Bloodline Warlocks were a branch of ancient Wizards who commanded the formidable power of bloodlines!
Moreover, at every rank, a Warlock not only possessed strength equal to that of a
So why couldn't such a powerful profession dominate the Wizard world? Why had they vanished without a trace in both the South Coast and the Dark Extreme Region, leaving only scattered legacies on the Central Continent?
It all came down to a single problem — Bloodline Shackles!!!
According to what Gubule had said, unlike Wizards who could continue advancing indefinitely, the ultimate rank a Warlock could reach was inextricably linked to the bloodline origin they had inherited.
In other words, a Warlock like Gubule — a Manxter Giant Serpent Warlock — was limited by the Withered Giant Serpent bloodline in his body. After reaching the formal Wizard rank, he had hit his absolute ceiling! No matter how hard he tried afterward, he could never advance to Second-rank Wizard! This was the Bloodline Shackles!!!
By the same logic, if a Holar Black Serpent Warlock's base form could reach Third-rank, then the pinnacle of his entire life would be the Third-rank Warlock rank! He would never be able to break through to the Morning Star realm!
As for a Komoin Giant Serpent Warlock like Leilin, while the pure bloodline in his body could provide tremendous momentum when breaking through the bottlenecks of formal Wizard, and even Second-rank and Third-rank Wizard, its effect was negligible when facing the threshold of the Morning Star.
Furthermore, after breaking through to Morning Star, he too would lose all potential to advance further — this was determined by the inherent limitations of the bloodline itself. And for a Bloodline Warlock to change their own bloodline was utterly impossible, making this a virtually unsolvable problem!!!
In truth, Leilin was actually relatively fortunate.
After all, a Morning Star Wizard! Even across the entire Central Continent, that was a truly remarkable figure.
Far more tragic were those Warlocks formed from bloodline origins that could not even reach the strength of a formal Wizard! For instance, if Gubule had used the blood of a juvenile Manxther Giant Serpent to become a Warlock. His entire life might have been shackled to the Apprentice rank — no matter how talented he was, it would be completely useless!
When he heard this, even with Leilin's current level of mental fortitude, he broke out in a cold sweat.
If he had been greedy for convenience back then and directly used the Holar Black Serpent bloodline, he would most likely be firmly shackled at the Third-rank Wizard level right now, with all hope of advancement gone!
As for now? Although Gubule had said his potential limit was Fourth-rank Warlock, that was still considerably better than before.
Moreover, a Morning Star Wizard was a great figure even in the ancient era. With such strength, the means available and the domains accessible would be far broader than those of a Third-rank Wizard — perhaps he could find some way!
Finally, there was still the rich harvest from the Ice World and the legend of the ancient Mother of All Serpents to fall back on — a sliver of hope remained!
With this renewed confidence, Leilin only felt briefly disheartened before recovering his composure.
He recalled what had been written in the materials when he obtained the Eye of Komoin Meditation Method: "Those who walk the path of bloodlines will ultimately be shackled by their blood..."
At the time, he had been completely baffled, even sensing a vague premonition of ill omen. Now it seemed those words referred precisely to the Bloodline Shackles of Warlocks.
"And the Crimson Grand Wizard of old, cultivating the Komoin Giant Serpent bloodline everywhere, conducting extensive bloodline experiments — he was probably trying to solve this very problem..."
Leilin thought of this as well.
And it was obvious that even within the Ouroboros Ring, different Bloodline Warlocks held different statuses.
Komoin Giant Serpent Warlocks held the highest status. Some pure-blooded Komoin Giant Serpent Warlocks didn't even need to do anything — simply waiting passively over the course of centuries would automatically advance them to Third-rank Warlock, and they still had hope of breaking through to become Morning Star Wizards!
Therefore, such pure-blooded Komoin Giant Serpent Warlocks were the aristocratic elite within the Ouroboros Ring! They received tremendous attention and protection, regarded as future Morning Star seeds.
Holar Black Serpent Warlocks, whose bloodline capped at Third-rank and could never advance further, were at least able to enter Second-rank Wizard without issue thanks to their bloodline power. Third-rank was also within reach, placing them just below the Komoin Giant Serpent Warlocks in status.
As for Manxter Giant Serpent Warlocks like Gubule? They were the most wretched and pitiable batch. Only marginally better than Apprentices — even Third-rank Apprentices with slightly superior bloodlines could look down on them.
None of this had anything to do with character — it was purely a matter of strength!
Therefore, many lower-ranking Warlocks, in order to secure better status and treatment, voluntarily attached themselves to those Komoin Giant Serpent bloodline Warlocks, forming relationships of retainer and master. These groups, one by one, became the predecessors and prototypes of Warlock families.
Now, Gubule had sensed the Komoin Giant Serpent bloodline in Leilin through the trembling in his own bloodline, and immediately, without a moment's hesitation, sold his loyalty to seek protection.
