"Leilin!"
While Leilin was deep in thought,
"Oh? Interested in body tempering now?" Emma glanced at the scattered materials on the table and immediately guessed what was going on.
"Yes! My soul power has increased too much — my body needs to catch up." Leilin nodded. There was no point hiding it.
"You really are..." Gilbert sat down, looking completely exasperated. "As bloodline warlocks, we have the advantage of ancient creature constitutions. Of all the Morning Stars, we're the ones who never have to worry about body strength — only about how to enhance soul power. Someone like you is truly unprecedented!"
In truth, even in Gilbert's heart, Leilin's explosive rate of progress was enough to make him cry monster and wonder if he could keep up.
Leilin smiled and asked the two Grand Dukes about other aspects of body tempering.
Unfortunately, neither Grand Duke had as much knowledge on the subject as he did, so they couldn't offer much in the way of useful advice.
In the end, Leilin asked: "How much do you two know about the
"What?" "You want to go there?" Both warlocks stood up in shock.
"Is there a problem?" Leilin asked with a smile.
Stored in the Sky City — accessible only to Sages — was a secret treasure called the Mystic Power Scepter, which could effectively raise his constitution by two full tiers with absolutely no side effects.
For Leilin, the temptation was enormous.
Two tiers meant roughly twenty points of constitution. Combined with the ten points from the Giant Dragon Potion, that would bring him very close to one hundred. The remaining gap could be filled through gradual improvement via the Fire Feather Technique or the Multi-Arm Power.
So if he couldn't find any alternative, this trip was essentially a must.
"Although the Sky Throne hasn't targeted bloodline warlocks before, you know our Bloodline Alliance's situation, Leilin!"
After a moment of silence, Emma spoke first.
For reasons no one fully understood, bloodline warlocks had once been met with resistance and hostility from the mainland's wizards — to the point of near extinction. The appearance of several Fifth-rank Radiant Moon warlocks had turned the tide, but a deep sense of insecurity still lingered among many warlocks. The Morning Star Realm had been created precisely because of this.
And such continent-wide opposition against warlocks could never have happened without the tacit approval of several Throne-level powers.
Emma valued Leilin highly — she already treated him as her future son-in-law — and naturally didn't want him taking unnecessary risks.
"Master Gilbert, what do you think?" Leilin secretly sighed and turned to Gilbert.
"Putting the Sky Throne aside, the Sky City is truly the holy land of wizards across the entire Central Continent, and a temple of truth. Countless top-tier grandmasters, craftsmen, and scholars gather there — it's nothing less than a cradle of knowledge. The innovations and progress in the magical arts are nothing short of revolutionary!"
Gilbert rubbed his bald head, as though recalling some very pleasant memory. Even his eyes took on a distant gleam.
"If you hadn't already advanced to Morning Star and become a pillar of our Ouroboros Ring, and if you wanted to travel the continent, the Sky City would be my very first recommendation!"
"In that case, I want to go even more!" Leilin rubbed his chin, a hint of longing crossing his face.
"Fine! But you must be careful — disguise your identity if possible!" Gilbert and Emma exchanged bitter smiles. They knew Leilin's personality all too well. Once he made up his mind, he never wavered. He'd only come to them for advice, not permission.
"I understand." Leilin interlocked his fingers and leaned forward slightly.
"So — was there anything else you two needed?"
"Oh! Of course! Look at us, we almost forgot about this entirely!" Gilbert slapped his forehead and handed Leilin a recording crystal.
"After a month of fighting, the Ouroboros Ring has reclaimed all of its pre-war territories, and stability has been restored across every region. This is the newly redrawn territorial map!"
Leilin's soul power sank into the crystal, and an enormous map immediately appeared before him, with different colors marking the territories of each bloodline noble family.
Compared to before, the overall map hadn't changed much, but the noble territories had undergone massive redistribution.
For instance, the bloodline nobles who had been aligned with the former Grand Elder had all suffered significant reductions in territory and privileges — on grounds of poor military performance — with their holdings reassigned to the
"So in summary — the two Grand Dukes' interests remain unchanged, while I've inherited the former Grand Elder's fief and benefits?"
Leilin pondered inwardly but nodded on the surface: "Looks fine to me. Let's go with this arrangement."
