
If Fawen had stayed out of热血 enthusiasm to stand with him, he wouldn't have lived to this age.
"Sorry!" Fawen said with an apologetic look, preparing to drive the carriage away.
"Halt!"
At that moment, a sudden voice rang out, accompanied by a tremendous boom.
Five or six blinding streaks of light shot from the horizon, and after they faded, six distinct wizard figures were revealed.
These were clearly non-humans — there were both Dark Elves and Dwarves among them, which surprised Leilin slightly.
Rumble!
Amid clouds of dust on the ground, an elite squad of Cave Cold Spiders and a Dwarf warrior legion had also arrived.
"Human wizards?"
The leading Dwarf and
In the current Dark Extreme Domain, humans held the dominant position, so even in the outer regions, human wizards received a measure of respect. Of course, in the wilderness, there was still the occasional killing for treasure.
Such things could be done, but only if no traces were left; otherwise, they would become a pretext for the human armies to mobilize.
And with two wizards together, it was very difficult to kill them both completely while ensuring neither could send out any signal.
"This is the despicable thief who stole the sacred relic jointly guarded by our two races. Wizards, we hope you won't bring trouble upon yourselves!"
The Dark Elf and Dwarf wizards warned in unison.
"A sacred relic? What is it?" Leilin said curiously, sweeping his Spiritual Power over the unconscious middle-aged sorcerer, then discovering a green vine ball in the对方's robes.
A rich vitality surged continuously from within the vine ball.
"So it's this thing!" A look of understanding flashed across Leilin's eyes.
This vine ball was truly called a Life Vine Fruit, packed with concentrated life force essence. For races like the Dark Elves who practiced the Life Suction high-level Meditation Method, it was an irreplaceable treasure.
And something that could greatly replenish life force, heal injuries, or even save lives was naturally also prized by Dwarves —天生 warriors and craftsmen. That was precisely why both races guarded it together.
Leilin knew this so well because this fruit had been the main tribute product from the Dark Elves and Dwarves each year, and Leilin himself had personally claimed the entire share.
It was because of him that these Life Vine Fruits had become so scarce — to the point where even stealing a single one would bring enormous trouble and pursuit.
"Even though you're both human wizards, this sacred relic is to be tribute to Lord Leilin,
Seeing Leilin's unmoved expression, a Dark Elf immediately spoke again, his tone carrying an implicit threat.
"Wizard Reno, you've really gotten me into trouble!" Fawen said with a bitter smile.
The title of Guardian of the Realm was naturally like thunder to Fawen's ears — and the person in question was, in fact, the ruler of the entire Dark Extreme Domain!
Even though he himself was a wandering wizard, he still had a whole network of teachers and apprentices to consider. He couldn't truly sever those ties.
Facing this legendary Third-rank Wizard, Fawen clearly had plans to cut his losses: "Reno, we..."
"Pfft..."
Leilin finally couldn't hold back and burst out laughing.
His smile grew wider and wider, until he was doubled over, clutching his stomach and laughing without end.
"Human wizard, what are you laughing at?" The Dark Elf and Dwarf leaders exchanged glances, both filled with a sense of foreboding.
At the same time, they noticed that this handsome young man's face had an oddly familiar quality.
"This is the first time I've seen someone threaten me using my own name!"
After his laughter subsided, Leilin's expression turned cold.
Simultaneously, his face underwent a strange transformation as the Mimicry Spell's disguise voluntarily dissolved.
An aura reminiscent of an ancient primordial beast awakening began to slowly emanate from his body.
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
The Cave Cold Spiders on the ground all collapsed, their eight legs trembling as they fell to the earth. The squadrons of Cave Cold Spider riders and Dwarf warriors were thrown into chaos.
Leilin took a single step forward, and the entire space came to an abrupt standstill.
The six wizards hovering in midair were all forced to the ground, their faces filled with terror.
"You! You! You're Leilin Farell! Guardian of the Realm of the Dark Extreme Domain! His Excellency the Great Emperor of the Night!"
