"The Blood Alliance is not the private property of any one Warlock! It is a union of all Warlocks, with its own will and interests!"
Aufa's voice was frigid. "Even if Bevis ascends to Radiant Sun, he cannot represent us unilaterally!"
On this matter, acting on pure instinct to protect their own interests, neither Wade nor Jeffrey offered any objection.
"Besides, Leilin plans to attack the forces of the Throne of Flames in a private capacity, while Bevis is doing everything in his power to stop him. From a legal standpoint, neither of them has done anything wrong! So why not give them the chance to settle it on their own, and then step in as arbiters? Isn't that the most appropriate course of action?"
A shrewd gleam flickered in Aufa's eyes.
As the eldest and most powerful of the Brilliant Moon Warlocks, his authority within the Blood Alliance was not to be underestimated.
"That's true! Young men, after all — they need to let their blood run hot!"
Wade, whose entire body radiated a golden sheen like a god of war forged from pure gold, chimed in from the other side.
"But… Bevis is someone who could ascend to Radiant Sun. If this incident breeds enmity between the two of them, then for the future of our Blood Alliance Warlocks…"
Jeffrey still harbored some reservations.
"Bevis hasn't ascended to Radiant Sun yet. And how can you be certain that the one who will ultimately reach the sixth rank will be Bevis?"
"Of course I'm certain — he has—" Jeffrey shot back instinctively, but upon catching Aufa's half-smiling expression, he fell silent, sinking into deep thought.
Although Aufa had always insisted on impartial adjudication, this time the two parties were quite different: one was a fifth-rank Warlock at the source of his bloodline, while the other was a Warlock whose bloodline origin reached all the way to the sixth rank, with a real shot at ascending to Radiant Sun. To adjudicate so "fairly" and allow them to fight privately was itself a form of unfairness.
"Could it be… that Aufa also harbors great expectations for that Leilin?"
Jeffrey suddenly saw the light.
Seeing the realization dawn on his face, Aufa nodded with satisfaction. "The prophecy never explicitly states who will ascend to Radiant Sun! While His Highness Bevis has the greatest probability, His Highness Leilin also has hope. Even… you, me, and every Morning Star Limit Warlock sitting in this room all have a chance… So when the time comes, placing a small bet is a necessary means of maintaining our influence. We've already staked a great deal on Bevis, but we can't afford to neglect support for the other Warlocks…"
"I understand!" Jeffrey nodded gravely.
"Good that you do! After whichever side loses this confrontation, you must go to the defeated party and show goodwill — make our goodwill known…"
Aufa spoke with a genial smile.
"Does His Highness Aufa truly believe His Highness Leilin has a chance of winning?" Jeffrey's jaw dropped. "Bevis has already advanced to mid-stage Brilliant Moon, and he carries the bloodline of a sixth-rank existence…"
"Hehe… A Warlock who ascended to the fifth rank independently is no ordinary person!" Aufa smiled mysteriously, leaning in a little closer. An odd light seemed to shimmer in his cloudy eyes. "His Highness Leilin is someone who excels at creating miracles. The outcome of this battle is still impossible to predict. But no matter what, words are useless now — let us simply wait and see!"
Hearing Aufa say this, Jeffrey and Wade both adopted grave expressions as they turned their gazes to the battlefield.
…
Within the World Rift, Chip's scanning had long since detected Bevis lurking nearby, but Leilin spotted no other Brilliant Moon Warlocks — which struck him as somewhat odd.
"Aufa and the others didn't follow Bevis here to pressure me. They've positioned themselves as neutrals? That's rather beyond my expectations."
A sharp gleam flashed in Leilin's eyes. "And their intentions are quite clear now. If Bevis suppresses me and I'm forced to retreat, then nothing more needs to be said. But if I defeat Bevis or break through his blockade… they'll let me do as I please?"
"Playing both sides — they're all old foxes," Leilin sighed inwardly.
Then he looked at Bevis with something close to pity. No matter how talented this young man might be, he still lacked experience. He clearly hadn't even grasped the underlying meaning of what was happening and was still fuming over the earlier incident.
"RAAAGH… Leilin Farell! I won't let you get away with this! Go back where you came from!"
Bevis roared, and immense waves of misty power surged from his body.
"Very well — I'll warm up with you first. Besides…" Leilin smiled, and a torrent of black, sinister flames erupted from his body.
A piercing phoenix cry rang out ceaselessly from within the flames.
In an instant, the flames surged skyward, coalescing into a bewitching phoenix of black fire.
"Soaring Evil Phoenix!" Accompanied by the high-pitched hum of flames tearing through space, the imperious fire phoenix spread its wings and unleashed a colossal tide of black fire.