The small circle here was clearly composed of the Psychic Circle's and Wind Wolf Den's Morning Star wizards.
In previous times,
"Lord Leilin, allow me to introduce you!"
"These are two elders of our Psychic Circle — Lords Bley and Brunn!"
"Good day, gentlemen!" Leilin nodded politely. The mind wizards looked too strange — he couldn't tell whether these two Morning Star wizards were brothers, since they both had octopus heads and were difficult to tell apart.
"And this is the Grand Elder of our Wind Wolf Den — Lord Herbert! Beside him is his granddaughter, Bellis!"
Philip also made introductions for Leilin.
"I greet Lord Herbert! Lady Bellis!" Leilin could clearly sense that the conversation here revolved around Herbert. Any Morning Star wizard who could have a Morning Star granddaughter was clearly no ordinary individual — especially since the bloodline aura emanating from him was so dense that even Leilin had to be wary.
Only such a powerful bloodline could produce offspring who had also reached the Morning Star rank.
"So your name is Leilin — Gilbert's disciple?" Herbert seemed to have been resting with his eyes closed, and he slowly opened them. Beside him, Bellis was staring at Leilin with a curious gaze.
Even among bloodline wizards, Leilin's age seemed exceptionally young.
"That's right!" Leilin confirmed. Having a Morning Star-level teacher as a patron would undoubtedly bring many benefits to his entry into such circles.
"Since you're Gilbert's disciple, you're hardly an outsider!" Herbert nodded. "Philip, give him the astral coordinates!"
"Yes, my lord!" Philip solemnly handed Leilin a point of light that resembled a star.
"What is this?" Leilin's pupils contracted, and the Chip immediately began analyzing it.
*<Beep! Astral Gate coordinates detected. Recorded and stored in the Astral Experiment database!>* the Chip reported quickly.
"These are astral coordinates, connected to a small plane. Do you know what a plane is?" Herbert explained slowly.
"A space of a lower tier than the world, with incomplete laws of power. But even the smallest plane surpasses a secret realm!"
Leilin recalled a passage from an ancient text.
Unlike secret realms, which could only exist within a world, planes were dimensional spaces that could take root directly in the void between dimensions, and possessed the potential to grow into full worlds — though this was extremely difficult.
Some planes were devoid of all life, with not a single living being remaining, while others had given rise to powerful existences and were nearly indistinguishable from worlds — such as the Devil Plane.
"Correct! And this particular plane is the trading plane of us Morning Star wizards!" Herbert dropped a bombshell.
"A trading plane?" Leilin's pupils contracted again.
"Yes. Don't you find it troublesome that every time we gather, we all have to travel from far and wide? Especially when we need to trade for specific materials. So several Radiant Moon-level masters joined forces and dragged a small plane next to our world, to serve as the Morning Star wizards' base of operations and trading hub!"
Herbert slowly revealed a piece of secret history. Had Leilin not already advanced to Morning Star, and been a bloodline wizard on top of that, he would never have received this kind of information.
"But... although trading through an Astral Gate is convenient, the cost..."
Opening an Astral Gate to an extraplanar passage consumed energy like mountains and oceans. Transferring objects — or even living beings — could cost more energy than the items themselves were worth, enough to make any wizard weep.
"Heh heh... that's when connecting to distant extraplanar spaces..." Herbert shook his head. "If the plane is far from us, the cost is naturally enormous — forget about trading items, even transmitting psychic messages wouldn't be worth the expense. But our trading plane is different. It's right next to the
This explanation made perfect sense, and Leilin nodded in agreement — though inwardly he was still stunned by the sheer audacity of the wizards.
Forcibly capturing a plane and anchoring it beside the Wizard World to serve as a trading hub! The power and ambition of the Radiant Moon wizards truly left Leilin in awe.
"Once your own Astral Gate is completed, you can simply imprint this coordinate on it and use it directly. The items inside will surely satisfy you — or even leave you stunned..." Herbert's voice was very slow, as though he might fall asleep again at any moment. Leilin nodded with a grave expression.
"Thank you, my lord!"
A trading platform with Morning Star strength as the entry barrier would naturally be filled with treasures, and would be perfectly suited for bloodline wizards. The method of trading was also remarkably convenient — everything could be done directly from one's own wizard tower, quick and effortless.
If Gilbert were still here, Leilin could have gained access to this channel immediately. But with his teacher absent, Herbert proactively handing him the coordinates was a considerable favor, so Leilin expressed his gratitude with complete sincerity.
