"Rescan! Confirm that the target is a Morning Star
The formation spirit's voice rang out at that moment, cutting the supervisor's words short. A single error could be a fluke, but two or three times?
He stared at the figure on the screen in disbelief. "Star rank? Pull up his energy star rating, now!"
The screen shifted rapidly: "Target identified as Leilin Farell! Stored data star rating: Four Stars!"
"You've got to be kidding! Rescan!" The supervisor was practically roaring.
Whoosh! An energy bar materialized, and in nearly an instant it surged past four stars, climbing all the way to five!
"So he's a peak Morning Star wizard—no wonder he could hold his own against Lord Stewart for a while. But don't worry, he won't last much longer…"
The supervisor let out a deep breath, but in the next instant the observer grabbed him and turned his head back toward the screen. His entire body went rigid.
On the screen, the star rating representing Leilin's energy had finished filling the five-star bar—and was still climbing. In the end it burst right through the progress bar.
The screen plunged into chaos and began restarting. The formation spirit delivered a fresh assessment.
"Still at the Morning Star stage. Energy intensity is—SIX STARS!!! A monster! A monster!" The supervisor collapsed limply into his chair.
"My Lord! What do we do?" The observer looked at the supervisor, hesitation clear on his face.
"What can we do? Activate maximum defense! Ensure his battle doesn't spill over to other locations. As for what happens below—I can't be bothered with it…"
The supervisor's eyes rolled back, and he fainted dead away.
……
On the battlefield, Wells had an even clearer sense of Leilin's strength.
"Such energy intensity…" Wells stared at the colossal serpent phantom surging skyward and the terrifying hiss that shook the air, his pupils going slightly vacant. "It absolutely exceeds five stars! Could it be the rumored six-star rank?"
Generally speaking, the Morning Star stage only had a five-star classification, but throughout history there had always appeared terrifying geniuses whose very existence was meant to shatter the rules. Six stars! Not yet Radiant Moon, but already able to rival one!
"He's actually reached this level?" Wells clenched his fists. When he thought of how smug he'd been about breaking through to four stars, his face flushed and he wished he could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
A large number of elite wizards arrived, their faces filled with gravity—or even the resolve to face death head-on.
A flash of platinum-white flame, and Wells stepped directly in front of them. "I'm taking charge here! All of you, hold position!"
Though somewhat jealous, the alliance had to be honored.
Wells looked with an air of superiority at the guards and at the Morning Star wizards materializing behind them, then strode forward to meet them…
"Bang!"
A massive energy storm violently ripped apart, and a beam of black radiance sent Stewart hurtling through the air, tumbling to a stop beside Wells.
Leilin tossed the Morning Star wizard to the ground. The black mist that had previously enveloped the opponent had been completely stripped away.
"That's McKee from Jupiter's Thunder!" "The soul fluctuations match—I saw him once before, there's no disguising that!"
The gathered Morning Star wizards exchanged glances.
"Everyone saw it. Lord Leilin was merely attacking a wizard of the hostile faction, Jupiter's Thunder. And in accordance with His Majesty the Sky Throne's decree, our
Wells stepped forward and spoke with righteous conviction.
The assembled Morning Star wizards looked at one another, then at Leilin—who bore wounds yet stood proud and unyielding—and at the livid-faced Stewart in the distance. One by one, they fell silent.
Leilin and Wells exchanged a glance, sharing a smile that said the matter was settled.
……
The great battle that erupted in Sky City spread outward with the speed of a storm.
Leilin—who as a Morning Star had withstood a Radiant Moon wizard head-on and ultimately captured another Morning Star wizard alive at the cost of only minor injuries—naturally became the most frequently mentioned figure, while Stewart was completely reduced to a supporting role.
This storm of gossip grew ever larger, even overshadowing the upcoming Council of Sages.
And at that very moment, at a private docking port, Wells watched as a black airship departed from Sky City, an odd expression on his face.
The one leaving was, of course, Leilin. Though he had successfully dispatched the Jupiter's Thunder wizard and humiliated Stewart in the process, he had also thoroughly provoked Sky City.
After all, he had struck a devastating blow against one of their powerful elders—on their own turf!
If not for Wells's faction absorbing the pressure on his behalf, the entire Sky City wizard community would likely have declared war on him.
Their help wasn't free, of course—this had all been arranged beforehand. Otherwise, Leilin wouldn't have charged to the forefront so brazenly.
But even so, Leilin—keenly aware he'd been drawing far too much attention lately—didn't dare remain in Sky City any longer. He accepted Wells's proposal and, through the back door, quietly underwent the baptism of the Secret Energy Scepter. After his constitution increased by twenty points, he departed in secret without attending the Council of Sages.
As long as the tangible benefits were secured, Leilin didn't particularly care about empty fame. He cast his earlier conversation with the Sky Throne completely out of mind.
