Leilin's pupils instantly turned into amber vertical slits.
Immediately after, as if provoked, the Comorin Giant Serpent bloodline within his body began to surge wildly, and strand after strand of mysterious power was continuously released from the bloodline, absorbed by Leilin's body as nourishment.
Under the influence of these mysterious substances, Leilin's Spiritual Power began a slow yet steady rise!
"This is the power of the Comorin bloodline! Warlocks truly have an overwhelming advantage in this regard!"
Leilin sighed.
The Comorin Giant Serpent was a terrifying ancient creature that could reach the Fourth Rank upon maturity. This meant that, before a warlock themselves reached the Fourth Rank, the Comorin Giant Serpent bloodline would release vast amounts of Bloodline Power, driving the warlock's progress all the way up to the Fourth Rank.
The situation for other bloodline warlocks was similar, though there were differences. For example, the Horar Black Snake warlocks found that their bloodline stopped granting power once it pushed them to the Third Rank, offering no help in breaking through the Gaseous, Liquefied, and Crystallized bottlenecks. It could even become a powerful Bloodline Shackle, hindering their advancement!
"Much of my progress as a warlock, and the ease with which I advanced through the previous stages, is probably owed in large part to this mysterious energy. Of course, the Bloodline Shackles that come later are also caused by it!" Leilin mentally instructed the Chip to record the nature and composition of this energy for future research.
At that moment, under the influence of the raging Comorin Giant Serpent bloodline, a terrifying phantom of a massive black serpent materialized behind Leilin, its powerful and frigid majesty surging outward in all directions.
Fortunately, they were deep underground, and Leilin had specifically set up a Magical Array to isolate the aura. Otherwise, the surrounding wizards and warlocks would certainly have been alarmed.
"Hsss!" The enormous phantom of the Comorin Giant Serpent flickered its tongue, behaving as if it were alive. It lunged toward the Corrosive Lizard.
Beneath the colossal form of the serpent, the Corrosive Lizard was as insignificant as a mouse. Even its roar was suppressed, reduced to what sounded like a pitiful whimper.
"Gulp!" The serpent phantom opened its jaws and swallowed the Corrosive Lizard in one gulp.
"Oh?"
The very instant the serpent phantom consumed the Corrosive Lizard, Leilin felt the Bloodline Power surging through his body reach a new level of density, with vast quantities of Bloodline Power overflowing outward.
According to the Chip's data, his Spiritual Power indicator was skyrocketing like a rocket.
255! 267! 289!!!
Finally, the number shot up and landed directly at 299!
The sudden surge in Spiritual Power left Leilin's vision blurred and his entire brain momentarily frozen.
"Compress!"
Leilin's hand flicked, and a spell formula plunged into the Gaseous Magical Array. Immediately, the entire array blazed with brilliant light, enveloping Leilin in its radiance.
Within his Sea of Consciousness, the previously turbulent bright-silver Spiritual Power began to contract under the immense pressure.
Vast quantities of spiritual particles were compressed relentlessly, their bright-silver glow growing ever more dazzling. At last, a wisp of... mist appeared!
This was mist-form Spiritual Power! The condensed form of the bright-silver luminous Spiritual Power! The moment Leilin saw it, he was overjoyed.
The original bright-silver Spiritual Power had been nothing more than a layer of luminescence, but now, it had finally taken on a tangible form!
Once the first wisp of Spiritual Power mist had formed, the remaining Spiritual Power became compliant, and the transformation process grew far easier.
Leilin kept his eyes tightly shut. The aura emanating from his body subsided, yet it now seemed deeper and more terrifying.
Crack! Crack!
Fine, hairline fractures spread across the Gaseous Magical Array beneath him until the entire array shattered into powder.
And in that very instant, Leilin opened his eyes. The Spiritual Power within his Sea of Consciousness had already been entirely converted into dense mist!
"Ding! Subject has entered the Gaseous Stage! Spiritual Power data has changed. Re-collecting!"
The Chip's voice rang out, and moments later, a set of data appeared before Leilin's eyes.
"Leilin Farell — Warlock, Third Rank (Gaseous) — Bloodline: Comorin Giant Serpent — Strength: 23.6, Agility: 20.1, Constitution: 39.1, Spirit: 251.3, Mana: 251 (Mana is determined by Spiritual Power in synchronization)"
Although this figure was much lower than the explosive Spiritual Power reading from moments ago, it gave Leilin a sense of reassurance.
The earlier spike had been merely a surface phenomenon — the Spiritual Power had been loose and unstable in structure, of extremely poor quality. Without proper concentration and refinement, it would have been enormously detrimental to future progress.
Now, though the total volume had dropped, the quality had improved dramatically!
"Gaseous form!"
Leilin raised his hand lightly, and dense mist-like Spiritual Power emerged directly from his fingertips.