"Mm." Herbert closed his eyes. "Paul, now tell him about the Thunder of Jupiter."
At the mention of that name, every wizard present tensed up. The deterrent power of a fifth-level Radiant Moon Wizard was simply too terrifying.
"I don't understand — why would the Thunder of Jupiter be targeting our Ring of the Ouroboros? Forgive me, but I was focused entirely on my advancement and rarely involved myself in such mundane affairs..."
Leilin was the first to raise the question, while also acknowledging his own shortcomings.
"Leilin, you dedicated all your energy and time to breaking through to Morning Star, so it's understandable that you weren't paying attention to other matters. Allow me to explain!"
Sure enough, Leilin's half-hearted response and his youthful appearance immediately led Paul to draw his own conclusions, and he began to explain.
"As you've probably noticed, the so-called Wizard Alliance is nothing more than a very loose alliance on the surface. Within it, there are many smaller circles!" Paul took a sip of the green beverage on the table and smacked his lips.
"Our Psychic Circle, Wind Wolf Den, and your Ring of the Ouroboros have always acted together! Three years ago, we set our sights on a certain territory and jointly seized it, driving out the wizard organization based there."
"We assumed they were just a small organization, but it turned out they had the Thunder of Jupiter behind them! That's how the grudge began..."
Although Paul made it sound simple, Leilin was certain that the territory in question must contain something neither side could bear to give up — perhaps some enormous secret or treasure.
Otherwise, given how shrewd wizards were, they would have cooperated or negotiated long ago rather than letting things escalate to this degree.
"In the aftermath, our two organizations launched various campaigns against the Thunder of Jupiter over that territory, and they began to retaliate — ambushing three senior members of your organization..."
Paul's expression darkened. It was clear that his own organization had not fared well during the counterattack either.
"They have a Radiant Moon-level Wizard. How did we manage to hold on?" Leilin asked a question that had been buried inside him for a long time.
"Initially, it was the three Comoin Dukes and Lord Herbert working together! The three Comoin Dukes alone had already achieved a record of contending with a Radiant Moon Wizard, and with Lord Herbert's support, we were even able to gain a slight advantage..." Paul's face showed a trace of regret. "But now..."
Leilin's expression grew heavy. After losing three Morning Star wizards, the others must be in a very difficult position indeed.
"So regarding the upcoming campaign, what does the lord wish me to do?" Leilin probed cautiously. He had already made preparations — the moment they asked him to do something dangerous, he would refuse immediately.
"The Thunder of Jupiter treacherously plotted against three of our colleagues, but we will absolutely not give in! We will not let them go!"
Seated in the center, Herbert opened his eyes. A streak of white lightning seemed to flash within them, and the piercing radiance made Leilin's eyes ache.
"I have paid an enormous price to recruit a Radiant Moon Wizard, who has agreed to act and help us neutralize the enemy's Radiant Moon Wizard!" Herbert then dropped another bombshell.
"A Radiant Moon Wizard?!" Leilin exclaimed involuntarily.
Fifth-level bloodline wizards were the highest-ranked bloodline wizards on the entire Central Continent, and served as the key force by which bloodline wizards could contend against the Solar Throne. They were elusive and mysterious — not a single one had appeared at this gathering. For Herbert to have recruited one to fight on their behalf, Leilin was truly astonished.
Due to their bloodline enhancements, bloodline wizards were naturally superior to regular wizards of the same rank. A fifth-level Radiant Moon Wizard would be no match for their opponent.
Moreover, the most elite Radiant Moon Wizards, combined with their bloodline augmentation, could even make Solar Wizards wary — which was what guaranteed the lineage and status of bloodline wizards across the entire Central Continent.
Every such individual was a treasure of their respective bloodline organization, not to be deployed lightly. For Herbert to have recruited one — Leilin could only wonder what conditions he had offered.
Leilin stroked his chin and glanced around.
Although this was not the first time he had heard the news, the Morning Star wizards present all showed expressions of excitement.
"When the time comes, our mission will be to join forces and eliminate all of the Thunder of Jupiter's remaining Morning Star wizards, seizing the Crystal Mountain Range in one decisive stroke!"
A look of ruthlessness appeared on Herbert's face.
"Agreed!" "Agreed!" "I have no objections!" The wizards present nodded one after another, then turned their gazes to Leilin — pressuring him to make his stance known.
"If the plan doesn't involve any particular risks, I'm in agreement. But I'd like to see the briefing documents and crystal recorder first." Leilin's face was grim, but in the end, he still nodded in assent.