Leilin had chosen this location as his battlefield for two reasons: first, he was confident in his own control, and second, he didn't want to wander too far. If the ruins appeared while he was absent, he wouldn't know in time — that would be far too tragic.
There was also one more proposition that had piqued his interest, which he intended to test out while he was at it.
Across from him, the ocean giant Seibel clearly interpreted Leilin's attitude as a provocation.
He fixed Leilin with a deep stare, and a vast domain power radiated outward from his body.
Only after ascending to the Morning Star rank would a domain's power be fully realized, achieving terrifying amplification and suppression effects, with a range of influence far surpassing anything comparable to the pseudo-domains of the Tier Three stage.
Turbulent! Vast! Boundless!
White surf and azure ocean surface instantly combined into a horrifying scene, as though ten thousand acres of sea had risen in fury together.
Even deep beneath the ocean, the violent waves had already turned the water faintly black, giving off a deeply ominous impression.
"This is my domain — the Ocean!"
Massive waves crashed over and engulfed Seibel, his entire body hidden beneath the churning surf, yet his voice transmitted through it all without the slightest distortion.
In what seemed like a single instant, the ocean had swallowed this entire region whole. Whether it was the towering mountains from before or the ravaging traces of Philip's spells, everything had vanished without a trace.
Only the vast blue ocean remained, pouring its fury upon Leilin!
"A true Morning Star domain… governed by Water Elemental Laws!" A flicker of pale blue light passed through Leilin's eyes as his Chip recorded all the data and domain field fluctuations.
Within the ocean, Seibel's aura immediately surged to an explosive degree, making Leilin raise an eyebrow slightly.
"So you're of the Sea Race. No wonder you chose to construct this kind of domain. Changing the battlefield!" Leilin's voice was soft, yet it somehow carried unnaturally down beneath the fathomless ocean. He received no response from Seibel.
The Sea Race — naturally, they were another non-human race. But like humans, they were native inhabitants of the
Along the South Coast, tales and records had long circulated of the Scarlet Grand Wizard leading all the wizards to repel the menace rising from the depths of the sea.
Among the Sea Race, there were naturally wizards as well, but those who had ascended to Morning Star were exceedingly rare — even rarer, proportionally, than among humans.
To encounter a Morning Star–level Sea Race member here — and one who belonged to Jupiter's Thunder at that — did startle Leilin. But after a moment, he came to understand.
Although Jupiter's Thunder boasted a Radiant Moon Wizard among its ranks and stood as one of the foremost powers across the entire Central Continent, cultivating a Morning Star wizard was still an enormously difficult undertaking.
At the bottleneck of ascending to Morning Star, it was no longer simply a contest of resources and accumulated heritage. Luck played an equally vital role.
And given the transcendent status of Morning Star Wizards across the Central Continent, building up a roster of ten or more — as Jupiter's Thunder had done — clearly could not be accomplished through internal cultivation alone. Recruiting and welcoming outside wizards was a crucial component.
The earlier Bowhunter, and now this ocean giant — neither had possessed a particularly pure aura. Leilin had been somewhat puzzled at the time, but now it made sense. They were all non-human or half-blooded wizards!
Crash! Crash!
Massive waves surged upward, lifting tens of thousands of tons of seawater into the air. The water then compressed and crystallized into dark-blue crystal formations, shaping themselves into two enormous hands that reached for Leilin!
The wind pressure alone generated shear currents that could slice through space itself, causing the spatial fabric of the entire region to shudder and destabilize.
"叮! Ocean domain data has been fully recorded." At that moment, the Chip's mechanical voice chimed in, and a faint smile appeared on Leilin's lips.
"Corrode!" He softly uttered an ancient Byronic rune.
Hiss! Hiss! Black spots instantly appeared across the surface of the dark-blue hands, then ate downward with terrifying speed. In barely a single instant, the colossal ocean arms had been corroded into something resembling a honeycomb, riddled with holes.
Crack! Crack! The structurally compromised giant hands could no longer hold together. They snapped apart in midair and plummeted, rapidly dissolving into countless droplets that merged back into the sea.
"By the glory of the Warlock — bloodline is my power!"
Leilin's voice rose in what seemed half-chant, half-declaration, as a ring of crimson light erupted violently from his body.
"Bloodline Siphon!" Red lightning flashed through his eyes, seeming to cleave through the deep darkness of the ocean and render everything within utterly exposed. At the same time, he thrust his right hand forward and clawed savagely at a particular point beneath the waves!
Whoosh! An invisible current of attractive force materialized, and a massive whirlpool immediately appeared in the sea.
"Awoo…" From within the vortex, faint sounds of rage and muffled pain drifted upward.
