"The time has come — the inauguration ceremony begins!"
Pike, dressed in the MC's attire with his hair combed to perfection, raised his voice high, barely concealing the excitement within.
His earlier investments had yielded the richest returns at this very moment. Leilin's rate of advancement had far surpassed his expectations, leaving him feeling as though he were in a dream.
Music and fanfare resounded as Leilin entered the venue wearing a magical artifact robe and a golden crown, stepping over flower petals scattered across the ground.
At the same time, a terrifying pressure — like that of some primordial colossal beast — slowly radiated from his body. Through his eyes, one could even glimpse the phantom of an enormous black serpent tens of thousands of meters long, stretching across the void.
Morning Star! Genuine Morning Star power forced the numerous wizards and warlocks to bow their heads in humble greeting. A few emissaries wore dark expressions, but Leilin's aura compelled them to pay their respects despite themselves, their faces flushed red.
"By regulation, any Morning Star Warlock of the Ouroboros Circle shall automatically be granted the rank of Duke upon advancement! Congratulations, Duke Farell!"
Faisal stepped forward and respectfully presented Leilin with a snake-shaped scepter embedded with black diamonds, holding it with both hands.
Leilin accepted it with ease and raised it in acknowledgment.
All the bloodline warlocks bowed respectfully in unison: "Greetings to His Grace, Duke Leilin!"
This was the tradition of the Ouroboros Circle. Many wizard organizations had similar rules, but having Faisal perform the rite signified that Leilin had completely subdued the internal forces of the Ouroboros Circle. Upon seeing this, the eyes of many emissaries from various factions flickered with contemplation.
"The tribute ceremony begins!" Once Leilin had taken his seat, Pike called out again in a loud voice.
"Emissary of the Nature's Forest — Louis pays respects to Duke Leilin!" An elderly man in a red ceremonial robe was the first to step forward and bow.
"Your lordship's advancement to Morning Star is a grand occasion for the entire Central Continent. This is a gift from my master!"
The attendant standing behind him immediately lifted the cloth covering the tray, revealing a stone that shimmered with starlight.
"An Astral Stone!" "Such a large Astral Stone — truly rare!" "The Nature's Forest has really gone all out this time!"
Murmurs of discussion rippled through the surrounding crowd.
Leilin nodded with a smile, clearly very satisfied. Opportunities to receive gifts for free were always welcome.
"I have only just advanced to Morning Star and do have great need for Astral Stones. Please thank your master on my behalf!"
Leilin expressed his pleasure, and the emissary's face lit up with joy. After bowing once more, he withdrew.
"Your Grace! I am an emissary of the Feile Family, presenting to you a personal airship crafted specifically for you — the Giant Serpent!"
Another emissary stepped forward and showed Leilin a control core. At its center, one could see the holographic projection of a private airship — its sleek hull and flowing aesthetic were displayed in full detail through the shimmering image.
"My thanks!" Leilin nodded.
The Feile Family controlled the entire airship network from behind the scenes, backed by the Sky Throne. Gifting a private airship to each newly advanced Morning Star was their tradition. Thus Leilin said, "My regards to Patriarch Feile, and to the Sky Throne for their goodwill…"
Seeing that Leilin understood the implication, the emissary bowed respectfully and withdrew. Immediately, another emissary came forward…
The etiquette was extremely tedious, but Leilin had to receive each one individually, extending his goodwill. This was of great benefit to the current Ouroboros Circle.
Leilin maintained a warm, enthusiastic smile throughout, conversing with the numerous emissaries without a trace of impatience on his face.
At this moment, a wizard wearing a silver-grey robe with brown hair walked forward. Remarkably, he radiated the unmistakable fluctuations of a Morning Star Wizard — and made no effort to suppress them. Such behavior was quite discourteous toward Leilin.
"The visitor bears ill intent." Leilin narrowed his eyes slightly, fixing his gaze on the wizard.
"Klings of the Thunder of Jupiter, I greet you!" Klings straightened his back and looked Leilin directly in the eye, showing not a shred of fear.
"This Klings is considered fairly strong even among the Thunder of Jupiter — they're probing Leilin's limits…"
Nearby, Paul held his wine glass and smiled at Philip.
"Klings's strength is nothing Ganlier can compare to. Should we lend a hand?" Philip cracked his knuckles, a fervent gleam in his eyes.
"No need! This Duke Leilin is quite formidable — don't you dare underestimate him!" A hint of amusement surfaced in Paul's dead-fish eyes.
The atmosphere in the hall seemed to shift. The emissaries watched with gleaming eyes as the two Morning Star Wizards faced off.
Since this was a celebration, neither Leilin nor Klings went too far. On the surface, they merely gazed at each other — but in reality, a far more dangerous clash of spiritual domains had already begun without anyone noticing.
After several minutes, the confident expression on Klings's face gradually faded, and beads of sweat began to appear.