Ancient legends and myths weren't necessarily all true.
Quite the contrary — many things in legends had been embellished to varying degrees, and some were nothing more than the participants' fantasies, riddled with all sorts of errors.
Only Leilin's Chip could sift through the mass of convoluted ancient accounts, running enormous analyses and comparisons, to extract the most accurate examples.
And just now, after analyzing the Ram-horned Earth Dragon blood he had collected, Leilin hadn't found even a trace of an ancient bloodline!
Obviously, the claim about the Ram-horned Earth Dragon being a hybrid of dragons and demons was completely bogus!
Leilin hadn't harbored much hope to begin with. Even if the Ram-horned Earth Dragon carried an ancient bloodline, this particular specimen — one that hadn't even reached the strength of a full
Back when he was in Evernight City, he had known full well that extracting an ancient bloodline in its complete form from a creature carrying one required strict criteria for the individual's strength.
And after the Chip's comparative analysis, the conclusion was that the subject had to possess at least the strength of a Third-rank Wizard!
In other words, even if the Ram-horned Earth Dragon carried an ancient bloodline, Leilin would need to bleed a specimen with Third-rank Wizard-level strength, then have the Chip purify and refine it, before he could obtain a complete ancient bloodline!
"A Third-rank Wizard..."
A bitter smile tugged at the corner of Leilin's mouth. He had only just advanced to Second-rank Wizard, and the total spiritual power he had obtained through meditation was quite meager — a considerable portion of it had been forcibly built up through the amplification of his Kemoen Giant Serpent bloodline.
While it was perfectly understandable for a Warlock to rely on the power of their bloodline, Leilin didn't want to end up with a shaky foundation.
Moreover, he had advanced to Second-rank Wizard before the age of forty. That speed was already astonishing on the South Coast, and it would have been considered remarkable even in ancient times.
Therefore, a period of consolidation was absolutely necessary for him.
For quite a long time to come, he likely wouldn't be able to do anything about those Third-rank creatures carrying ancient bloodlines. What's more, with the amplification of their ancient blood, such creatures' strength was often even more terrifying — to the point where even Third-rank Wizards sometimes didn't dare oppose them.
After a brief sigh, Leilin temporarily shelved his idea of collecting ancient bloodlines.
After all, his current Kemoen Giant Serpent bloodline was already sufficient for his needs.
And even if he were lucky enough to obtain some ancient creature's bloodline, it would only be of high research value — once a Warlock had established their bloodline origin, there was absolutely no way to replace it again.
"But it seems things won't end here!"
As Leilin was observing Jenny and her group through his crystal ball, his brow suddenly shot up — he had noticed something.
Under his spiritual power's control, the image inside the crystal ball stretched and shifted away from Jenny's group to a small hill on the other side.
At that moment, cloaked in darkness, two figures on the hilltop were whispering to each other.
"How did you handle things? You just let them take the Dragon Blood Flower Bud?"
The man's voice was very low and deep, his figure indistinct, and he seemed to be wearing a mask over his face.
But Leilin's gaze pierced straight through both the darkness and the mask, revealing his true face.
It was a sinister-looking old man, with a black skull-shaped brand on his face — seemingly seared on with a red-hot iron plate. Around the brand, twisted and horrifying scars spread outward.
Moreover, from this old man emanated an energy fluctuation no weaker than Jamos's — he was actually a Third-rank Apprentice as well. Aside from lacking Magical Items, his strength was already on par with Jamos's.
"I-I didn't want it either..." A younger man nearby was trembling, his voice stammering.
"The Explosive Flame Wolf Pack was already a huge gamble. If we had forced another intervention, I was afraid they would have traced it back to us. Besides, the Ram-horned Earth Dragon is extremely difficult to communicate with and lure... I thought that earth dragon alone would be more than enough to stop this group..."
"That Ram-horned Earth Dragon, though still in its youth, possessed strength beyond a Third-rank Apprentice — it would take a full Wizard to bring it down!"
The sinister old man conceded the young man's assessment.
"Then how did they kill the earth dragon?" Confusion showed on the young man's face. "Even if one of their Knights broke through on the spot, he'd only be a Great Knight at most — that wouldn't change the outcome of the battle..."
"I could feel it — there was a powerful energy fluctuation in the air... Some powerful existence definitely intervened from the shadows..."
The sinister old man's expression was grim. Even with just the tip of the iceberg showing, that power had made his hair stand on end — as though he'd been transported back to the days when he was a helpless child. He had a premonition that the owner of that power could kill him without the slightest effort, and that level of power definitely reached the rank of a full Wizard!
