This was only because wizards were exceptionally long-lived. Otherwise, the situation would have been far worse, and
But even now, the situation was far from good.
Among all the wizards in the Dark Arcane Domain, Baneck was the only Third Level one, and so his prestige was immense. He even harbored delusions of crowning himself in the manner of Leilin's era—becoming the Guardian of Sacred Light! Perhaps even the Emperor of all humanity!
Celine could clearly see such ambition in his eyes, but she was powerless to stop it.
Across the other domains, many academies had already defected to his side.
Under the guise of the Joint Academic Exchange Conference, and with the need to form a coalition army, he was certain to put enormous pressure on Celine this time.
"How am I supposed to get through this?" Celine was truly at a loss. The methods Leilin had left her were, at most, enough to deal with Second Level wizards. A Third Level existence clearly exceeded their limits.
Mere proof that Leilin still existed in this world was not enough to stop the greed and ambition of wizards.
Celine understood this point all too well.
Bang! The office door was suddenly thrown open, and a young wizard strode in.
He had wine-red eyes, and long blue hair that hung loose over his shoulders rather than being tied back. A terrifying aura radiated around his entire body.
"Ba... Lord Baneck!" The female wizard from before hurriedly bowed in greeting.
"Headmaster! I have wonderful news—both the Doluo Snail Academy and the Light Speed Academy have agreed to my demands. They'll acknowledge our Alliance of Nature as the leading faction, and the commander of the coalition army will be chosen at the exchange conference!"
Baneck gazed at Celine's figure with a covetous look.
Celine's brow furrowed. "Baneck! Do you not know that you're supposed to knock before entering my office? Or have you forgotten even the most basic manners?"
"Well, this place will be changing hands soon enough!" Baneck was utterly brazen.
"What about my earlier proposal? Have you reconsidered?"
"Out of the question! Don't you forget—I am Leilin's wife!" Celine's face flushed red.
"That's right! A woman who was tossed into the Abyssal Darklands for over a hundred years..." Baneck shrugged. He glanced up at the obsidian statue in the square — particularly at the glow emanating from it — and a visible flicker of wariness passed through his eyes.
"The day I become leader of the Coalition, this statue will be destroyed. Only a statue of me, Baneck, is worthy of standing here! These few days are your last chance. Think it over carefully!"
Baneck strode out, his voice still reverberating through the room.
Celine was not only a woman of tremendous prestige — the Wizards controlled by the soul essence Leilin had left her also commanded considerable power. More critically, Leilin himself still existed. Even though no one knew where he was, he was at least still alive.
Toward this predecessor of his, Baneck still felt a measure of wariness. Had it not been for those concerns, he would have seized power by force long ago.
But even so, Baneck's patience was nearly worn thin.
"What do we do, Headmistress?" The female
"Let me think!" Celine gazed at Leilin's statue in the square, her face full of anguish. Almost like an illusion, when she turned back, it seemed as though the glow on the statue had... grown a shade brighter?
……
As the date steadily approached, a massive influx of Wizards poured into the Northern Region. With the noble cause of resisting the alien races as justification, this Joint Academy Conference had grown all the more important.
Yet beneath the surface, turbulent undercurrents never ceased. It was not only the human Wizards who were scheming — even the alien races themselves were playing a profoundly important role.
In the solemn and expansive conference hall, numerous Academy Headmasters took their seats around a circular long table, all involuntarily turning their gaze toward the central seat of honor.
The golden chair was adorned with a profusion of gemstones, appearing magnificently lavish. The seat was currently empty, but one could easily imagine that only today's victor would be permitted to sit upon it and issue commands.
"Headmistress Celine of the Alliance of Nature and Chief Professor Baneck have arrived!" The sudden announcement drew the eyes of all the Headmasters toward the doorway.
There, Celine entered in full ceremonial dress, walking alongside Baneck.
Baneck's position was even slightly ahead of hers.
"This is outrageous! He isn't even Headmaster yet!" In one of the spectator seats,
Filled with fury at the way the Headmistress he had always admired was being cornered, he was powerless to act. As nothing more than a journeyman Wizard, he had no way whatsoever to stand against a third-rank Wizard — a lesson paid for in blood and tears.
"Headmistress Celine!" "Headmistress Celine!" "Headmistress Celine!"
Several familiar Wizards greeted her one after another, but the greater number swarmed around Baneck, gathering at his side like stars orbiting the moon.
"These people!" Xiling seethed inwardly. The Wizards now fawning over Baneck — back in Lei Lin's time, every single one of them had practically groveled at her feet to declare their loyalty, yet now they sold her out without a shred of hesitation.
Even though she had long known that the law of Wizards was the survival of the fittest, Xiling still couldn't help feeling a twinge of discouragement.
Just as she was making her way toward the central seats, another Wizard stepped into her path: "Hold it!"
"What is it, Dean Barca?" Xiling recognized the man at once — he was the dean of the Light Speed Academy, and had already been subdued by Baneck.
