"Regardless, having an achiever like Lord Leilin is Black Bone Forest's greatest fortune!"
The leader of the Night Watchtower glanced at Niss, his words carrying a pointed undertone.
And Niss, no matter how hard she tried to conceal it, still let a flash of delight slip through the depths of her eyes.
The greater Leilin's fame, the greater the benefit to Black Bone Forest Academy. With his reputation to leverage, the Academy's influence would certainly expand tremendously under her tenure, perhaps even surpassing the achievements of all previous headmistresses.
This was precisely why Niss had gone to such lengths to court Leilin, even humbling herself to serve him.
And if she could leverage their good relationship to bring him on as an honorary professor of Black Bone Forest… just the thought of that made Niss tremble with excitement, enough to make her smile in her sleep.
"Oh, and… it seems I've spotted some 'old friends' from the White
The green-eyed wizard stared at Niss with a half-smile.
"Indeed. Quite a few of them, in fact. The Nine-Ring White Tower, the
Niss nodded and admitted it, because hiding this from him was simply impossible.
"Heh heh… it seems that person's reputation has given them quite a fright…" The leader let out an odd laugh, like a night owl in the darkness.
On the South Coast, the situation had previously been one where White Wizards and Dark Wizards coexisted, but the White Wizards were clearly far more powerful. Not only had they claimed most of the prime territories, forcing the Dark Wizards to eke out an existence in the corners, but their leaders had also firmly held dominance over the Dark Wizards.
The appearance of Gegewu had created a three-way balance of power on the South Coast. Though the Dark Wizards and White Wizards had temporarily called a truce, the hatred between them had not been eliminated—merely suppressed by the presence of an external enemy.
Now, a Morning Star Wizard—and one who had come from the ranks of the Dark Wizards at that—would undoubtedly send those old White Wizard patriarchs into an ants-on-a-hot-pan frenzy.
At the thought of this, a mocking smile crept onto the leader's lips.
"Headmistress Niss! And this esteemed guest!"
At that moment, Krupp appeared before Niss. Flickers of serpentine shadows seemed to pass through his eyes, and the aura of bloodline power he carried made even the leader—a Third-Rank Wizard—shudder involuntarily.
"The Ancestor has agreed to receive you. Please follow me!"
Krupp's hair and pupils had turned almost entirely pitch-black, and shadow energy particles clung to him in overwhelming density, even competing to burrow through his pores.
This phenomenon left both Niss and the leader stunned.
After speaking, Krupp took the lead, while Niss and the leader continued to communicate via sound transmission.
"This wizard—he's a descendant of that lord? An heir of the Farell family?" Curiosity gleamed in the leader's eyes. After all, a Second-Rank Wizard powerhouse was already exceedingly rare on the South Coast. Any one of them could hold dominion over a region, wielding tremendous influence and status.
"Judging by his appearance, he clearly only recently advanced. While it's true that historically, descendants of high-ranking wizards have experienced such rapid growth… still…"
A note of hesitation crept into the black-robed leader's voice.
"That's right! This wizard is not a direct descendant of Lord Leilin at all—merely a branch lineage from one of his brothers!" Niss knew what the other wanted to ask, so she gave the answer directly.
"A collateral bloodline?" The leader's eyes widened, and then he chuckled softly. "Now I find myself even more eager to meet this Lord Leilin!"
"We're here!"
Krupp led Niss and the leader into a grand hall where many wizards had already gathered. They had clearly separated into two distinct camps.
The wizards on one side mostly wore black robes, their auras cold and sinister. When they saw the Night Watchtower leader approach, they clustered around him, offering greetings like stars orbiting the moon.
The wizards on the other side watched the scene with cold snorts, their expressions rather unpleasant.
They wore white robes, most adorned with plant motifs symbolizing life. A bright and holy aura emanated from their bodies.
"He called them all here at once? I know I've been occupied receiving the Night Watchtower leader, but this kind of thing…"
Niss gritted her teeth, then resigned herself to a bitter smile.
Before Leilin's absolute power, whatever authority she had wielded as headmistress probably weighed less than a feather among the current Black Bone Forest professors.
So when Leilin's orders came, they had carried them out without hesitation, even giving her the illusion that she herself had been cast aside.
No—it wasn't merely an illusion. Niss understood perfectly well that if that man so much as expressed interest in becoming headmistress of Black Bone Forest Academy, she would likely be replaced immediately.