Leilin couldn't help but glance at his status: "Leilin Farell, Warlock, Level 4. Bloodline: Kemoyin Giant Serpent (Complete Form). Strength: 50. Agility: 45. Constitution: 94.9. Spiritual Power: 956.8. Mana: 956 (Mana synchronously determined by Spiritual Power). Soul Force: 96 (Five Stars)."
"Constitution up by twenty points—my body has nearly fully adapted to the increase in soul force. The Secret Energy Scepter really is extraordinary!"
Leilin murmured to himself, his thoughts drifting back to the Secret Energy Scepter.
It was only during the baptism that he'd been stunned to discover the Secret Energy Scepter was actually the energy core of all of Sky City! If it were ever struck, the entire city would come crashing down to the ground, causing catastrophic disaster!
The so-called Secret Energy Scepter wasn't a physical object at all—it was a colossal energy reactor! The intricate circuitry and structure still filled Leilin with admiration, and he felt a powerful urge to seize it and study it properly.
"But… they should be catching up by now, right?"
Leilin's consciousness returned to the present, and a faint smile touched his lips.
BOOM! A massive energy wave swept through, and the *Giant Serpent* was utterly annihilated. But Leilin, who had long been prepared, simply hovered calmly in midair, watching as Stewart appeared before him.
……
Back in Sky City, Wells gazed in the direction Leilin had departed and murmured, "Though I agreed to shield you from Sky City's pressure, Stewart's personal vendetta—that you'll have to bear on your own!"
His expression was complex. "Leilin! I admit you're the greatest genius I've ever seen—capable of withstanding even a Level 5 Radiant Moon wizard head-on. But the gap in rank is not so easily bridged…"
In their earlier battle, Leilin had captured a Morning Star wizard, but only at the cost of his own injuries. Meanwhile, Stewart, though humiliated, had suffered no real damage!
Now, outside Sky City, if Stewart caught up to him again, the outcome was anyone's guess.
In fact, the most likely result after a bitter fight would be Stewart gravely wounded—and Leilin dead.
A sickly anticipation flickered in Wells's eyes. "True geniuses—one is more than enough!"
"Has he left?" A flash of light, and a wizard who bore some resemblance to Wells appeared beside him, radiating a terrifying Radiant Moon aura that even surpassed Stewart's!
He looked at Wells, encouragement in his eyes. "You did well this time! Stewart has been thoroughly humiliated, and our faction has also planted our strength within Sky City!"
Wells wouldn't have dared stand up to Stewart if he were a fool. He had this backer behind him!
"Leilin has left, and I've received word that Stewart has gone after him!" A hint of mockery laced Wells's voice.
"Wells, do you know why His Majesty the Sky Throne agreed not to intervene in the war between the Ouroboros Ring and Jupiter's Thunder? A single Radiant Moon combatant isn't enough to warrant His Majesty's attention…"
The Radiant Moon wizard's expression was grave as he spoke.
"Don't tell me…" Wells's face changed dramatically.
……
"Leilin, you won't escape this time! The humiliation you've dealt me—I will repay a hundredfold, a thousandfold!"
Stewart's voice was twisted with rage, his face even more grotesque.
Though Leilin was strong, his overall strength still fell slightly short of Stewart's—and that was the assurance that emboldened him to give chase! Moreover, today he had additional help. He could absolutely destroy Leilin here!
Meanwhile, at the headquarters of Jupiter's Thunder, within the Wizard Tower.
"Is it ready? It's about to begin!"
Jersia was staring at the Pool of Sighs as it began to bubble and churn, his expression wavering between dark and light. A woman's voice drifted over.
"This will consume twenty-one percent of the Pool of Sighs's reserve energy, and may even drag down your transformation progress! Have you… truly thought this through?"
"I have thought it through very clearly! Do it!" Jersia's voice was low and heavy.
"Very well. Transfer a portion of the control to me…"
Mysterious and complex incantations suddenly echoed throughout the entire sealed chamber. Numerous dark masks rose into the air, fading into the void until they vanished from sight.
"Hmm?" Leilin, locked in confrontation with Stewart, felt his expression shift.
A multitude of dark masks suddenly materialized around his body, some even flying straight toward his face.
"Warning! The host is under a curse attack! Constitution weakened, soul force diminished!" The Chip's alert sounded in his mind.
"A curse? A long-range ancient incantation?" Leilin's pupils contracted.
"Ha ha ha… You're destined to perish here today! I'll drag your soul out and torment it for a thousand years!"
Stewart howled with maniacal laughter and lunged forward.
A terrifying Level 5 spell coalesced into a constantly roaring black monstrosity that opened its gaping maw toward Leilin.
"Scarlet Pendant!"
A crimson glow flashed by Leilin's ear, and a crescent-shaped blade of blood-red light arced through the air.