Leilin felt he had already pieced together the general sequence of events.
In ancient times, the Mother of Ten Thousand Serpents, after failing to seize dominion over the Shadow World, had migrated outward with her bloodline descendants. Perhaps before settling in the Purgatory World — or perhaps after that point — she had launched an invasion of the Ice World!
The native inhabitants of the Ice World naturally fought back with everything they had.
In Leilin's analysis, that scorpion man had clearly been subjected to some form of powerful mental suggestion. To interfere with the judgment of a Morning Star-level being through mental influence — that could only have been the work of the giantess, or the will of the entire world itself!
The final outcome was that the giantess was slain, but through the desperate efforts of the Ice Mountain Flying Dragon at the very end, the Mother of Ten Thousand Serpents' invasion was still thwarted!
During that great battle, the giantess was killed, and a single drop of her blood landed on the scorpion man's back. grievously wounding him. Unable to escape a spatial rift, he was swept inside.
Finally, of course, the scorpion man had drifted through the spatial passage to the Dark Pinnacle Region, where he died from his grievous wounds.
Even so, he had been a Morning Star
And these Frost Scorpions were clearly related to the scorpion man, though they had degenerated considerably. The human upper body had vanished entirely, without the slightest trace of that feature remaining.
"That's precisely why these Frost Scorpions can only survive here! Because they are actually beings from another world, and only here, saturated with that special icy radiation, can they live and reproduce…"
Leilin sighed. His thoughts turned once more to the Mother of Ten Thousand Serpents.
According to his deductions, the Mother of Ten Thousand Serpents must have attacked the Ice World after relocating to the Purgatory World. This place held tremendous importance — for her, and for her entire lineage.
After her plans to seize the Shadow World fell through, she had been forced to withdraw, bringing her clan to the Purgatory World.
But truthfully, the fire-attribute nature of the Purgatory World was fundamentally incompatible with shadow serpent creatures. Through generations of breeding and natural adaptation, the clan had managed to propagate in the Purgatory World — even developing flame attributes along the way. But this had clearly introduced a massive amount of the Purgatory World's chaotic will into their bloodline!
This was likely the origin of the Comoina Giant Serpents' emotional bloodline disease! After all, while serpent creatures could be temperamental, it shouldn't escalate to uncontrollable rages!
In Leilin's speculation, the ancient serpent bloodline warlocks' occupational ailment should have been extreme apathy bordering on hibernation — a cold detachment. But clearly, once the Purgatory World's chaotic will was introduced, this emotional characteristic was fundamentally altered.
From its original icy coldness to explosive fury!
That was why the Mother of Ten Thousand Serpents had attacked the Ice World again — likely in hopes of using the Ice World's cold, crystalline willpower to cure her clan's bloodline disease!
Of course, in the end, her plan had still failed. But the Ice World had paid an enormous price!
And it was precisely because of this that the breath crystals of the Frost Scorpion Emperor from the Ice World had such an excellent therapeutic effect on Leilin's own bloodline emotional instability.
"Phew… what a complicated web of connections!" Leilin pressed his fingers against his forehead, which ached from prolonged deep thinking.
"Although these are all my own speculations, it should be roughly correct. Even if I'm wrong, it doesn't really matter. Because the Mother of Ten Thousand Serpents, the Ice Mountain Flying Dragon, the Purgatory World, the Ice World, the Shadow World — all of them are far too remote from me…"
Leilin smiled bitterly. "All I need to know is this: the Frost Scorpion Emperor's breath can indeed cure my warlock emotional instability. That's enough!"
"Chip! Establish a plan! Extract the Frost Scorpion Emperor's breath crystals and design a treatment protocol for me!"
Leilin issued the command immediately.
"Task established. Beginning analysis. Building data model!" Upon receiving the order, the Chip began operating at full speed.
Leilin stroked his chin and sank into contemplation.
Truthfully, after witnessing that scene from the ancient battle, it was impossible for him to feel no stirrings of excitement. Especially that single drop of blood that had fallen on the scorpion man's back — it ignited an enormous research interest in Leilin!
That was the bloodline of an existence far beyond the Morning Star level — far beyond even a Fifth Level Grand Wizard. It must have reached at least the Sixth or Seventh Level, a realm that even ancient wizards could barely comprehend!
If he obtained it, just how far could his own strength advance?
Although warlocks could not convert bloodlines, merely studying the blood of such an existence would produce an indescribable, immeasurable impact on his path!
Moreover, the scorpion man himself had been a Morning Star Wizard in life. His bloodline needed no purification — it was the purest ancient creature bloodline possible!
Leilin's breathing gradually grew heavier. He wished he could plunge into the Ice Cavern right that moment and seek out the scorpion man's remains.
But then, a bitter smile crossed his face.