"Any creature possessing a bloodline falls under my blood manipulation. Come out!" Leilin said calmly. The crimson radiance around his hand surged violently, and then he yanked upward with a single arm!
Boom! Countless tons of seawater erupted skyward before cascading down like a torrential downpour, resembling an enormous geyser.
And at the center of the whirlpool, a colossal blue figure gradually surfaced.
Countless blood vessels bulged beneath the ocean giant's blue skin, something writhing within them as though trying to break free, crawling across his entire body like earthworms — a sight that sent chills down the spine.
Hiss!! Hiss!! Hiss!!
Numerous bolts of crimson lightning swept across his body, making the giant roar in defiance, yet he was forcibly dragged up from the ocean surface.
"Multi-Armed Might!!" A sharp gleam flashed in Leilin's eyes, and behind him, the spectral image of a towering Multi-Armed being materialized.
Compared to before, the phantom behind him was now far more solid — every scale, every pore on its body visible in crisp detail.
This secret technique from an alternate world, even after ascending to Morning Star, continued to exert formidable power.
Moreover, Leilin could sense that his body — already nourished by spiritual power — had been further tempered by Multi-Armed Might. Not only would he reach the realm of a Perfect Morning Star Body faster than any other newly ascended Morning Star, but his physical strength would far exceed theirs as well!
"Urrgh…" As Leilin drove his fist forward, the Multi-Armed phantom behind him mirrored the action.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Each arm of the phantom was nearly as large as Seibel's entire body. When all six arms hammered down together, it was like six mountains crashing from the sky.
Seibel crossed both arms before him, seawater coalescing into a powerful, resilient shield layered with rebounding force — but the massive Multi-Armed arms smashed through it all.
Bang! Seibel's entire body rocketed backward like a launched bomb.
As he flew back, a streak of pale blue luminescence suddenly shot from his pores and condensed into a sphere the size of a thumb, which landed in Leilin's hand.
"Morning Star–level ocean giant bloodline."
Leilin nodded, produced a vial, and stored the bloodline essence away. This was a precious specimen for bloodline experiments — one that could fetch a high price even within Morning Star trading circles.
"You're not an ordinary Morning Star. Who exactly are you?"
By now, the ocean giant Seibel had recovered. His expression was grave beyond measure as he stared at Leilin. Morning Star wizards possessed staggering defensive and regenerative capabilities; the injuries from moments ago were merely trivial to him. But Leilin appeared completely at ease, clearly having held back as well — and that was deeply unsettling.
Seibel regarded the black-haired Morning Star Warlock before him, mentally running through every known Morning Star powerhouse's file. He came up empty. Only when the most recent reports surfaced in his memory did he finally realize who Leilin was: "You're Leilin Farell! The Morning Star Komoin Warlock of the Ouroboros Ring! The one who slew the Demon Hunter Ganliel!"
Seibel's expression grew immensely somber. The Demon Hunter Ganliel had been formidable among Morning Stars, yet this Warlock had slain him outright, causing a Morning Star to fall!
That accomplishment was far more difficult than merely defeating an opponent, and Seibel understood the distinction all too well.
*It seems like just holding my ground here counts as a blessing. I may even need to call for reinforcements!* Seibel thought bitterly to himself. At that moment, a string of pearls at his waist lit up, transmitting several frantic voices: "This is East Sector Three — emergency reinforcement requested! We are under siege by the Psionic Circle!"
"Western Sector — calling for backup! Three defensive lines have been breached here, damn it! Those warlocks have poured nearly all their strength into this area!"
"No! You filthy liars — Herbert is in our Northern Sector! We need reinforcements the most! Ahhh—"
The transmissions were chaotic, accompanied by violent explosions and the harsh screech of interference — magical disruption distorting the signal.
When Seibel heard that Herbert had come in person as well, his heart sank completely. He no longer harbored any hope of receiving aid.
"So this was your plan?" He fixed Leilin with a long, hard gaze, but the Warlock's expressionless face betrayed nothing.
"Still — I did join Jupiter's Thunder, and I signed a binding contract as a Morning Star. To defeat me that easily? Not so simple!"
Seibel bellowed silently in his mind. A cascade of chanting, like ritualistic hymns, poured from his throat.
BOOM! The ocean, which had briefly calmed, erupted once more. Massive volumes of seawater converged upon Seibel's body, and when the turbulence subsided, what stood in his place was a monstrous creature exceeding a thousand meters in length.
The beast possessed the head of a bull, a humanoid torso, and tentacled legs like those of an octopus. From its nostrils came a bellowing roar reminiscent of a raging ox.
"So this is your true Sea Race form?"
Leilin waved a hand to disperse the water droplets hurtling toward him, regarded the colossal wizard true body, and couldn't help but laugh.