Although Bloodline Warlocks could advance rapidly at first thanks to their bloodlines—facing no bottlenecks at the First or Second level, and even reaching the Third level through sheer time and bloodline accumulation—leaving Wizards far behind in advancement speed with terrifying swiftness—they also possessed an obvious shortcoming.
This shortcoming was the Bloodline Shackles! A curse that forever clung to Bloodline Warlocks! Ensuring that their level could never surpass that of their bloodline source.
This gap was completely imperceptible at lower levels, and even during the Morning Star stage it was not particularly obvious. But after reaching the Fifth level—Radiant Moon—warlocks whose bloodline origin exceeded Fifth-level creatures had become exceedingly rare, and they were gradually overtaken by Wizards.
And once Wizards produced terrifying existences at the Dawn Sun level, the gap between the two sides became even more pronounced.
Due to the bloodline disease afflicting warlocks, they were prone to irritable and volatile temperaments, which had earned them the enmity of many Wizards. Combined with the fact that many bloodline experiments involved forbidden practices, this further inflamed the dissatisfaction of numerous Wizards.
Thus, once warlocks fell into decline, they were immediately met with a united boycott from the Wizards.
On the South Coast, in the Dark Polar Region—the original warlock traditions perished under precisely these circumstances.
The Central Continent fared somewhat better. Just as the numerous warlocks were being forced into a desperate last stand, the reopening of the Astral Gate immediately introduced new blood into the warlock community.
In ancient times, the glory of warlocks had also been supported by bloodlines from numerous other worlds.
And now, although they had not fully recovered their former splendor, several warlocks had successfully advanced to Fifth level Radiant Moon, preserving the warlock lineage.
This city of
Even this core area consisted of ancient architecture passed down from the primordial era—unmodified, bearing the traces of countless transformations through the ages.
"The glory and efforts of these bloodline ancestors are truly worthy of our learning and reverence..."
Leilin praised from the depths of his heart.
If not for the persistence of these high-level warlocks from before, the entire warlock tradition would likely have been extinguished, and the circumstances he now faced would have been tens of thousands of times harsher than they currently were.
Therefore, Leilin's gratitude toward these people was utterly genuine.
Click! Click! Click!
During their conversation, three stone slabs slowly descended into depressions in the plaza before an ancient castle, fitting snugly into place without the slightest gap.
"This is the entire power core of Kreweir—the Fortress of Blood!"
Leilin couldn't help but examine this ancient fortress. Its black walls were mottled with patches of light and shadow, exuding an aura of antiquity. Although its exterior was quite rundown—even inferior to his previous Black Castle—the powerful energy fluctuations and weight of history within it were something his Black Castle could never possess.
"Haha... Welcome, welcome! Lord Leilin! We've been waiting for you for quite some time!"
Standing before the castle gates was a middle-aged Western man with platinum-white hair who had been waiting for some time. Upon seeing Leilin, his eyes lit up and he immediately stepped forward to greet him, clasping both of Leilin's hands.
His palms were broad and thick, radiating intense warmth, and filled with formidable power—like currents of water beneath a sheet of ice, profound and powerful, yet deeply concealed. The icy barrier prevented any of it from leaking through.
Most notably, his eyes—bright as stars yet clear as spring water—carried an intimate warmth that even moved Leilin slightly.
"Could it be that he's genuinely welcoming me? On our very first meeting?"
Leilin's face showed a touched smile, but inwardly he was somewhat shocked. Even as a fellow Morning Star warlock, this level of enthusiasm on a first meeting was rather excessive.
With this thought, he secretly commanded his Chip: "Scan!"
Now empowered with Soul Power, the Chip's scanning capabilities had become even more outstanding. Even Morning Star-level warlocks could have some information captured.
Under the Chip's scan, the figure opposite immediately formed a three-dimensional holographic image projected before Leilin, with voluminous data refreshing continuously beside it.
Sure enough, even a Morning Star warlock could not detect the Chip's fluctuations. Seeing this, Leilin relaxed completely.
"Target identified as Morning Star warlock! Elemental Affinity assessed as—Illusion System!"
The Chip's first conclusion gave Leilin some initial deductions.
"Ding! Wave-like power detected! Assessed as passive illusion disposition—an Illusion Field automatically forms around the body, inducing favorable feelings in creatures within a certain range!"
"As expected! An illusion ability inherent to the bloodline? An illusion that can affect even Morning Stars is truly terrifying..."
Leilin remained vigilant in his heart, but on his face he wore the most radiant of smiles, as though his fondness toward this large man had increased greatly.
Seeing this exchange, Paul and Philip glanced at each other, both revealing a knowing smile.