"It seems that no matter where you go — wherever there are organizations and hierarchies, there will be injustice, exploitation, and oppression!"
Leilin listened and silently sighed to himself.
Looking at Gubule's eyes, filled with anxiety and hope, he gave a faint smile: "In the name of Leilin Farell, I accept you as my vassal! I hope you will henceforth uphold the bond between lord and retainer, safeguarding the honor and standing of the Farell Family..."
"I obey! My lord — from now on, your will shall be my lifelong mission, sworn upon my blood!"
Gubule's expression turned solemn. He cut a slit on his hand and smeared the blood — crimson shot through with a hint of bright yellow — onto his forehead, then prostrated himself heavily once more.
Boom!
After the oath was completed, Leilin suddenly felt the connection of a contract — a Bloodline Contract. It placed few restrictions on him, but its impact on Gubule was enormous.
Not only could Leilin, as before, exert subtle suggestion and influence over Gubule through his superior bloodline, but under the contract's power, this influence was dramatically amplified. Even if Leilin ordered him to walk to his death, Gubule would have no choice but to comply!
"This absolute control from superior to subordinate! What tremendous racial instinct!"
Seeing this, rather than feeling any joy, Leilin felt a twinge of fear rise in his heart.
Since the Komoin Giant Serpent was a race with such pronounced bloodline nature, what if one day he encountered an even higher existence among serpent-kind — or even the Mother of All Serpents! In that case, they could probably dominate him just as easily!
"No! Absolutely not! My will and my freedom — I will allow no one but myself to control them!!!"
Leilin roared silently in his heart and secretly made a firm resolution.
Though all these thoughts had churned through his mind, to Gubule, Leilin had merely paused for a brief moment before accepting his oath.
"My lord, I arrived here through the tidal surge of the magma eruption. Here is the topographical map and the volcanic eruption points!"
After rising to his feet, Gubule immediately presented a map with both hands, bowing respectfully.
"In a hurry, are you?" Leilin examined the map, which marked a winding passage leading upward, along with detailed lava sites. However, some areas were already damaged and stained, making them difficult to read clearly.
"My lord, I used the contraction period before the volcanic eruption — when vast amounts of lava settled down — to travel through the passage and reach this place. To get back out, we must make it before the full eruption occurs; otherwise, massive quantities of lava will completely block the passage... And between this contraction and eruption period, there are only a few days. If we miss this window, we'll have to wait at least another hundred years..."
Gubule's little scheme naturally couldn't escape Leilin's notice, so he simply said it outright.
Although he had only just arrived here, Leilin was already in despair over the harsh conditions of the Dark Extreme Region. Not only was the concentration of energy particles in the air far lower than on the Central Continent, but the resources were nothing to speak of either.
For example, the Life Vine Fruit in his hand — while something similar was no common item on the Central Continent, a Third-rank Apprentice could still get his hands on one. How could it possibly be so prized here that a group of Wizards would pursue him relentlessly, trying to kill him?
Watching Gubule's desperate desire to return, Leilin immediately felt a new surge of anticipation toward the Central Continent.
It seemed that its prosperity far exceeded his imagination — one could already glimpse shadows of the ancient golden age of Wizards.
"There's no rush for that. Let me first go see the point where you came through..."
Leilin stroked his chin and put the map away.
Though he had decided to head to the Central Continent, there were still many matters to handle in the Dark Extreme Region.
After all, the Alliance of Nature was such a large academy, and there was considerable profit to account for.
And without his protection, the entire human race would fall into great turmoil, potentially even affecting several non-human races.
Gurgle! Gurgle!
This was an enormous magma lake. Vast quantities of brilliant red magma constantly boiled and churned, heat waves sweeping outward. At the very center, the magma had turned a deep golden-yellow, shimmering with a mesmerizing yet dangerous luster.
"This kind of temperature..."
Leilin's expression shifted slightly. "Even with my defenses, I doubt they could hold for more than a dozen hours at most!"
Above the magma lake, there was a massive hole — pitch-black with no visible ceiling — and faint sounds of wind drifted from within.
"This is the main passage to the enormous volcanic mountain range above. Under normal circumstances, it would also be filled with lava. Only during the brief siphon phenomenon in the period leading up to the eruption once every hundred-plus years does it appear..." Gubule explained to Leilin.
"I know!"
Leilin's body rose into midair as he ran his hand along the edge of the cavern.
A strange sensation reached him — hard and smooth, yet carrying a trace of searing heat.
After being soaked in vast quantities of magma, the surface of these rocks had long since lost their original composition, forming an alloy structure reminiscent of steel and crystal.
"We need to hurry! Otherwise, we won't make it back to the surface before the lava fills the passage!" Gubule's expression was also somewhat strange — he himself hadn't expected that after having just arrived here, he would already be setting out on the return journey.