"Then what do we do? Are we still going through with it?"
The young man's voice jumped with alarm. He knew full well that the old man across from him was a Wizard — and if something could frighten him this badly, then that meant... another, even more powerful Wizard?
At the mere thought of this, cold sweat poured down the young man's face. He had the sudden impulse to turn and run, to never get involved in any of this again.
But immediately a bitter laugh rose in his heart. As a covert operative of a major power, how could he simply retire whenever he felt like it? Just from the portion of affairs he had handled, he already knew the temperament of the big boss behind everything — try to escape or retire? The only place for that was a grave.
"Regardless! We absolutely cannot let that girl return to the Eastern Domain Capital with the Dragon Blood Flower Bud! These are the Master's orders!" The old man's expression was stern.
"Let's go..."
He flicked his cloak, and both figures melted into the darkness.
"How interesting! Truly interesting!"
Watching this scene, a smile spread across Leilin's face. He had no interest in the squabbles of ordinary people, but the Wizard standing behind the Augustus family had thoroughly caught his attention.
Power determined everything! And for the Augustus family to wield such influence in the Underworld, they had to have at least one full Wizard backing them!
Perhaps this was an opportunity — to formally make contact with the Wizard world underground!
Leilin stroked his chin and fell deep into thought.
...
"Master! Master! I'm back!!!" Veilin burst into the Flame and Hammer shop like a gust of wind, his face beaming with a radiant smile. "And I've successfully advanced to Great Knight! I picked the Dragon Blood Flower Bud for Miss Jenny!!!"
Behind the counter, Leilin was intently brewing a peculiar flower tea made from yellow petals and green stamens. He didn't so much as lift his head at the words.
"After training with the Breathing Technique I optimized, it still took you this long to advance to Great Knight — you're truly an idiot. And when did I ever take you as a student?"
The smile on Veilin's face froze instantly.
"It was... it was when we killed the Ram-horned Earth Dragon last time! I heard your voice!"
The young man was already rambling incoherently. "You personally acknowledged me as your student back then, and even helped me defeat... Ah!!!"
Whack! Leilin smacked Veilin on the head with a vine whip.
"That was your delusion, kid!!! Want to be my student? Go train for another ten thousand years!!!"
Under Leilin's merciless rebuke, Veilin's head drooped.
His face was burning red, and he wanted nothing more than to crawl into a hole. After the earth dragon's defeat, he had of course realized he'd been hallucinating, but he'd seized the opportunity to try to become Leilin's apprentice — and both Jenny and Jamos had strongly encouraged him.
But clearly, his plan had failed miserably!
Leilin flatly refused to acknowledge him as a student, leaving Veilin standing there dumbstruck, at a complete loss for words.
"Heh heh... Mr. Leilin really is a strict teacher!"
At that moment, Jenny walked in and saved Veilin from his predicament.
"Just disciplining a somewhat foolish associate of mine," Leilin said with a modest smile.
Veilin immediately let out a sigh of relief and stepped aside.
"Actually... Veilin being able to advance to Great Knight at his age is truly remarkable talent. Even in certain more esoteric aspects, I believe he would show outstanding aptitude..." Jenny chose her words carefully. "Why not give him a chance, sir?"
Upon hearing Jenny's words, though Veilin didn't quite understand everything, he gazed at her with grateful eyes.
"I'm quite strict when it comes to taking students." Leilin shook his head again, his polite refusal all too clear.
At this, Veilin's head sank in dejection.
And Jenny could only offer him a consoling look.
"You didn't come here just for this, did you?" Leilin sipped his flower tea alone, with no intention of brewing a cup for Jenny, and went straight to the point.
"In truth, the only reason we were able to pick the Dragon Blood Flower Bud was thanks to Mr. Leilin's help — and the Explosive Flame Wolf Pack before that. I came specifically to express my gratitude!"
Jenny lifted the hem of her skirt and bowed solemnly, a trace of wryness on her face. "With your abilities, sir, I can't think of anything I have to offer. But should you ever have need of the Augustus family in the future, please don't hesitate to ask! I, Jenny Augustus, swear upon the Sun Vine! I will not refuse!"
Jenny's face was filled with solemnity as she made her vow.
"Furthermore, I will be leaving here soon, which is why I came to bid you farewell!"
"Wait!" Before Leilin could speak, Veilin blurted out in shock. "Jenny, you... you're leaving?"