The serpentine shadow towering before him loomed even larger than a mountain range, wreathed in powerful energy fluctuations reaching the fifth level.
Such overwhelming pressure forced many members of the Boruning Family—fellow descendants of the White Devil—to their knees. Yet Leilin seemed entirely unaffected.
Not only did his expression remain unchanged, he was actually critiquing the colossal beast as though appraising merchandise on a shelf.
This attitude immediately sent Kend into a furious rage.
"Hssss!" The White Phosphorus Devil Snake let out a piercing hiss and lunged straight at him.
Rumble! The ground rippled violently, the very center caving in to form a terrifying crater.
Vaguely, enormous roars and a massive white serpentine shadow could be seen sweeping through the depths of the pit.
Concussions of startling power detonated in rapid succession, merging into a continuous barrage. Then, in an instant, an enormous white serpent shadow was sent hurtling backward, spraying a curtain of blood across the sky.
"Impossible!"
The giant snake tumbled through midair before reverting to the human form of Kend, though his body was now covered in countless small wounds and his clothes had long since been torn apart. His face was a mask of utter disbelief.
"How is this possible! How can anyone match me in raw strength? I am the favored child of the Mother Sovereign, a fifth-level White Devil noble!"
Bang! A flash of black light struck, and Kend vomited blood and was sent flying backward again.
"There is nothing impossible. The strength of a fifth-level giant serpent is great, but compared to the Thousand-Eyed Giants or Golden Titans of ancient times, it falls far short..."
Leilin's dark figure slowly materialized, and behind him appeared the phantom of a strange, multi-armed race. Its body was suffused with a brilliant golden glow, as though it had completely solidified into a golden idol.
Though Leilin's frame appeared slender and unremarkable, beneath that black cloak lurked something like an ancient primordial beast. The terrifying pressure it radiated made even the White Phosphorus Devil Snake tremble with fear.
"Hand over your blood and soul obediently, and I might grant you a more comfortable death!"
As Leilin advanced step by step, Kend let out an unearthly shriek and transformed into a streak of white light, ready to abandon his family and flee.
Snap! Masses of dark crimson chains erupted once more, sealing off the entire White River Valley.
"You're weaker than me in strength! Weaker than me in speed! And even in the manipulation of dream force, you're still inferior!"
Leilin stated these facts in a calm, level voice, striding forward with each word.
"No!" Kend's figure retreated continuously until his back was nearly pressed against the wall of chains.
This pathetic sight filled Belinda with a sense of vindictive satisfaction, yet also a faint tinge of pity.
"Great Mother Sovereign! I offer up everything I have—please send down your avatar to protect your bloodline!"
Driven to the absolute limit, Kend's face twisted with savage determination as he activated a ritual magical array.
Silver light flashed, followed by a spray of blood—a still-dripping severed arm fell directly onto the array.
"As for the sacrifice—the blood and flesh of your own offspring!"
Boom! Scarlet flames erupted in a blinding burst, and an unseen celestial attention descended upon this place.
Under the crimson flames, Kend's arm continued to melt away until it formed a blood-red mask. A vast will used it as a vessel to descend.
"Mother Sovereign! Please shelter your bloodline!" Though Kend's face was deathly pale and one hand clutched the gaping wound on his shoulder, his eyes blazed with excitement as the mask took shape.
"Experiment... begin."
But before him, Leilin murmured a quiet word of his own.
"Chirp chirp..." A plume of grey light burst from within his robes, containing a dreamlike grey feather suffused with the power of chaos.
The murky grey luminescence spread outward in all directions, eventually forming a grey canopy overhead.
"The Feather of Chaos possesses the power to conceal and confuse, but its actual effectiveness—especially after summoning the avatar of the Mother of Ten Thousand Snakes—remains well worth experimenting on!"
A sharp gleam flickered in Leilin's eyes. Though the Filth Bird had already told him plainly, Leilin trusted his own judgment far more.
If he discovered problems even at this stage, there would be no point in going to the Holy City to die.
"Chip! Record the scene carefully—focus on collecting data!" Leilin ordered silently.
[Ding! Mission established. Scanning external environment—data collection in progress!] The Chip responded faithfully.
The blood-red mask opened its eyes, revealing a pair of pupils radiating an uncanny, bewitching charm. The moment their gazes met, the bloodline power within Leilin surged once more, threatening to erupt.
"An avatar of the Mother of Ten Thousand Snakes..." Leilin murmured.