Boom!
Dark flames erupted directly from the devil's arm, and countless blade-like edges materialized.
It was clear that this devil wizard leader had already exhausted every means at his disposal.
Unfortunately, neither the flames nor the blades could leave even a scratch on Leilin's pristine white palm. The flames sputtered out shortly after erupting.
"M-Morning…"
The leader's teeth began to chatter. He could feel things spiraling in a very bad direction — it was entirely possible the entire allied army's plans would be disrupted.
"Master! Save me!!!" In this critical moment between life and death, he immediately cried out to his master for help.
"Looking for him? Too late!" Leilin shook his head, and a black light blade swept past.
Crack! This terrifying wizard — unfathomably powerful even among the Crystallization rank, who had even grafted a devil's arm onto himself — was cut clean in two with a single stroke.
Whether it was innate defenses or the effects of magical artifacts, they were all like air before the black light blade, offering absolutely no resistance.
Even in the moment of death, bewilderment still lingered on his face.
"Hm?" With his top subordinate killed, Ganlier naturally reacted. Once he saw the situation clearly, a look of utter disbelief surfaced on his face.
"Leilin!"
"That's me!" Leilin handed Freya over to a subordinate for care, then rose into the air, meeting Ganlier's gaze without the slightest backing down.
Boom! Like an ancient beast awakening, a strange and powerful field surged up from Leilin's body, rapidly canceling out Ganlier's Morning Star domain.
The warlocks of the Ouroboros Ring immediately rejoiced as they felt as though a crushing weight had been lifted from their bodies. Their previously sluggish spiritual power instantly returned to normal.
"You've already advanced to Morning Star!"
Ganlier practically ground those words out through clenched teeth.
"Of course!" Leilin smiled brilliantly.
With those words spoken, the entire arena was stunned!
…
Time rewound to earlier.
"With Freya having Pike and Tanasha with her, there's nothing to worry about there!"
Leilin wore a loose black robe as he activated the final spell. The mechanical door descended, followed by layer upon layer of seals.
Luminous runes crawled densely across the iron door. Leilin had applied every defensive magical array he knew, and with the Chip's combined calculations, even a Morning Star wizard would need considerable time to force their way in.
On the walls of the secret chamber, runes covered every surface to isolate all traces of aura, achieving the utmost in concealment that was currently possible.
There was no other choice. This concerned his advancement to Morning Star, and Leilin could not afford even the slightest carelessness.
This was not his estate at headquarters, but rather the basement of a pavilion he had secretly purchased. The entire process had been handled by him alone, with no visible connection to Leilin on the surface.
At his own estate, he had also set up an identical defensive magical array to create the illusion that he was still there.
The more critical the situation, the more cautious Leilin became. He didn't even fully trust several of his own subordinates.
"As long as I break through this barrier, the world would be wide open…"
Leilin let out a soft sigh, as if expelling all emotion from his body. His gaze turned crystal clear, and his entire being settled into perfect calm.
He sat cross-legged on the ground, and several items materialized in his hands.
A milky-white bone segment with fine cracks running across it, a vial of golden blood radiating terrifying energy fluctuations, and a large pile of miscellaneous spiritual power crystals. Most of these crystals were spoils from his victories, with a portion being gifts from Freya and items from his own collection.
"The path to Morning Star is vast and long. Many Crystallization wizards never even get the chance to touch this threshold in their entire lives…"
Leilin's expression was solemn.
He had only recently advanced to Crystallization, and was already thinking about breaking through to Morning Star. For any ordinary wizard, this would be nothing but a dream!
But he was different. The cards he held and the depth of his resources were such that even some Morning Star wizards could not compare.