"ROOOOAAAARRR!!!"
A deep, muffled roar erupted from the ocean floor, followed by a terrifying shadow pulsing with powerful life force, rising steadily toward the surface.
The sheer oppressive weight of its colossal form alone was enough to whip the sea into a scene resembling a magnitude-ten tsunami. The sailing ship carrying Lei Lin rocked violently back and forth.
"Lift off!"
Whoosh! Whoosh! Powerful updrafts, carrying what seemed like limitless force, hoisted the entire vessel into the air, lifting it high above the churning waters.
But the other sea creatures were not so fortunate. Countless sharks, sea turtles, and various other marine species were swept along helplessly in the catastrophe, many reduced to nothing but shredded flesh that painted the surrounding waters with streaks of crimson.
The shadow grew ever more massive, practically like a continent unto itself. Finally, a mountain ridge as sharp as a blade burst through the ocean surface, revealing a vast expanse of dark black back.
"This… this is… a Dragon Whale?!"
"To be precise, it's a king among Dragon Whales — and possibly the totem of the sea clans!" Lei Lin smiled, then his expression darkened abruptly. "Quiet down!!!"
The vast sea surface fell silent in an instant. Two eyes, each as enormous as a planet, surfaced from the ocean depths, radiating brilliant beams of light.
A projection materialized out of thin air, revealing the figure of a middle-aged man with the appearance of a sea clansman.
"Uraz greets My Lord!"
"A Rank 6 Dragon Whale King! Its size is practically comparable to a small continent! It's a good thing it didn't appear during our last migration — only those Rank 4 or so dragon whales in the Dragon Whale Waters…"
Gilbert's pupils contracted sharply, and then he felt as though he must be hallucinating.
"What? He called Lei Lin 'My Lord'? Aren't they both Rank 6 Throne-level existences? A dragon whale with such an enormous body, in deep ocean territory — this is practically its home turf. Why would it be so deferential?"
"Is this Dragon Whale Waters under your jurisdiction, Uraz?"
Lei Lin asked casually.
"Yes, My Lord! And the sea clans of several nearby island-continents as well!" The spectral projection of Uraz spoke with an eager, servile tone.
In the past, even the lowest-ranked Dragon Whales could stir up enormous storms along the South Coast, causing devastating losses — Lei Lin had heard occasional accounts of such events even back when he was merely a Rank 1 or 2 Warlock.
But now, even the most terrifying of the Dragon Whale Kings was nothing more than a trivial speck in his eyes.
"This kind of body size, and such abundant bloodline power — if I devoured it, it would increase my physique by at most 0.003!" A flash of blue light flickered through Lei Lin's eyes, and he arrived at the answer in an instant. Meanwhile, the Dragon Whale King's true body at the bottom of the sea was seized by a sudden, violent shudder.
"That's far too little. Besides, there are still places where I can make use of the other party!"
Lei Lin secretly shook his head and abandoned the idea of devouring it directly.
"Uraz! I have something for you to do!" The immense power he wielded granted Lei Lin the authority over life and death, so he naturally spoke without hesitation.
"Please give your orders, My Lord! Your servant will spare no effort!" By the same token, having sensed the unfathomable depths of power radiating from Lei Lin, and knowing that his very life was held in the other's hands, the Dragon Whale King agreed with the utmost deference.
"Very well! I am an elder of the Ring of the Ouroboros. Henceforth, whenever you see a vehicle bearing the Ring of the Ouroboros's banner, you are not to attack it. In fact, you are to protect it. Understood?"
"Your will be done, great powerhouse! I will also dispatch my descendants to escort your ships!"
Uraz agreed with striking eagerness.
"Good!" Lei Lin nodded. Once he made it clear he was dismissing him, the colossal Dragon Whale body vanished from the sea's surface immediately, as though some unspeakable horror were pursuing it from behind.
"A Rank 6 Dragon Whale King… For the South Coast, it would be a truly invincible existence…"
Lei Lin stroked his chin. "Fortunately, the other party never paid much attention to the South Coast before. Or perhaps it had been slumbering all along — otherwise, the entire South Coast might not have been able to withstand even a fraction of its wrath…"
The other party's mere offspring had formed a settlement powerful enough to cut the South Coast off from the outside world. If the true body were to act in person, given its sheer size, demolishing the entire continent would be a trivial matter.
After all, the South Coast might tout itself as a continent, but in the eyes of the Central Region's Wizards, it was nothing more than a slightly larger island.
"You heard that? Begin the relocation as soon as possible! I believe there will be no more danger this time!"