This large man had inherited the bloodline of the ancient Crystal Phantom Scorpion—his illusion abilities were terrifyingly powerful, and even Radiant Moon Wizards had records of being affected by his illusions.
Moreover, he had not yet fully unleashed his power. This was merely his passive illusion radiation in its normal state. Even if Leilin had detected it, there would be an excuse.
Manipulating a Morning Star warlock through illusion was impossible, but subtly planting suggestions in the other's mind to unconsciously incline him toward their side was entirely feasible.
With this thought, the smiles on Paul and Philip's faces grew even wider.
For a young warlock, this served as both a test for entering the inner circle and a check on loyalty. Under the Wizards' persecution, these Morning Star warlocks had become rather overcautious.
"I am Leilin! Leilin Farell, it is my great honor to meet you, my lord!"
Leilin sneered inwardly, but his expression was exceptionally sincere as he performed a nobleman's bow.
"Haha! We are all bloodline brothers—you may call me Aronne..."
Aronne conversed warmly with Leilin, secretly giving Paul a reassuring look. After receiving this confirmation, Paul and Philip finally relaxed completely.
"We've been waiting for just you three to complete our gathering! Come quickly!"
Aronne stood by the door and extended the invitation, and Leilin with Paul and the other two immediately walked inside.
Pop! As if passing through an invisible membrane of water, upon entering the ancient castle, Leilin immediately felt the bloodline within him surging with joy, as though he had arrived in an extraordinarily comfortable place. His body relaxed involuntarily.
"This place..." An expression of wonder crossed his face. This kind of place was simply a paradise for Bloodline Warlocks.
"Surprised, aren't you?" Aronne introduced with some pride. "Within the Ancient Blood Castle, any warlock's bloodline will resonate and be amplified—even increasing the growth rate of one's own bloodline..."
Needless to say, Leilin immediately understood the tremendous effect such a place could have on the cultivation of low-level warlocks. It was practically a divine artifact capable of halving their advancement time!
The Blood Castle was vast, yet inside there were no attendants or servants of any kind, making it feel quite empty. At most, there were a few puppets and Shadow Servants, which mildly surprised Leilin.
"Come! Let us welcome our new companion! Lord Leilin Farell, from the Ring of the Ouroboros!"
Aronne led Leilin and Paul's group to the deepest part of the castle, opened an enormous golden gateway, and loudly introduced him to the众多 warlocks within.
Oh! Welcome, welcome!"
"Come! A toast!"
Behind the great golden doors was a magnificent ballroom. Enormous crystal chandeliers hung from the entire ceiling, adorned everywhere with brilliant gemstones that cast kaleidoscopic, radiant light.
In the ballroom, numerous warlocks had separated into several small circles, conversing in low voices. Occasionally, a few would step forward to take the lead in dancing.
Several instrument masters who had been converted into undead servants sat in corners, playing elegant and noble melodies.
When Aronne interrupted this scene, a brief silence fell over the ballroom. Then the gazes of all the warlocks converged upon them simultaneously, cheering in celebration of their newest companion.
Leilin's scalp tingled for an instant, then relaxed.
"So many Morning Star warlocks—almost surpassing the total I've previously seen combined. It seems there really is a correlation between strength and the circles one can enter..."
Leilin returned their greetings from time to time, and as he observed the sheer number of warlocks—nearly exceeding the total number of Morning Stars he had seen before—he couldn't help but marvel inwardly.
Any warlock who had advanced to the Morning Star stage必 had a bloodline origin that surpassed the Morning Star threshold—an ancient creature whose features had even manifested physically on the warlock himself.
Leilin carefully distinguished the chaotic yet powerful bloodline auras throughout the hall.
"Savage Rhino, Water Monkey, Ancient Chicken Dragon—there are too many... and many completely unfamiliar bloodline powers, presumably from Morning Star creatures of other worlds!"
Leilin was secretly astonished as his gaze politely swept the room.
Like the other warlocks, those who had advanced to Morning Star were predominantly handsome men and beautiful women. Even the Morning Star bloodline features manifested on their bodies had no negative impact on their appearance, instead adding a sense of natural power.
"Come, Leilin, let's go sit over there! We need to discuss the matter regarding the Thunder of Jupiter!"
After Paul led Leilin around to greet each circle, he pulled Leilin toward a spot near the corner.
Aronne had long since taken his leave. There, numerous long sofas were arranged in a circle, with several high-level warlocks radiating terrifying energy seated around them.
These warlocks had very distinct physical characteristics. Two had octopus-like heads—they were clearly warlocks of the Psychic Circle as well.
Besides them, there was a thin old man and a young girl, both bearing the features of the ancient Wind Wolf.