Boom! The dagger was pulled out. The beautiful witch with red hair took the green gemstone necklace from the male witch's hand, her expression blank.
"Password: gklm..."
After a short incantation, a brilliant light flashed over the gemstone necklace. Faintly, within its center, the form of a miniature war beast emerged.
"Stay as far away from here as possible! Initiate self-destruct protocol!"
After issuing this cold command, the necklace in the witch's hand immediately turned to ash. Then, she herself stepped into a layer of emerald-green flames and vanished without a trace...
The allied forces, gathered at the general command center, were thrown into chaos. Some legions had already begun to retreat.
"Very good! Very good! Your Ouroboros Ring's 'Shadow Serpent Division' even managed to infiltrate our command headquarters!"
The central
"How would I know?" Leilin rolled his eyes inwardly. His previous status within the Ouroboros Ring hadn't granted him access to such information, but that didn't stop him from improvising on the spot.
"War knows no bounds when it comes to methods. Now, it's your turn to choose. Given the current state of your allied forces, I suspect you'll descend into chaos without us even having to attack..."
Leilin spoke with absolute confidence, as if that female spy had been his own operative.
Meanwhile, the war beast Kogathu let out guttural cries, abandoning the Twin Serpents of Apocalypse, and charged towards the edge of the battlefield. Its movement triggered widespread tremors, and the allied forces around it were crushed into pulp. As it ran, large chunks of muscle fell from its body—the self-destruct command had taken effect.
Watching this scene, the numerous other powerful presences fell into a silent pause, then immediately began communicating with one another.
Leilin responded with a confident smile.
Now, the opposing side was clearly in a disadvantageous and hesitant position. Moreover, he had just persuaded the previously most stubborn King of Blue Mountain, converting him from an opponent to an ally. This swing meant at least a two-vote advantage, a significant weight in what had been an evenly balanced vote.
Sure enough. After a moment, the great Will emitted a powerful soul fluctuation, communicating with the various allied legions.
Upon receiving the order, the Blue Rain Knights and a large number of other allied warlocks began to withdraw. Only the Demon Warlock Corps and a few smaller, similar organizations like the Hand of Vengeance remained in place, looking bewildered and at a loss.
"This time, you've won!" The voice from the opposing great Will sounded.
"Thank you, everyone! I only need to retain the core territory of the Phosphor Swamp. As for this war, the responsibility must fall upon the City of Sin and the Hand of Vengeance..."
Leilin knew when to stop, giving a slight bow.
By saying this, he aimed to preserve the current balance of power, relinquishing all the territories the other side had encroached upon and refraining from holding any other forces accountable.
Leilin was very clear in his thinking. The former Ouroboros Ring had been able to maintain such vast territory only because it had supported three warlocks. Now, with only him remaining, being able to maintain the current gains was already excellent. Furthermore, with his relatively thin strength at this moment, making enemies of so many Dawn Star-level forces wasn't realistic. He needed to find a few scapegoats to deal with.
The Hand of Vengeance had been a predetermined choice. Adding the City of Sin, which had already lost its Dawn Star protection, was more than sufficient.
"Very good! You've made the correct choice!" The voice of the great Will softened noticeably for the first time.
"I believe that in the coming time, we will become good friends..."
Interactions within the Dawn Star circle were that simple. Once it was discovered that the other party couldn't be completely destroyed, setting aside differences and becoming friendly was a very normal course of action. Perhaps two large factions currently at war could shake hands and make peace the very next day. None of this was unrelated to the Dawn Star wizards above.
If Leilin hadn't burst onto the scene this time, would those hungry wolves have been so easy to talk to? The entire Ouroboros Ring would likely have been devoured, bones and all.
Whoosh, whoosh!
The numerous powerful presences dissipated. Only then did Leilin slowly let out a long breath.
He knew that the crisis facing the Ouroboros Ring—at least for the moment—had been weathered.
"Lord Leilin! Lord Leilin! Lord Leilin!"
Down in the headquarters, the numerous bloodline warlocks, bearing various wounds, watched the allied forces withdraw and couldn't help but cheer loudly. Especially when they looked at Leilin, their gazes were as if they beheld their own deity.
Feisaer watched this scene and could only smile bitterly to himself in his heart.
He knew that from this day forward, the entire Ouroboros Ring would likely fall under the control of that Dawn Star warlock above.
……
"Uh… I… Where am I?"
Fueri moaned softly as she woke up. Looking at the familiar ceiling, her eyes were still a little vacant. Soon, memories flooded back: the fierce battle, flesh and blood flying, the appearance of the Dawn Star wizard, and finally, those gentle eyes.
"The clan head has awakened!" The two pretty maidservants beside her, seeing Fueri regain consciousness, immediately cheered and ran out.
A short while later, Fueri, having tidied her appearance and regained her usual sharp and capable demeanor, sat by the bed. She listened intently to the hurriedly arriving elders and Yulian's account, her small mouth gradually widening.