"That seat is the seat of honor! Only the dean of the
Xiling's eyebrows shot upward, and a massive wave of killing intent surged from her. She was no longer the feeble young Witch of old — she had endured the crucible of blood and fire, advanced to second-rank, and become a formidable Wizard!
The moment that aura erupted, Barca's own presence withered on the spot.
"Indeed! This meeting should be presided over by the dean of the Nature's Alliance Academy!" Baneck stepped forward, and the very first words out of his mouth caught even Xiling by surprise.
"Therefore, before the meeting begins, I move that we first hold an election for the dean of the Nature's Alliance Academy!"
"You—" Xiling's fury surged. The dean of the Nature's Alliance had always been her — there had never been any change. Moreover, by the legal precedent of the Nature's Alliance School that preceded the academy, only Xiling's direct disciple was qualified to inherit the academy. How could they possibly put the deanship up for election?
But Baneck, in this very moment, intended to exploit the critical timing and the support of the other deans to oust Xiling from power.
"Precisely! I wholeheartedly support Baneck's proposal! Moreover, Lord Baneck's strength is extraordinary, and his character is unanimously recognized by every Wizard here — so I nominate Lord Baneck!"
Dean Barca's eyes darted to the side, and he stepped forward without hesitation.
"Agreed! We stand with Dean Barca!"
"Well said!" A great number of Wizards raised their clamor in unison, and particularly the large contingent of second-rank professors from the Nature's Alliance Academy spontaneously filed over to stand behind Baneck.
Only a handful of students and the Wizards who had previously been under Lei Lin's control remained at Xiling's side.
"You lot…" Xiling gazed at the hostile Wizards surrounding her, and in that instant it felt as though she were standing in the midst of a wolf pack.
A green, greedy light gleamed from their eyes, as though they were simply waiting to tear her apart and devour her.
"Just look — the majority of the professors support me! It almost seems like we don't even need the election!"
Even Baneck, for all his composure, could no longer contain his smugness. He walked over to the edge of the main seat and looked down at Xiling: "Well? My earlier proposal still stands! I do hope you won't make a choice that angers me!"
"Among Wizards, schemes and ploys are merely supplementary — in the end, power is what determines everything!"
Now, Xi Ling suddenly understood why Lei Lin had been able to abandon everything in the Dark Extreme Region and set out unwaveringly in pursuit of greater power.
But it seemed she had realized this a little too late.
"You!" Xi Ling raised her head, her voice suddenly rising to a sharp pitch. "Have you all forgotten the Holy Light Guardian? Once Lei Lin returns, he will absolutely not let you off!"
Xi Ling's voice was piercing, and a great many of the Wizards present had personally witnessed Lei Lin's ferocity. At this, they couldn't help but hesitate.
"Hmph! He's nothing more than a third-level Wizard, same as me! If he dares come, I'll show him who the true ruler of the Dark Extreme Region really is!"
Ban Ke snorted coldly. The powerful aura of a third-level Wizard rippled outward, intimidating everyone in the hall. Behind him, an ethereal projection of holy light materialized.
"A pseudo-domain!" "This level of energy intensity? It might even surpass Lei Lin's from back then!"
The other Wizards were thoroughly intimidated.
That was right — Lei Lin might still exist, but whether he would ever return to the Dark Extreme Region was anyone's guess. Ban Ke, on the other hand, was a genuine, verified third-level Wizard. More importantly, he was standing right here. Clearly, reputation alone wasn't nearly enough to intimidate him.
And so, the vast majority of Wizards bowed to Ban Ke, declaring, "We respectfully request that Lord Ban Ke assume the position of Director of Nature's Alliance and lead the allied forces!"
The roar of voices surged like a tidal wave, and Xi Ling, caught in the midst of it, looked utterly pale.
"Hahaha..." Ban Ke laughed wildly. A wish held for years had finally been fulfilled, flooding his heart with wild elation. He could already envision the moment when the entire Dark Extreme Region would be united under his rule — when he would become its supreme sovereign!
Ban Ke's eyes blazed with light as he moved to take the seat of honor. But just at that moment, an unexpected change occurred.
"Is that so?"
A dark figure suddenly materialized, positioning itself directly in front of Ban Ke.
The moment he met those eyes, Ban Ke was struck by an instinctive terror — the kind one feels upon encountering a natural predator.
The instant Xi Ling saw the figure, tears welled up in her eyes involuntarily.
"Who is he?" "Why does he look so familiar?" The many directors suddenly felt a sense of confusion — as though this person was someone they knew intimately, yet they couldn't quite place his name.
"It's the Holy Light Guardian! It's Lord Lei Lin Farrell, the Holy Light Guardian!"
Will, who was standing beside Xi Ling, clenched his fists and shouted out with gleaming eyes.
"Lord Lei Lin!" Following him, Ilun, Guoguo'er, and the other veteran subordinates of Lei Lin immediately bowed down respectfully.
"It really is him!"
A wave of realization washed over the many wizards—wasn't the wizard who had appeared exactly the same as the obsidian statue in the Alliance of Nature's square?