But fortunately, that lord had never been one to covet power and status. Moreover, Black Bone Forest Academy was far too small for him now—to the point that he simply looked past it.
At this thought, Niss finally relaxed completely, and her earlier anxieties vanished without a trace.
"Everyone!"
Krupp ascended the steps at the center of the hall. Beside him stood Darrenley. Though this female wizard had not undergone the bloodline transformation, days of observing and studying at Leilin's side—combined with his encyclopedic knowledge, which could perfectly answer all her questions—had unknowingly granted her tremendous benefit.
A flash of light, and Leilin's figure materialized in the seat of honor. His dark eyes swept across the assembly.
A terrifying and vast aura, as if containing infinite stars, instantly filled the entire hall. Every wizard who met Leilin's gaze—whether the Second-Rank powerhouse Niss or the Third-Rank Night Watchtower leader—felt their eyes sting with pain, involuntarily lowering their heads and bowing at the waist.
"Greetings to Lord Leilin…"
Broken yet thunderous voices echoed through the hall.
Having personally felt the terror of Leilin's presence, these wizards no longer harbored the slightest doubt about his formidable power.
"Rise." Leilin raised his hands in a lifting gesture toward the bowing wizards below.
Immediately, every wizard on the floor felt themselves lifted by a warm current of energy. The power contained within that current was utterly beyond their resistance.
The wizards found themselves standing upright against their will, shock written in their eyes.
"I'm certain now—this lord's advancement to Morning Star is real!"
A flicker of light passed through the Night Watchtower leader's eyes. He no longer had the slightest doubt that Leilin had easily defeated the White Wizards' top experts and even destroyed their ultimate trump card—the Blade of the Greedy.
"Mm. Come to think of it, I've long admired the names of the esteemed organizations you represent!"
Leilin took a brief look around. The Night Watchtower, the Nine-Ring White Tower, the Four Seasons Garden, the Skull Throne… virtually the entire wizarding world of the South Coast had assembled, with only the Soul Devouring Sect's representative absent.
These peak factions of the White and Dark Wizards had all been legendary names in Leilin's era, and now they could only grovel before him.
But Leilin's expression did not fluctuate in the slightest. The wizards below the steps could not detect any emotion beneath his mask, and could only bow their heads humbly.
Leilin continued: "May I ask what brings all of you here today?"
The wizards below exchanged glances. Most of them had come to verify Leilin's strength and his attitude.
Now it seemed his power was beyond question—the mere tip of the iceberg he had revealed was enough to earn their admiration, and no one dared step forward to test him in actual combat.
As for this lord's stance toward both sides? He seemed rather indifferent—neither warm nor cold. It appeared he harbored no ambition to unify the South Coast.
This realization allowed many of the White Wizards to breathe a silent sigh of relief.
"Lord Leilin!" At that moment, the Night Watchtower leader stepped forward.
"Please, speak." Leilin extended his hand in a gesture of invitation. In truth, he felt a twinge of nostalgia. He had actually encountered this leader once before, back during his apprentice days at the secret realm blood tournament.
Back then, a single glance from this man could have nearly crippled or killed him. Now the situation had reversed entirely—with just one glance from Leilin, the other's soul would likely be obliterated on the spot, dying in the most wretched manner.
"Forgive my boldness… but have you… already entered the Fourth-Rank Wizard tier?"
The Night Watchtower leader hesitated briefly, then asked the question.
Power, status, and the like held no appeal for him anymore. The only thing that could still capture his attention and command his devotion was the desire for a higher realm.
At this question, the entire hall fell silent. Everyone looked at Leilin with expectant eyes.
"Regarding that question…"
Leilin was about to answer when a smile appeared at the corner of his lips. "Forgive me if I defer that answer. Let us first meet a guest!"
"A guest?" The Night Watchtower leader and the other wizards were startled. Two translucent phantoms materialized from the void, flanking a sinister entity between them.
"That's—Gegewu of the Soul Devouring Sect!"
Sandwiched between the two void assassins was unmistakably a spiritual entity of evil. It wore a demonic horned mask, and its body was as transparent and solid as black crystal. A tremendous soul fluctuation radiated from it, causing every wizard present to change color.
This level of power had surpassed all of them and was already advancing along the path toward Morning Star.
"Is that truly the Gegewu creature?"
"Absolutely—that chaotic power, brimming with resentment and madness. Any wizard who has seen it once would never mistake it…"
The wizards murmured among themselves, then regarded Leilin with awed and reverent gazes.