Chapter One Hundred Fifty-Two: Bloodline Ascension As for the remaining five small snakes, they let out terrified hisses, struggling desperately to break free from Leilin's body.
Leilin suddenly opened his mouth and drew in a sharp, violent breath.
All five small snakes were sucked into his stomach.
At the same time, the magic circle on the ground emitted a black radiance, shrouding the entire basement in darkness.
Enveloped by the darkness, Leilin felt a sensation like returning to the womb — serene and comforting.
Only the Chip's notifications continued to chime.
"Large quantity of essence substances detected entering the host's body. Identified as Dark-attribute energy particle crystals. Absorbing..."
"Under the influence of the Dark Ritual Circle, the host's absorption rate has increased. Crystal utilization efficiency improved!"
"Absorption complete! The host's Spiritual Power elementalization progress has increased significantly. Current level: 35%."
Ding!
A clear tone rang out at the center of the magic circle, and immediately, all of the black light contracted inward, converging onto a figure standing at the center.
"Hah..."
Leilin slowly opened his eyes. A flicker of black lightning flashed through his gaze.
"This feeling..."
Spiritual elementalization jumping all the way to 35% was an utterly wondrous sensation. Leilin could clearly perceive, in the surrounding void, countless tiny dark-gleaming Dark-attribute energy particles drifting around him like fireflies, drifting to and fro.
Though Leilin had always possessed an affinity for the Dark-attribute, being able to sense the energy particles in the air so effortlessly was something entirely new to him. The feeling was thoroughly novel, and moreover, Leilin sensed that the amount of Spiritual Power required to manipulate the energy particles had been significantly reduced.
"Shadowfireball!"
Leilin rapidly chanted the incantation. Black fireballs shot out one after another from the shadows of the basement.
The flames gathered in Leilin's hand, their volume surging fivefold in an instant.
The corrosive flames continued to rise. Even the rocky ceiling of the basement gradually turned red, showing signs of melting.
"Chip. Scan the current data!"
Leilin silently recited.
"Tier-1 Optimized Spell: Shadowfireball — Actual Power: 40.5 degrees — Spiritual Elementalization Bonus: 10.5 degrees!"
"As expected! The power of Shadowfireball has surged by nearly a third, and the Spiritual Power and mana consumed have also decreased considerably…"
A smile appeared at the corner of Leilin's lips.
His current degree of Spiritual Power elementalization had already reached 35%. Not only did this provide a power boost when casting dark-attribute spells, but because he was using the same category of Spiritual Power to stir the surrounding energy particles, the drain on both Spiritual Power and mana had been greatly reduced.
"If the degree of Spiritual elementalization reached 100%, what kind of power would that be…"
A look of yearning surfaced in Leilin's eyes.
Right now his elementalization was only at 35%, and the benefits it brought were already this significant. If he achieved complete 100% elementalization, wouldn't that put him on par with those ancient elemental creatures?
Of course, Leilin was well aware that humans were not pure elemental beings after all, and the likelihood of reaching 100% Spiritual elementalization was far too slim.
For an ordinary
As for 90% and above, that was a goal only the genius Wizards carefully cultivated by major factions could aspire to.
"I won't be greedy for 100%. But with conditions this favorable, I should at least push my degree of elementalization past 90% before advancing to Tier-2!"
The more solid the foundation, the greater the gains in future advancements — Leilin had understood this principle ever since he was still an apprentice.
"Elemental Crystals! I need a massive quantity of dark-attribute elemental energy particle crystals!"
A fierce, almost scorching anticipation burned deep in Leilin's eyes.
After waiting several minutes, Leilin ascended the spiral staircase of the basement.
"Chip! Run a diagnostic on my current data, and check whether my body has sustained any aftereffects or damage. Calculate the next time I can safely use the crystals again!"
A faint blue glow illuminated the air before Leilin.
"Leilin Farrell. Warlock, First Level. Bloodline: Komoyn Giant Serpent. Strength: 7.1. Agility: 6.7. Constitution: 8.5. Spirit: 29.8. Mana: 29 (mana determined by Spiritual Power synchronization). Spiritual Elementalization Progress: 35%. Status: Healthy."
According to the Chip's data, after using the energy crystal, Leilin's spiritual elementalization had not only surged to 35%, but his Spiritual Power had also risen.
"Trace crystalline residual substances detected within the host's body. Identified as elemental impurities! Currently being expelled through biological circulation. Estimated time to completion: 4 months, 21 days!"
The inspection results from the Chip caught Leilin slightly off guard.
He had long suspected that a Wizard relying on external resources for advancement would produce certain problems, but what he hadn't expected was that the damage would be far milder than he had imagined.
"That's strange. According to the Meditation Method and the Book of the Giant Serpent, the side effects of using a crystal should be Negative Energy erosion lasting up to half a year, coupled with an elemental isolation effect?"
Leilin frowned in confusion. If energy particle crystals were truly this effective, their price should have been several times higher.