After watching the Dragon Whale King depart, Lei Lin turned to the two Comosin Warlocks behind him.
"Y-Yes… understood!"
Gilbert wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. Just moments ago, the mere act of locking eyes with Uraz had filled him with a terror that seeped from the very depths of his soul.
And what level of power had Lei Lin reached to make even such a formidable being bow and scrape before him?
"Lord… Lord Lei Lin! Might I ask what rank you have currently attained?"
Also shaken was
At the same time, he had caught faint hints of whatever transformation Lei Lin had undergone.
After all, even the most powerful Throne on the entire Central Continent could never hope to command a fellow sixth-level Dragon Whale King. The realization left Jeffrey thunderstruck.
"Me? Still at the sixth-level Warlock rank for now!"
Lei Lin smiled and made no effort to conceal it.
"How is that possible? Can a sixth-level Bloodline Warlock really possess such terrifying strength?" It wasn't just Jeffrey — even the look in Gilbert's eyes was brimming with disbelief.
"However, I'm only half a step away from the seventh level!" Lei Lin added the second half of his statement, and the words immediately sent every Warlock on the deck into a stupor.
"The se-seventh level! A god from the legends! An existence that commands the very laws?!"
Jeffrey's eyes bulged wide, his mouth hanging open like some enormous toad, staring blankly as Lei Lin disappeared into the cabin.
"Duke Gilbert! Duchess Emma! Please tell me — did I just hallucinate?"
It took a long, dazed moment before Jeffrey finally yanked at his own cheeks and muttered in a daze.
"You most likely did not mishear, Prince Jeffrey!"
Gilbert and Emma exchanged a bitter smile. "But we're practically used to it by now. Lord Lei Lin — he's always been the kind who creates hope and miracles out of thin air."
Now, even Gilbert no longer dared to claim the title of Lei Lin's mentor.
After all, this was an existence that had touched the seventh level!
The seventh level! What did that mean? Even in the ancient era, it would have made one a legendary powerhouse — a conqueror of countless worlds, someone before whom entire alien races could only tremble and weep…
And now, the Ring of Ouroboros was about to possess a strongman of that caliber?
Gilbert found that all he could do was grin like a fool, and Emma across from him appeared to be trending in the same direction.
"Seventh level?? Seventh level!! Sigh… Beavis, and Orfe — every last one of your plans, I'm afraid, has just gone up in smoke!"
It took Jeffrey a good while before he finally reacted, letting out a long, heavy sigh, a look of wistful desolation settling across his face.
No matter who it was, after spending time with
"However! With Leylin, the spring of us Bloodline Warlocks has finally arrived!"
After his lament, Jeffrey's eyes were filled with hope.
Even though the Central Continent still had numerous
In the face of the enormous benefits that conquering the Central Continent represented, all of their previous schemes, everything they had struggled so hard to protect, seemed utterly laughable!
"Perhaps this is exactly what that lord was thinking?"
Jeffrey looked toward the cabin and silently clenched his fist, an unusual flush coloring his face.
……
Under Leylin's guidance, their group completed the long journey from the South Coast to the Central Continent in just a matter of days.
Previously, every time Gilbert and the others made such a trip, it took at least several months — so long that if it weren't for the waste involved, Emma would have suggested establishing an Astral Gate on the South Coast.
Using the Astral Gate in conjunction with the Morning Star
But relocating the entire organization, even with the minimal cost of each Astral Gate activation, added up to a staggering sum — enough to make Gilbert and the others dizzy. They couldn't possibly afford it even if they bankrupted themselves, and could only resort to this form of long-distance migration.
The Astral Gate's teleportation was only suitable for transporting a few people or critical supplies — it wasn't practical for large-scale relocation operations.
However, once everything had settled down, Leylin had already prepared to construct an Astral Gate on the South Coast. Not just the South Coast, but the Dark Abyss and the subterranean world as well — none could be left out.
Though it couldn't handle large-scale cargo transport, it would be extremely convenient for his own personal use.
Inside Morning Star Space.
Orfe looked even more decrepit than before, as though his body might crumble to dust at any moment, yet his eyes gleamed with an unmistakable sharp light.
"
"We both know Jeffrey's character — he wouldn't deceive us about something like this! Besides, whether that person has truly advanced to the sixth level, we'll be able to confirm the moment we meet!"
Wade said with a smile. Jeffrey's message had clearly been somewhat delayed — once they truly grasped the extent of Leylin's power, the two of them would likely be shocked all over again.……