If on his last trip to the Eastern Domain Capital, Leilin had encountered that kind of dark beast tide from beyond the domain the entire way, the journey wouldn't have been nearly so peaceful.
Even if Leilin could have survived in the end, Villin, Jenny, and Jemos would surely have died in the mouths of the dark beasts.
Clearly, in a place like the Icy Cavern where dark beasts congregated, most of them still loathed light. The moment they spotted any illumination, they would attack relentlessly to the death!
"Even I would have to spend a great deal of time and magic power to deal with such a massive swarm of Sun-chasing Bats. It's just not worth it…"
Leilin sighed.
When the bat swarm had been rampant earlier, he had cast a concealment spell on himself, so naturally the Sun-chasing Bats hadn't detected him or drawn their attack.
After running his experiment, Leilin had made his decision.
"Dark Vision!" He immediately cast the spell on himself.
For many underground wizards, this was an essential spell. Through it, they could see in darkness as clearly as in daylight, without emitting any outward light that might attract the attacks of dark beasts.
"Chip! Bring up the map from earlier!"
Once that was done, Leilin immediately called out in his mind.
Moments later, a three-dimensional holographic image appeared before Leilin's eyes.
This was a model generated by the Chip based on the map Xiling had provided, which it had further refined and processed.
Moreover, near Leilin's current position, several red dots representing high-energy biological activity were constantly shifting—far more precise and reliable than a static map.
And in this complex labyrinthine cavern, Leilin, with the Chip, held an overwhelming advantage. At the very least, with the Chip's records, he would never lose his way!
The Icy Cavern was profoundly disorienting. Every year within the academies, there were apprentices—even wizards—who became thoroughly lost inside. According to the speculation of senior wizards, they were either lured deeper underground or simply devoured by the dark beasts.
"Mark out the activity zone of the Ice Jade Scorpions and the optimal route forward!"
Leilin issued another command.
Immediately, a red line appeared on the three-dimensional map, extending from Leilin's current position deeper and deeper into the Icy Cavern, marking several landmark terrain features along the way.
"Let's go!"
Leilin glanced around and vanished into an ice tunnel.
Inside the fortress, in a hidden room.
Siegfried peered through a crystal ball, watching the scene of Xiling sending Leilin into the Icy Cavern, his face so dark it seemed ready to drip ink.
"Xiling! That wretch—does she think that having latched onto a peak First-level Wizard as a patron means I won't dare touch her?"
The muscles on Siegfried's face twisted subtly. He stared at Xiling's graceful figure in the image, his expression brimming with avarice and feverish desire.
"You belong to me. I will have you! I'll make you the most beautiful piece in my collection!"
A sickly moan escaped Siegfried's lips.
"Well? Have you thought it over?" At that moment, from the corner of the room, a mass of black fog suddenly rose. The fog twisted and writhed, gradually taking on a vaguely human shape, though its features remained indistinct.
"Your plan has a serious problem. Xiling has recruited a peak First-level Wizard into Nature's Alliance. Our original scheme is completely foiled…"
Before outsiders, Siegfried put away his expression, his face turning cold.
"Peak First-level?!" came an exclamation from within the black fog. "Is the information accurate? How could a peak First-level Wizard willingly remain in some minor academy?"
"How should I know?" Siegfried's expression darkened again. Being scared off by Leilin before had been an absolute humiliation in his life.
"But he was able to effortlessly repel my energy particle halo. His spiritual elementalization has clearly reached an extremely high level. Even if he's not quite at the peak, he can't be far off…I have no idea what that little harlot Xiling used to lure him…"
The moment Siegfried mentioned Xiling, his mood soured once more, tinged with a vague sense of loss and resentment—as if something delicious that belonged to him had been snatched away by someone else.
"Heh heh! Peak First-level! That is somewhat troublesome, but you should also trust the academy behind me. Even a peak-level Wizard cannot possibly obstruct our plans!"
The figure in the black fog seemed utterly confident.
"And how exactly do you plan to handle him? A peak First-level Wizard isn't so easily dealt with. Besides, a battle between two peak-level Wizards during peacetime would cause enormous repercussions. Aren't you afraid of being exposed?" A look of curiosity appeared on Siegfried's face.
"Heh heh! Within our organization, peak First-level wizards are not unheard of. Besides, haven't you forgotten? There's a perfect opportunity coming up soon—one that they'll be forced to accept!"