Once Leilin agreed, Gilbert and Emma both felt a wave of relief. Leilin was simply too important to the Ouroboros Ring now. They had genuinely feared that a misstep might anger him, plant seeds of resentment, or worse — drive him to leave entirely. That would spell disaster for the entire organization.
Watching these two fellow Morning Star warlocks — seniors, no less — looking so deferential and anxious, Leilin couldn't help but shake his head with an amused smile.
……
"Master! The third batch of kobold warlocks has been fully captured and locked in the restraint chamber!"
Tinashe wore a black dress and curtsied gracefully before Leilin. Ever since he had advanced to Morning Star, she had become even more respectful in her manner, carrying out her duties with meticulous care. The moment Leilin issued an order, she had rounded up large numbers of kobold warlocks.
"Good." Leilin knew exactly what Tinashe wanted.
So while he appeared to lounge lazily on the sofa, his right hand made a subtle beckoning gesture. Wicked black flames burst into existence, forming a strange serpentine symbol that branded itself onto Tinashe's forehead.
"Hssss!" Faint flame runes surrounded the black snake mark, the serpent inside writhing with lifelike vitality, as though it might tear through her skin at any moment.
"Master!" Tinashe collapsed to her knees, trembling. From the mark, she could feel a terrifying power — force enough to grind her to dust.
"This is my Arcane Mark. Out in the world, it represents me. Moreover, I've stored a single attack within it. An ordinary Morning Star couldn't block it…"
Leilin spoke with half-lidded eyes, his voice slow and measured, yet each word made Tinashe's face light up with elation.
"Back then… at the Flowing Sand Fortress, I promised you that once my strength was great enough to fear no retaliation, I would exact your revenge."
It had been precisely this promise that had led Tinashe to submit to Leilin in the first place.
"Yes, Master! I just didn't expect this moment would come so quickly…" Tinashe's voice wavered. Leilin's rate of progress had far exceeded even her most optimistic expectations.
"The family you want vengeance on has no Morning Star among them. I've already spoken with the Morning Star of their affiliated organization — they won't interfere. The rest, you should be able to handle on your own. The Arcane Mark I've left you serves as the final safeguard."
"Thank you, Master!" Tinashe choked up, her eyes reddening. The memories surged back — persecution, being hunted, the desperate flight into the wastelands — vivid and raw as ever.
"Go." Leilin waved his hand, and Tinashe bowed respectfully as she backed out of the room.
After leaving the
If one only heard the voice, an outsider might think Tinashe and Dov were dear friends. But one look at the expression on her face would freeze them solid.
"The hatred buried deep does not diminish with the passage of time — it only ferments…"
After Tinashe left, Leilin rose slowly and spoke a line that sounded almost like prophecy.
He had a premonition that Tinashe's departure would be accompanied by rivers of blood and screams of agony. The experience of being forced from her homeland, of having to hide — that was enough to transform Tinashe into the most terrifying avenging goddess imaginable.
But regardless of whatever grudges lay between the two sides, Leilin would naturally support Tinashe. It was simple: he had no connection to that rival family, whereas Tinashe was his subordinate.
When it came to his own people, Leilin was always fiercely protective.
He had his own code of conduct. When a subordinate clashed with an outsider, he would obviously side with the subordinate. If Frey clashed with one of his subordinates, he would obviously side with Frey. And if he himself had a disagreement with Frey, he would naturally protect his own interests.
Extrapolating outward, this formed concentric circles of interest with himself at the center — the more core the interest, the more fiercely it should be defended.
As for fairness? Justice? Well…
"Tower Spirit! Following the bloodline manipulation parameters I input earlier, begin processing the kobold warlocks!"
For instance, now that his interests conflicted with those of these kobolds, Leilin naturally chose to sacrifice them without a moment's hesitation.
"Commencing Phase One: amplifying bloodline activity…" The Tower Spirit's mechanical voice rang out, and from the cells at the base of the Wizard Tower, mournful wails rose into the air……
……
Several days later, Leilin held up a vial of purplish-red bloodline potion, a satisfied expression on his face. "There were a few failures along the way, but the Giant Dragon Potion has finally been successfully concocted!"