"I had read the descriptions in texts long ago, but the splendor at the edge of the world — how could mere pictures and words ever do it justice..."
Leilin Farell sighed softly. At this moment, he stood in a strange space surrounded by vast darkness, with countless silver spatial currents streaking past. In the distance, nebulae and star-like spheres of light drifted — as boundless and magnificent as the great universe of his previous life.
Opposite him, Ganlier wore a dark expression. Fine spatial turbulence struck against him but was blocked by a layer of soul force, leaving him entirely unscathed.
Morning Star Wizards inherently possessed the ability to survive within spatial rifts — this was precisely what allowed them to traverse between worlds!
Of course, that depended on the level of the spatial rift.
The area Leilin had chosen was at the edge of the Wizard World, where spatial storms were relatively stable and the minor spatial turbulence could be fended off with one's own soul force.
But if it were the kind of violent spatial turbulence from the ancient wars — the gap between two worlds, where spatial storms raged uncontrollably — forget Morning Star Wizards, even Radiant Moon Wizards who ventured there would be ground to dust. The Scorpion King from the Ice World had perished in just that way.
Since the destructive power of Morning Star ultimate techniques was far too widespread — a battle between two Morning Star Wizards could shatter an entire continent — any grudge that needed settling between them would only be resolved in a place like this, within a spatial rift.
No matter how much destruction they wreaked, it would not affect the stability of the main world.
The battle this time was taking place near the Phosphor Marshes — headquarters of the Ouroboros Circle. If they actually fought there, regardless of who won, Furui, Pike, and the others would certainly all perish. It was even questionable whether the Phosphor Marshes themselves would survive at all.
Leilin naturally couldn't allow that, so he had dragged his opponent here of his own initiative.
"You've got some nerve!"
Ganlier's brows shot upward, threads of blue electricity crackling ceaselessly between them — his fury was plainly evident.
Being ambushed by a junior was a tremendous humiliation for him. While he too wouldn't dare risk fighting in the main world and drawing the condemnation of numerous Morning Star Wizards, the battlefield should have been of his own choosing — not one he'd been forcibly dragged into.
"Ganlier! What happened in the Forgotten Land last time — let's settle it all today!"
Leilin's voice was soft but extraordinarily resolute. He had never forgotten the grudge from nearly being crushed to death by this man's hand, and being forced to hide in headquarters for over a century.
Back then, seeking revenge would have been laughable — he simply hadn't been strong enough. But now, it was time to settle the score.
"You still dare to bring that up???"
Ganlier's rage was beyond words. If they hadn't interfered, the resources of the Forgotten Land and the Shifting Sands Secret Realm would all have been his — how would Leilin have ever gotten his hands on them?
Let alone the fact that he'd been cornered together with three other Morning Star Warlocks, driven to the brink with nowhere to turn.
"Your master's debt — you will repay it this time!"
A sharp, cold light flashed through Ganlier's silver pupils, and a black spear materialized in his hand.
At the tip of the spear, the faint wailing of countless demons could be heard — soul-rending and utterly terrifying.
"You've only just advanced to Tier Four — what understanding could you possibly have of Morning Star combat? Accept your fate of defeat!"
Ganlier roared, "Fourth-tier spell — Demon's Wail!"
He hurled the spear from his hand. BOOM! It was as though the primordial age had returned — as if the legendary giant Argan had thrown the Arginus Spear to annihilate the sun and slay the Sun's Child, that nightmare come again!
A savage, surging force descended. The black spear became a bolt of black lightning, scattering even the spatial turbulence, and in an instant it arrived before Leilin.
Driven by a Morning Star Wizard's soul force and powered by a fourth-tier spell template, the resulting effect was devastating enough to feel as if the sky were collapsing and the earth splitting apart!
"The Demon Hunter Ganlier — truly not a reputation without merit!"
Leilin remarked with admiration, "Unfortunately, I'm not as weak as you imagine!"
His preparations for advancing to Morning Star had been no overnight matter. Over that long period, he had acquired several incomplete fourth-tier spell templates, and with the Chip's supplementation and simulation analysis, he had mastered them all to the point of effortless fluency.
Moreover, having obtained a bloodline inheritance and countless memories, when it came to experience in Morning Star-level combat, he had no less than Ganlier — if not more.
"Hsss..."
Behind Leilin, two enormous amber eyes materialized, followed by sleek scales, razor-sharp fangs — the terrifying phantom of the Komoin Giant Serpent erupted into existence.
"By the ancient covenant, let the power of the bloodline serve me and become an unyielding shield..."
Leilin spoke, his voice high and piercing like the hiss of a great serpent as he chanted the tongue-twisting ancient incantation.
Though every syllable could be heard with perfect clarity, Leilin finished the incantation before the spear arrived, completing his spell preparation — giving rise to the uncanny sensation that time itself had been scrambled.
"Bloodline Shield!"
A black shield covered in the image of a fierce Komoin Giant Serpent materialized from the void — as though it had existed since time immemorial — its surface rippling with crimson lightning.
BOOM!