"Surround them! Formation Two!"
Under Frey's command, the Blood Snake warlock group firmly trapped the remaining three Crystallization-stage wizards within the magical array.
With Yulian's help — someone who possessed Crystallization-level strength and excelled at ambushes — the three Crystallization wizards in the array were immediately thrown into dire peril.
"Now, it's your turn!"
Seeing that those three wizards had no hope of escape, Leilin looked at Hill and Fein across from him, a brilliant smile appearing on his face.
But at this moment, his smile must have looked more terrifying than a devil's grin in the eyes of the two Crystallization wizards opposite him.
"Hale's Thorns!"
After seeing Leilin's smile and knowing that their opponent would absolutely not let them go, the two immediately struck first.
Almost in the blink of an eye, numerous black thorns materialized and shot out at near-instantaneous speed.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Countless black thorns rained down like a torrential storm.
"Useless!" A layer of fine black scales emerged across Leilin's body, producing a cacophony of clattering sounds as sparks flew in every direction.
The black thorns shattered upon striking his body, accomplishing virtually nothing besides leaving a few pale marks on the dark scales.
Leilin's constitution was already extraordinary, capable of withstanding first and second-level spells head-on. Combined with the defensive enhancement of the Comoin Scales, even a third-level Crystallization wizard's spells would have virtually no effect on him unless they had been extensively prepared in advance.
Amidst the black downpour of thorns, Leilin resembled a primordial beast, charging forward through a hail of sparks.
This savage display immediately intimidated the two wizards opposite him.
"What do we do?! Think of something fast!" Hill shouted at Fein beside him, cold sweat streaming down his forehead.
He knew all too well how terrifying his spells were, yet his opponent had deflected them with nothing more than a layer of scales. Just what level had his opponent's body reached?
Perhaps only those legendary Morning Star wizards, with their bodies transformed by the power of the soul, could compare?
"Earthen Prison!" Meanwhile, Fein wasn't idle either. Numerous earth-yellow crystals materialized around his body, and long, arcane syllables tumbled from his lips.
When he finished his incantation, the ground trembled, the soil cracked, and a glistening crystalline structure was revealed beneath.
A cage brilliant as gemstones crashed down, enveloping Leilin within.
"Spirits of the earth! Heed my command — bury him utterly in the abyss..."
A flash of elation crossed Fein's face before he cast even more spells. Earth-yellow radiance flickered as massive quantities of rock and soil formed into even larger boulders, piling atop the cage. The ground itself split open, threatening to drag the entire prison deep underground.
"Well done! Fein!" Hill cried out excitedly from the side, only to immediately notice his companion's strained expression.
"Careful! He's struggling inside — I can barely hold it!"
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Accompanied by terrifying, thunderous impacts, mounds of earth heaved upward, forming massive cracks.
The cracks merged together, chunks of shattered rock tumbling free, as though whatever horrifying creature was imprisoned within was using sheer brute force to warp the entire cage out of shape.
With each heavy blow, Fein's face grew paler, as though he himself were taking a punch to the gut. By the final moments, he was vomiting mouthfuls of blood, his complexion deathly white.
"Seal... seal him!" Blood pouring from the corners of his mouth, Fein forced out the words.
Rumble! Accompanied by earth-shaking upheaval, the enormous stone cage was finally dragged into the fissure just before it could shatter completely, and the ground slowly closed over it.
"Excellent!" Hill cheered, his heart — which had been held in suspense the entire time — finally releasing.
At that moment, he saw Fein collapse unconscious, as though he had exhausted every last shred of his energy.
"Rest easy, partner. I'll get you out of here right now!"
Hill's eyes flickered with various lights as he looked toward several dark figures within the Blood Snake warlock group nearby. Gritting his teeth, he prepared to retreat first.
"My lord?"
Yulian looked toward the spot where Leilin had been buried. "Shouldn't we go help?"
"Relax! That fellow would never back himself into a corner. He's definitely got a trump card!"
Frey rolled her eyes. "Why are you suddenly speaking up for the other side? Just moments ago you were all for settling things peacefully!"
*That was before I knew the guy was a freak,* Yulian thought privately, not daring to let it show on his face.
"Since Lord Leilin has revealed his talent, he'll likely become a rising star within our organization from now on — his status will be nothing like before..."
The supreme authority of the Ring of the Ouroboros rested in the hands of the three Morning Star warlocks on the Council of Elders. Below them came a host of bloodline marquises and nobles, dividing the power among themselves.
But Yulian knew that above these bloodline marquises, there was actually another special group!