This was the first time his Spiritual Power had manifested in a tangible form in the physical world. Before, the bright-silver Spiritual Power had been nothing but light; now, the thin mist was a solid substance!
Just from this alone, one could tell that his Spiritual Power had undergone a complete transformation!
"This is only the beginning! Those Crystallized Third Rank wizards can probably condense their Spiritual Power directly into crystal structures that resist dissipation and evaporation, allowing long-term storage. They could replenish their own Spiritual Power at any time, or even sell it..."
Based on some of the Chip's projections, Leilin made this connection — this was the path he would walk from now on.
"Warning! Warning! Subject's cellular damage has exceeded 12.6%. Immediate treatment is recommended!" At that moment, the Chip's emotionless voice sounded, and Leilin staggered, nearly collapsing to the ground.
"This is the aftermath of the Spiritual Power surge and its rapid condensation. Not only have my somatic cells been affected, but my Sea of Consciousness has likely sustained minor damage as well!" A bitter smile crossed Leilin's face. He then waved his hand.
The three Purple Leaf Snake Scale Fruits he had taken out earlier floated into his hands.
"Thankfully, with so many Comorin Giant Serpent warlocks having gone through this breakthrough, the optimal healing items have been thoroughly explored. Combined with the Chip's simulation experiments..."
Leilin quickly swallowed one of the purple fruits.
The fine scales on the fruit's surface pressed against his mouth and teeth, bringing a cold, hard sensation.
Once the flesh reached his stomach, the cold feeling vanished instantly, replaced by a warm current that flowed swiftly throughout his entire body. Leilin's cells absorbed the warmth greedily, like desert travelers on the verge of dying of thirst.
"Subject's cells have absorbed unknown energy. Repair in progress! Current damage: 9.6%"
The numbers on the Chip dropped steadily lower, finally stopping at around 2%.
Damage at this minute, cellular level was the most troublesome to heal. Even with Leilin's best-prepared recovery regimen, he could only reduce the damage to about 2%. Beyond that, it would take time — the Gaseous-stage warlock would need to meditate daily, using radiation energy to slowly repair the remaining harm through sheer persistence.
Of course, compared to the breakthrough to the Gaseous Stage, this minor flaw was nothing.
……
Within the Black Castle, a special banquet had been organized to celebrate Leilin's breakthrough.
It was, naturally, a gathering of warlocks — only
Incidentally, this was a tradition on the Central Continent. Leilin should have held a celebration when the Black Castle was completed, but he had wanted to wait until the
But now? Leilin's breakthrough to the Gaseous Stage absolutely warranted a celebration, so it would simply be combined with the earlier one.
In the vast hall, enormous crystal chandeliers hung high overhead, radiating a dazzling glow that mixed witchcraft and artificial flame.
Numerous warlocks had gathered together. Given Leilin's considerable reputation, many warlocks had come for the occasion.
Furthermore, thanks to the beauty-enhancing effects of their bloodlines, every one of these warlocks was strikingly handsome or beautiful. Even those who appeared elderly carried themselves with distinguished elegance.
The female warlocks mostly wore low-cut gowns, revealing snowy-white backs and deep, cleavage-draped bosoms, while the male warlocks sported black tailcoat-style formal attire, occasionally lifting tall wine glasses to converse or inviting ladies to dance.
At the edge of the hall, a band played with vigor, and bards and dancers stood ready to perform.
"Haha... Leilin, I knew you'd succeed! Gaseous advancement may be a threshold for ordinary Third Rank wizards, but we Comorin Giant Serpent warlocks have never feared such a thing!" Robin laughed heartily.
He was growing more and more impressed with his junior brother's talent.
Even at the banquet, the hierarchy among warlocks was starkly apparent. Leilin and the other few Third Rank Comorin Giant Serpent warlock barons formed their own small circle, and no other warlocks dared approach uninvited. Even a few First and Second Rank pure-blood warlocks who had the privilege of being present had no right to speak up.
For the other small circles, Leilin merely needed to walk over, raise a glass, and exchange a few words. But the guests in his own circle required his personal company.
Not only were Robin, Lucie, and Kasha — his senior brothers and sisters — present, but several business partners and their heirs had also come. These were all part of his teacher Grand Duke
In truth, Leilin was fairly familiar with them, having conducted several trades and even joint experiments together.
"These are a few of my family's younger generation. Come, greet your Uncle Leilin!"
Kasha called over her nephews and nieces. The young people were visibly nervous and flushed, but they bowed respectfully. "Uncle Leilin!"
"Hello, good to meet you." Leilin suddenly felt his face stiffen.
He himself was barely a hundred years old, and while these two young warlocks possessed extremely pure bloodline — seeds of hope for their family — they were likely older than he was.
"Senior Sister Kasha, your juniors carry remarkably dense bloodlines. I'm sure they have brilliant futures ahead of them!" Leilin offered another compliment, and Kasha's eyes crinkled with delight.