"So that means… Leilin! Oh no! Lord Leinlin has already advanced to the fourth-level Dawn Star realm?"
Fueri murmured, unsure what feeling filled her heart. It was precisely because she had been spurred by Leilin before that she had gone into secluded cultivation to break through, advancing to the Crystallization stage.
She had thought she had pulled away from him again, but she hadn't expected that Leilin had subsequently demonstrated strength far beyond the Crystallization stage. His breakthrough had even occurred before hers. Now, he had directly broken through the Dawn Star bottleneck, achieving the fourth-level realm that countless wizards from the Central Continent dreamed of. He had even, with overwhelming power, slain the Demon Hunter Ganlier in one move, saving the entire Ouroboros Ring from a perilous situation.
"Is the gap between us already this vast without me even realizing it?"
Fueri's eyes grew hot, on the verge of tears. However, having endured so much over time, she forcibly held them back, letting nothing show on her face.
"Yes! According to Lord Leilin's previous diagnosis, you suffered spiritual power exhaustion and need more rest..."
Yulian looked at Fueri cautiously, exchanging a glance with the numerous family elders. In their hearts, they greatly admired Fueri's previous support for Leilin. Now that he had advanced to Dawn Star and even held the authority to replace the Ouroboros Ring's leadership, he would surely favor their family going forward.
Some elders even stole glances at Fueri. Although the severe injuries had left her face somewhat pale, it couldn't conceal her动人 charm; if anything, it added a touch of pitiable grace. If their clan head could somehow captivate Lord Leilin, wouldn't the family be able to bring in Comoin Giant Snake bloodline at the Dawn Star level?
Just thinking about this made the elders flush red and tremble uncontrollably.
"No need. I want to go see him!"
Fueri took the thick fur coat, wrapped it around herself, and walked out.
A Crystallization warlock's physical constitution was beyond imagination. Just with a brief rest, Fueri's body had recovered significantly, and she had no trouble moving around freely.
Yulian had intended to follow, but was firmly held back by the elders with peculiar smiles on their faces…
The ruling center of the Ouroboros Ring had originally been a triumvirate council formed by the three Dawn Star warlocks. Now, with only Leilin remaining, naturally everything was decided by him.
His office could no longer be at his own manor. Instead, he chose the most opulent hall in the headquarters. Numerous high-ranking warlocks bowed humbly, awaiting the orders of the young wizard seated on the throne.
"The Shadow Serpent Division, the Military Department, the Technology Department, as well as fifty-seven marquises, numerous earls, and viscounts have all sworn allegiance to you, my lord! They are willing to follow your will and acknowledge you as the Supreme Elder of our Ouroboros Ring!"
Feisaer wore an ingratiating smile on his face, like the most loyal of lackeys. His waist bent nearly at a ninety-degree angle as he reported to Leilin.
"Good!" Leilin was currently dressed in a platinum-white robe. Embroidered on it was a fierce image of a black giant snake, shimmering with iridescent light. The totem of the Comoin Giant Snake actually seemed to writhe and move upon the robe's surface. The edges were lined with numerous golden threads stitched into symbols.
This robe alone was a low-grade magical artifact! Dressed in it, Leilin appeared even more dignified and imposing. Sitting upon the throne, he seemed like the center of power in the entire universe, radiating an aura of magnificent nobility.
Looking down at the extremely respectful Feisaer and the other warlocks, the corner of Leilin's mouth lifted in an amused smile. Since the battle ended, these warlocks had immediately submitted to him as their master, treating him with utmost respect.
The strongest in power holds the highest authority—this had always been a truth!
Moreover, with Leilin's current strength and the reputation he'd gained for saving the crisis, even if they hadn't agreed, he could have forced the issue and purged them. In that case, handing over power would have been the least of their concerns. Thus, all these warlocks became exceedingly well-behaved, terrified of giving Leilin any cause for fault.
"Bang!"
After Fueri stepped into the hall, the two rows of warlocks immediately fixed their gazes on her. The immense pressure formed by their collective attention was almost too much for Fueri to bear.
"Blood Serpent Marquis Fueri, greets Lord Leilin!"
Fueri's heart was filled with complicated emotions, but she bowed respectfully.
"Mm! You are all dismissed! Fueri, stay!" Leilin nodded. The two rows of warlocks immediately filed out in formation, and the heavy door closed silently, leaving the space to Leilin and Fueri alone.
"What's wrong?" Leilin descended the steps, looking at Fueri, who appeared stubborn yet also bewildered and fearful. He accurately caught the trace of fear in her eyes.
"You… are truly different now!" Fueri murmured, looking at the young warlock before her who radiated heroic vitality.
From him emanated an aura as calm and unruffled as the vast ocean, yet it simultaneously hinted at something extraordinary. This confirmed that he had truly advanced to that once-unattainable Dawn Star realm, even surpassing her own master. But this powerful version of Leilin filled Fueri with an overwhelming urge to cry.