The most likely explanation for this anomaly lay within himself.
"Chip, investigate the cause!"
Leilin had a vague suspicion that this had something to do with his Warlock bloodline. Ever since the bloodline of this ancient creature had entered his body, it had been continuously fusing with him and reshaping his constitution.
The modest boost to his physical attributes when he advanced to first-level Warlock was only a tiny fraction. A far greater portion of the bloodline was still gradually, imperceptibly merging with him, quietly bringing him benefits.
"Task established! Authorization granted! Activating atomic microscope — initiating precision scan!"
The Chip soon projected a pale blue schematic before Leilin's eyes.
It was a double helix diagram of human DNA.
But unlike that of an ordinary person, Leilin's diagram was covered in numerous tiny protrusions. Clustered together, these protrusions vaguely converged into a strange symbol.
This symbol bore a strong resemblance to the one that had appeared during his bloodline transplant. Moreover, it seemed to be continuously spreading, as if it intended to engulf Leilin's entire DNA map.
"Abnormalities detected in the host's genetic information. Endocrine function differs from normal parameters. Bodily vitality enhanced. Detoxification capacity increased!"
At the bottom of the diagram was the Chip's conclusion.
From the results, it was clear that ever since acquiring the bloodline, Leilin's bodily functions had grown progressively stronger. His detoxification capacity had even surpassed that of many first-level Wizards, continuously purging the residual impurities left behind by his earlier use of the crystal.
"Ding! Based on analysis of the host's genetic map, the Komoi Giant Serpent bloodline has strengthened and is about to undergo its second leap! Estimated time of arrival: one year and nine months!"
The Chip popped up another notification window.
"Bloodline leap?"
Lei Lin recalled what was recorded in the Book of the Giant Serpent.
Among Warlocks, if the transplanted bloodline was extremely dense, and the origin of the bloodline far exceeded the Warlock's own level, the energy within the bloodline would settle inside the Warlock's body, accumulating continuously until a second leap occurred!
And every bloodline leap brought tremendous changes to the Warlock's body!
What Lei Lin had transplanted into himself was the pure bloodline of the ancient creature, the Komoi Giant Serpant. In terms of Wizard levels, it would be at least equivalent to a fourth-level Morning Star Wizard or above.
And Lei Lin was only a first-level Warlock! The bloodline concentration was far too high, so it would naturally lie dormant within his body first. Only after Lei Lin's physical constitution and Spiritual Power had strengthened to a certain degree would it undergo a deeper fusion with him.
"It seems the mystery and power of ancient bloodlines far exceeds what I had imagined!"
Lei Lin's footsteps as he climbed upward paused briefly.
"One year and nine months, then?"
The second bloodline leap would bring Lei Lin enormous benefits — the most obvious being a massive boost in strength!
"If that's the case, many of my previous plans can be revised!"
Lei Lin's eyes flickered. "Chip! Is there any way to accelerate the arrival of the second bloodline leap?"
"Task established! Searching database!"
The Chip calculated rapidly. "Insufficient data — inference cannot proceed! Simulated hypotheses commencing!"
"Feasible hypotheses: one, use Bloodline Essence Stones; two, obtain a Bloodline Enhancement Wizard Array…"
This was another benefit brought by the Chip's upgrade. When critical data was missing, it would construct hypothetical models, providing the host with the most viable simulated solutions.
"Both of those things have been extinct on the South Coast for thousands of years, haven't they?"
Lei Lin was somewhat speechless. "Looks like all I can do is wait, then?"
The spiral staircase came to an end. Lei Lin pushed open a wooden door fitted with an iron ring and stepped into the villa's study.
"Looks like I'll need to find a few attendants or something!"
Lei Lin surveyed his empty villa.
There were plenty of rooms here, along with a dedicated kitchen and stable — clearly intended for a Wizard's servants.
Most Wizards would take on a few attendants or followers after their advancement, and some would even take in apprentices to serve them.
For someone like Lei Lin, who still lived alone even after advancing to Wizard, that was a truly rare situation.
"Still, I should revise my original plan!"
Lei Lin cast a casual glance around the villa. "As it happens, I can stay here for a while and take care of the servant situation..."
Originally, Lei Lin's plan had been to embark on a series of adventures after settling into the Sleepless City, gathering resources for his advancement.
But now that he knew his strength would undergo a massive boost in a little over a year, why not wait a bit?
For Wizards, two years was not a long time, and Lei Lin, who carried the bloodline of ancient creatures, had a lifespan exceeding that of most Wizards.
"Since I've decided to stay in the Sleepless City for a while, I can't just sit idle. Brewing potions to sell, joining other Wizard organizations for protection and advanced knowledge — I can do all of that at the same time!"
Lei Lin's thoughts turned, and he suddenly remembered the red-haired Wizard, his elderly neighbor.
When it came to these matters, that neighbor could probably be of some help.