"We naturally hope that your side will ally with us, jointly opposing the Thunder of Jupiter…"
Philip was the first to speak: "With the Duke's current standing, he can absolutely represent the entire Ouroboros Ring!"
"Ah… I need to think about it… After all, there are quite a few of my senior brothers and sisters here who need to be placated…"
Whenever it came to serious matters, Leilin always seemed to shrink back.
Paul cursed inwardly at Philip for running his mouth too quickly, and at Leilin for refusing to budge without seeing benefits, but outwardly could only force a smile. It was no easy feat to wring an expression of amusement onto an octopus-like face.
"Lord Leilin, perhaps you are not yet aware? Among us Morning Star Warlocks, a fixed gathering is organized at regular intervals. Everyone exchanges experiences, and sometimes trade fairs are held…"
"And this gathering only admits bloodline warlocks — Morning Star-level warlocks at that — and even requires a personal guarantee from a sponsor. Several elders from both the Psionic Ring and the Wind Wolf Den will also be in attendance. How about we continue our discussion there?"
"A gathering?" A salon-level gathering of Morning Star warlocks held considerable appeal for Leilin.
Besides, he was not particularly worried that his abrupt departure would bring any calamity upon the Ouroboros Ring.
Bluntly speaking, the Ouroboros Ring's survival now rested entirely on his shoulders. As long as he remained unharmed, the place would be impregnable even if left completely unguarded. But the moment something happened to him, the allied forces would almost certainly flatten the place in an instant.
Therefore, keeping himself mobile and off the enemy's radar actually exerted far greater pressure on them than remaining stationed at headquarters.
At the thought, Leilin agreed: "Very well. Please be sure to notify me when the time comes!"
"I'm sure our colleagues will be eager to meet this rising star of yours!" Seeing Leilin agree, Paul let out a long, silent sigh of relief and said with a smile.
It seemed this gathering was essentially a small circle for bloodline warlocks to exchange ideas among themselves.
Leilin observed his expression and quietly nodded to himself, growing more intrigued by the gathering.
With all business concluded, Paul and Philip had no reason to linger any longer and took their leave.
From their hurried manner, it was clear that both the Psionic Ring and the Wind Wolf Den were under considerable strain lately. As key combatants and deterrents, they likely would not have been able to carve out the time for this trip had it not been for Leilin's advancement ceremony.
"My Lord, we've struck it rich!"
Inside the parlor, Pike's eyes gleamed as he stared at the ledger in his hands: "The gifts from other factions alone are worth dozens of territories combined…"
"Of course. A Morning Star advancement ceremony happens only once, and this is the best opportunity for the major powers to build goodwill…"
Though Leilin's surface remained as calm as still water, inwardly he was elated — he simply kept it in check. At the same time, he gained an ever deeper understanding of the transcendent status that Morning Star Wizards held across the Central Continent.
The destructive power of a Morning Star's ultimate technique was simply too overwhelming. Once a Morning Star Wizard had nothing left to hold back and unleashed their full might, the very geography of the entire Central Continent could be ravaged. Such losses would make even Brilliant Moon or even Radiance Sun-level wizards ache.
Therefore, whenever a new Morning Star advanced, reaching out in advance to cultivate a favorable relationship had always been standard practice among the great powers.
"The moment one steps into this tier, everything truly changes…"
Leilin sighed inwardly, but the light in his eyes burned even more fiercely: "Then what would the scenery beyond the Radiant Moon—and even the Dawn Sun Throne—look like?"
For him, tier four was far from the finish line. His goal had always been to climb higher peaks. Even the bloodline shackles—a problem that had plagued bloodline warlocks for years—were nothing in his eyes.
Of course, one could afford to disregard an opponent strategically, but on a tactical level, attention was still required. So after dismissing Pike and ordering him to store all the gifts in the vault and hand over any important items directly, Leilin returned to his laboratory.
Now he was the supreme elder of the Ouroboros Ring, entitled to mobilize any resource at his disposal. The laboratory he occupied was the finest one available—previously reserved for the exclusive use of Gilbert and two others, but now all his to enjoy.
More than that, the entire stockpile of the Ouroboros Ring was open to him. The accumulated wealth of such a massive organization, built up over thousands of years, was enough to make Leilin's eyes red with excitement.
He wasted no time, immediately stashing a pile of Astral Stones into his spatial pouch.
Although the family of Oakheart had already agreed to help him build an Astral Gate, the more Astral Stones he had in reserve, the better. After all, the energy required to traverse other worlds still depended largely on Astral Stones for power, which was precisely why their value remained so exorbitantly high—regardless of the era, they were precious strategic resources.
"Ding! Identity confirmed! Grand Duke Leilin Farell! Welcome!"
After passing through the rigorous aura-detection device at the entrance and undergoing a series of successive decontamination procedures, Leilin finally stood inside a laboratory that appeared to be constructed entirely of crystal.