The attack, which had surpassed the speed of sound, only reached Leilin's ears after it had already landed.
Leilin's expression was peculiar as he glanced down at his shoulder.
There, the black scholar's robe had torn open, revealing the fine snake scales beneath. But those scales had turned entirely charred, and several fragments had already fallen away.
At the wound itself, faint traces of dark red were visible.
"Not bad! It nearly broke through my defenses!" Leilin's expression remained blank.
In the next instant, terrifying streams of black energy surged and gathered, causing the enormous serpent phantom behind him to swell as its tail lashed out!
Crack! One of the lightning pillars toppled, seemingly triggering a chain reaction that brought down the remaining seven pillars in succession. The Lightning Storm Prison collapsed entirely.
"Hsss…"
The great serpent roared, its sound waves sweeping outward to tear apart the thunderclouds overhead and reveal an enormous bird.
The colossal creature was a deep shade of blue. The tip of each feather bore a metallic sheen — in truth, they were fine iron spines — while strands of blue electricity coiled ceaselessly around its body, lending it a magnificent, almost divine appearance. Clear intelligence shone from its eyes.
"The ancient Thousand-Thorn Thunderbird? No! Just an incomplete juvenile form!"
Warlocks possessing high-tier bloodlines could use Bloodline Transfiguration as a Morning Star-tier killing technique at the fourth rank, but what they could assume was only the juvenile form of their bloodline's origin creature. Just like Bevis from before — the Mist Giant he had transformed into had only been semi-mature. Only when a warlock reached the pinnacle rank of their bloodline could they truly reproduce the terrifying primordial might of the origin creature.
The Thousand-Thorn Thunderbird had been a sixth-rank creature in the ancient era, while the opposing warlock was merely fourth rank. The Thunderbird he had assumed through Bloodline Transfiguration was naturally still in its juvenile stage.
But being a sixth-rank creature, even its juvenile form surpassed many fourth-rank species.
"Caw! Caw!"
The enormous Thunderbird cried out as it circled overhead, each beat of its wings sending down cascades of lightning.
The arcs of electricity crackling across its body grew increasingly blinding, until finally they enveloped its very form, transforming it into a massive bird of pure lightning.
With an ear-splitting roar, the lightning bird dove downward. All the electricity it had previously scattered converged around it, forming the terrifying spectacle of ten thousand thunderbolts crashing down from the heavens.
"Interesting!"
A smile played at Leilin's lips as the phantom of the Comosnake Emperor behind him grew more solid, as though a true primordial predator had descended upon the mortal world.
"Hsss…" The great serpent roared as it collided with the lightning bird, sending ripples outward in endless waves.
BOOM! The earth trembled, energy waves sweeping across the landscape. The billowing smoke formed a colossal mushroom cloud, its terrifying force reaching even into the firmament and splitting enormous fissures through the massive rock strata. Tens of thousands of tons of rock tumbled down ceaselessly, crashing into the ground and carving out enormous craters.
When the smoke finally settled, the place where Leilin had been standing had become a massive sunken crater. Countless rocks had been melted directly, forming a unique crystalline substance.
"Hah… hah…" A figure strode straight out of the crater, a dark silhouette still clutched in hand.
"Damn it! If not for the Ten Thousand Snake Curse Mark, a mere Dawn Star-level warlock!"
Leilin's face was filled with rage. His clothes were torn to shreds, exposing the skin beneath, making him look rather disheveled.
As for the enemy Dawn Star warlock from before, he had completely passed out and was being dangled from Leilin's hand.
"According to the intel I had before, this Dawn Star warlock is merely an elder within the Lias family. Above him, there are warlocks who have surpassed the Dawn Star level…"
Leilin's expression turned grim. "Kid! You're lucky! You don't have to die here today, but…"
*Snap!* Leilin casually tossed the man onto the ground, and a massive syringe materialized above his palm.
"Although you're only at the fourth level, your bloodline concentration looks quite decent. You're worth keeping as a sample and experimental subject!"
……
Not far from the black ruins complex lay a stretch of dark hills, their dim radiance reflecting outward like dazzling, enchanting crystals.
These hills were, in fact, mountains composed of various metals, and at their center, an enormous metal fortress stood proudly erect.
This was none other than the stronghold of the Lias warlock family — their very headquarters.
"They say the Thousand Thorn Thunderbird is very fond of metal-rich environments, and it certainly looks that way!" Leilin hovered in midair, surveying the massive fortress, while the warlock from before hung limply in his grip, his eyes filled with terror.
"I am Leilin Farell! Here to pay a visit to the Lias family!"
Leilin paid no heed to the warlock in his hand. He chuckled softly, and his deep, resonant voice immediately carried outward, echoing throughout the entire fortress, stirring countless waves of Spiritual Power and soul force.
"Who goes there?!" "What a terrifying and evil bloodline aura!" "Huh? Look at the person in his hand!" "He actually dares to imprison an elder of our Lias family — what nerve!"