Based on the survival memories left within the Frost Scorpion Emperor's bloodline, Leilin knew that the small territory controlled by the Nature Alliance and several other schools was merely a tiny fraction of the Ice Cavern's outermost layer.
In the deeper underground, all manner of icy creatures lived — dozens or even hundreds of times more powerful than the Frost Scorpion Emperor — forming what was essentially a miniature Ice World.
And the scorpion man's remains lay at the very deepest level of that Ice World!
It was a place teeming with Second Level icy creatures, where encountering even Third Level beings would be no surprise!
Even with Leilin's own advancement to Third Level Warlock, he could not guarantee he could traverse it unscathed. To thoroughly conquer that place and claim the bloodline and remains would require at least Morning Star Wizard strength!
"Strength! In the end, it always comes back to strength!" Leilin let out a bitter laugh and abandoned any notion of venturing deep for now.
Those treasures were exquisite, but he would never gamble his own life for them!
Leilin had always been a cautious person. Without at least a seventy percent chance of success — or unless his life was in imminent danger — he would never choose to take that kind of risk!
Besides, the Ice Cavern had existed for so long without anyone discovering the truth of what lay below. The icy creatures in the depths formed an excellent defensive line. Leilin had no fear that some other wizard would get there first.
He had already made up his mind: once he had accumulated sufficient strength, he would return here and claim the gifts of the Ice World!
"One thing at a time! First, I need to resolve the bloodline emotional instability in my body!"
Leilin's gaze returned to its usual calm, his features filled once more with rational composure.
…
Dark Pinnacle Region, entrance to the Ice Cavern.
"Pay attention, all of you! This expedition into the Ice Cavern is extremely dangerous. You're all elites from our school, but until you've advanced to official wizards, you have no way to protect yourselves in there. Don't let yourselves drift out of your instructor's sight. Understood?"
A sharp, weathered middleman in leather armor was lecturing a group of apprentices.
"Hey, Muli! Leading apprentices down again?" The old gatekeeper, Made, greeted him with a smile.
"That's right. The Joint Council session is coming up, and I need to boost these brats' strength. Some danger can't be helped!" Muli spread his hands helplessly. "How are things? Any cold surges or dangerous creature migrations in the Ice Cavern recently?"
"So far, I haven't received any reports of that. And as it happens, an honorary professor from the Nature Alliance is also down below. If anything comes up, you can seek his help — we are all part of the Alliance, after all!"
Old Made smiled blandly, and at the very end he casually mentioned Leilin.
"Professor Leilin, the one from the Eastern Capital? I hear he's a peak First Level master!"
Muli said this with a slight sneer on his face, and it was clear that even if they crossed paths below, things between him and Leilin wouldn't be pleasant.
After all, a peak First Level wizard joining a small fry faction like the Nature Alliance was simply too outrageous to believe!
Like most wizards, Muli had written it off as Hiling's empty boasting.
"Speaking of which, Hiling really is in a tough spot. If she wasn't constantly recruiting outside help lately, the Nature Alliance's position would be in serious danger…"
Old Made let out a sigh tinged with sympathy, though a flicker of secret satisfaction crossed his heart.
This time, no matter which side took a hit — Muli or Leilin — it would be something Made was more than happy to see.
"Hmph! serves them right for both of them having eyes for my Hiling!"
Old Made thought to himself, but his face still wore a warm, enthusiastic smile. Just as he had before Leilin's last descent, he cheerfully explained the various precautions to the apprentices.
To outsiders, Old Made remained a respectable elder.
Whoosh!
At that moment, a blast of frigid wind surged up from the fissure, and the surrounding apprentices instinctively pulled their coats tighter.
"Someone's coming up… nothing to worry about. Huh?!"
Old Made let out a startled sound.
"What is it?" Muli asked quickly.
"It's Wizard Leilin! He's come out! Wizard Hiling has already come by several times looking for him — I need to get this news to her right away!"
Old Made chuckled, and when he noticed Muli's fists clenching tightly, a hint of smug satisfaction flashed across his face.
BOOM!
A figure burst out from the fissure, a massive iceberg hoisted over one shoulder.
"So you're the honorary professor the Nature Alliance recently recruited — Leilin?" Muli's tone was less than polite.
"That's right. Something you need?" The newcomer's smile was radiant.
This was none other than Leilin. During his time in the cavern, he had been continuously extracting the Frost Scorpion Emperor's icy breath each day, using the Chip's coordinated treatment to address the emotional instability in his bloodline.
The extreme yin cold from the Ice World, combined with the Chip's intensive assistance, had thoroughly purged the residual chaotic emotions from the Purgatory World that lingered in his body.
While there might still be some deeper layers of will locked away in his genes, according to the Chip's calculations, his warlock emotional instability would no longer pose a problem for at least as long as it took him to advance to Morning Star Wizard. As a result, Leilin was in excellent spirits.