The very next day, Leilin departed the Academy without delay.
He had already purified his ancient bloodline using the Academy's equipment and resources, and had gathered most of the materials for the Calm Potion as well. He could think of no reason to stay any longer.
Moreover, as time passed, the likelihood of the Lillietel family discovering the truth grew ever higher. Inside the Academy, Leilin would have no way to resist them.
There was another consideration on his mind — what he was about to advance into was a branch of the ancient Wizards: a Bloodline Warlock!!!
This was certain to be different from an ordinary official Wizard. During the advancement, some unusual fluctuations might appear, and if someone like Dean Slye were to detect them, the consequences would undoubtedly be dire.
For safety's sake, it was better to advance somewhere outside.
Before leaving, Leilin carefully scrubbed the laboratory clean of every trace. No matter how thoroughly anyone investigated afterward, they would never discover what he had done inside.
Leilin cast one last look back at the Black Bone Forest Academy.
A premonition stirred in his heart — once he left this time, it might be a very long while before he set foot here again.
By then, the scenery was sure to be quite the sight! A smile tugged at the corner of Leilin's mouth as he urged his steed onward and rode out of the Black Forest.
Grey Stone City was a settlement relatively close to the Black Bone Forest Academy. It had a modest population, and no Wizards or the like resided there.
Ever since leaving the Academy, Leilin had ridden without rest until he reached this city, where he rented a two-story apartment near the city center.
A belt of planted greenery surrounded the apartment, and even in the heart of the city there was a sense of peace and quiet.
Beside the greenery stood a row of small shops. Occasionally, a few mercenaries carrying iron swords or women dressed in revealing attire could be spotted passing by.
Leilin glanced at them idly, then shut the window.
This house was the site he had chosen for his advancement to Warlock. Around the premises, he had laid down defensive magical arrays — ordinary people would absolutely be unable to break in.
Furthermore, a great number of common folk lived in the surrounding area. So long as he did not run into some deranged Dark Wizard, the security here was more than adequate.
Leilin did not harbor illusions that these people could serve as hostages to make an enemy simply let him go, but as long as they gave even slight pause — enough to keep an attacker from deploying wide-scale spells — that would be more than good enough.
Swish! Leilin drew the curtains shut.
The thick hemp fabric completely blocked out the sunlight from outside, while inside the room a faint crimson glow suddenly emerged.
The entire second floor of the house had been emptied by Leilin, and across the floor, a layer of strange runes had been drawn.
The symbols looked twisted and contorted, as though composed of countless tiny serpents, and they continuously radiated a scarlet luminescence.
The light wove between them, faintly forming the shape of a magical array.
And at the very center of the array stood a pitch-black stone platform, its surface scored with countless knife-cut scratches that formed a peculiar pattern.
"The Bloodline Transformation Array! It's finally complete!"
Leilin Farell gently pressed his temple, and a faint blue glow shot from his eyes. "Chip! Scan body data! Display my current status!"
"Ding! Collecting host data!"
The Chip quickly refreshed Leilin's information: "Leilin Farell, Rank Three Apprentice, Official Knight. Strength: 3.1, Agility: 3.3, Constitution: 3.4, Spirit: 15.5, Mana: 15 (mana determined by Spiritual Power synchronization). Status: Comosn Eye Meditation Method in practice, Spiritual Power being purified!"
Back at the Academy, after the Chip had fully analyzed the Comosn Eye Meditation Method, Leilin had begun adjusting his own meditation technique, attempting to practice a high-grade Meditation Method.
The Comosn Eye that Leilin had obtained consisted of three layers in total. Each layer advanced would automatically drive a Warlock's promotion.
And since Leilin had previously possessed no serpent bloodline, he hadn't even fully cultivated the first layer.
But high-grade Meditation Methods truly lived up to their reputation as treasures that major organizations desperately tried to conceal. After cultivating most of the first layer and switching his Meditation Method, Leilin clearly noticed his Spiritual Power beginning to purify.
Many of the impurities in his Spiritual Power, accumulated from heavy potion use, were being expelled during continuous meditation.
Leilin glanced at his Spiritual Power stat. Due to the removal of those earlier impurities, his Spiritual Power had dropped by 0.6 — but it was completely worth it.
The apprentice stage was the foundation of the entire Wizard's path. The more solid the foundation, the farther one could walk in the future.
Because Leilin had previously sought quick results through heavy potion use, a massive amount of potion residue had accumulated in his body, and even his Spiritual Power had been affected, becoming somewhat impure.
If this continued, one day his path forward would be completely blocked.
But under the influence of the Comosn Eye, his Spiritual Power was constantly purifying, developing toward a better state.
However, no matter how hard he tried, without an ancient bloodline, he would never be able to fully cultivate the first layer and officially advance to a Rank One Warlock!
"The standard for a Wizard Apprentice to advance is reaching 15 in Spiritual Power. The requirement for Warlocks is roughly the same as for official Wizards, with the addition of a bloodline requirement!"
Leilin carefully examined the spell array once more.
"Chip! Scan again! Check the Bloodline Transformation Array!"
Immediately, a flood of blue luminescence poured from Leilin's eyes, sweeping the entire array back and forth.
This concerned Leilin's future — no amount of caution could be excessive.
After confirming that everything was prepared with no oversights, Leilin did not rashly attempt to break through his bottleneck.
He sealed off the villa's second floor completely, then first walked to a nearby restaurant and ordered the most lavish meal available, eating his fill.
Afterward, Leilin dressed in ordinary clothes and strolled through Grey Stone City for a while, watching the common folk as they worked, rested, and played, feeling their joys and their sorrows.