Fawen stood with his mouth agape, his goatee quivering, fingers trembling, too frightened to speak.
Heavens! The person who had been traveling alongside him this whole time was actually the far-famous — practically deified — Guardian?
Fawen frantically replayed every moment of their journey, and only after confirming he hadn't said anything bad about the Alliance of Nature or anything negative about Leilin himself did he quietly breathe a sigh of relief.
But then his heart clenched again.
Earlier, he had been about to abandon Leilin and flee with that other wizard. Would such behavior displease the Guardian?
While Fawen was locked in this internal struggle, the shock Leilin delivered to these non-humans was far greater still.
"We greet the Guardian of the Realm!"
The wizards on the Dark Elf and Dwarf side immediately bowed.
Even if it were an imposter, the unique energy fluctuations of a Third-rank Wizard could not be faked.
And the wizards of both races had an unforgettable impression of Leilin's face — they would recognize him even if he were reduced to ashes.
After all, Leilin had directly destroyed the glory of both their races! He had even slain their rulers with his own hands!
In the eyes of the non-humans, Leilin was no different from a demon king or a wrathful ghost.
"Mm. Go back and tell your superiors — I'm taking this person, and that Life Vine Fruit will count toward this year's share!"
Leilin issued his orders with casual indifference.
He had no desire to resort to force. Doing so now would simply be bullying.
"Understood, my lord!"
The Dark Elf and Dwarf wizards inwardly sighed with relief, bowed once more, and then retreated as if some monstrous beast were chasing them.
The news of Leilin appearing here was far too shocking. They had to deliver this intelligence to their superiors immediately so that appropriate measures could be taken.
…
"Awake? If you're awake, come here quickly!"
The moment the middle-aged wizard opened his eyes, he heard Leilin's voice in his ears.
He rose at once and saw Leilin standing quietly to one side, idly playing with a test tube filled with blood. Inside the tube, faint traces of earthy-yellow color lingered and refused to dissipate.
"Gubole! Greetings, my lord!"
Gubole immediately knelt on the ground in reverence, his expression one of utmost respect, even tinged with admiration — like a gray wolf bowing before its alpha.
Leilin sensed this acutely. In fact, he felt he could exert a certain influence over this sorcerer through their shared bloodline.
This was truly a terrifying thing.
"The Manxter Giant Serpent! Your bloodline comes from the Withered Giant Serpent, Manxter!" Leilin concluded.
"Yes! Gubole, Manxter Giant Serpent Sorcerer, greets my lord!" Gubole bowed once more.
"No wonder..." Leilin shook his head.
Now he finally understood the strange sensation he'd felt from this man.
The Withered Giant Serpent, Manxter, was rumored to carry a trace of the Komoin Giant Serpent's bloodline. Though greatly diluted, it was still a descendant of Komoin.
When facing a true Komoin Giant Serpent sorcerer, such a bloodline would naturally be subject to innate influence and suppression.
When Leilin had still been an apprentice, he had once encountered a Manxter Giant Serpent — still juvenile, yet it had given him considerable trouble.
An adult Manxter Giant Serpent was comparable to a formal wizard. Though now, in Leilin's eyes, it was nothing at all, for an apprentice it had been an absolutely terrifying level of power.
"Now then — tell me everything. Your background, and the reason you ended up here. Leave nothing out!"
Leilin spoke expressionlessly, but the look in his eyes sent a chill through Gubole's heart.
Though soul-searching magic could not be used on a formal wizard, completely shattering a soul and extracting soul fragments was something Leilin, now a Third-rank Sorcerer, could certainly accomplish.
Doing so would yield incomplete information, and the sorcerer would undoubtedly die — but it remained a last resort.
Fortunately, Gubole was clearly a man who understood the situation, and his fear of Leilin ran deep. He quickly confessed his background in full.
After hearing just a few sentences, Leilin's expression turned grave.