Chapter 223 - 687 - 695

Arthur Empire

With the A.I. Chip's deductions, Leylin instantly obtained the spell's model, and learnt all of its weaknesses.

'The darkness elemental particles just aren't concentrated enough in the central continent. Perhaps it can only be used in a paradise for dark Magi like the subterranean world.'

"Fight darkness with light!" A holy white radiance was formed at Leylin's fingertip. While he was a dark Magus himself, it wasn't like he couldn't use any life or light element spells.

In reality, with enough spiritual force and access to spell models, Magi could employ spells of any type. However, there was a difference due to vitality and elemental affinity. Leylin might be extremely proficient with darkness spells, even having an added bonus to their power, but he would find it difficult to use light and life element spells, and the power could even be diminished.

Now, for instance, the light-type spell that Leylin was casting consumed a lot of energy to produce a spell half as strong as one by a regular Magus. He'd long since solidified darkness elemental particles, something that only made it harder for him to use light spells.

However, with Leylin's current strength, even a small portion of his power would cause the spell to be a bane to all darkness.

Leylin seemed to move exceedingly slowly, but somehow arrived above the monster before it could do anything. The light-tipped finger tapped the centre of the monster's skull.

"Awoo!" A bit of light shone above the monster's head, before it began to flicker and become more dazzling.

*Ka-cha! Ka-cha!* Like the sound of glass breaking, many cracks appeared on its head and it then exploded, melting into nothingness amidst the white light.

"Mm! Light-type spells can still restrain darkness-type spells, but that also depends on the strength of both parties."

Leylin had his own understanding of the relationship between elements. If darkness elemental particles were to be likened to fire, then light-type energy particles would be like water.

While a ladle of water could extinguish sparks, it could do nothing against a sea of fire.

On the other hand, if the fire was intense enough, a few droplets of rainwater would be evaporated.

"Awoo…" After the monster head was easily smashed by Leylin, the black giant took several steps back. In its dull, mechanical eyes, traces of terror could be seen.

He let out a few meaningless howls and made to escape.

But how could Leylin let go of such a great guinea pig?

"Stay here!" Along with Leylin's slight smile, a few black shackles appeared in mid-air and bound him tightly. No matter how the giant kept snarling, there was nothing he could do against these chains.

Soon after, his figure shrunk in size till it entered a crystal ball in Leylin's hands, like a bug that was frozen in amber.

"Mm! The hoarding spell works, which means he isn't some living being but a magic being without a soul!"

While it was just a short period of time exchanging blows with him, Leylin now had an understanding of the composition of the giant.

He had evidently gone through the refining of a Branded Swordsman and had even reached a very high level. His body had already gone through elemental modification and become crystallised and somewhat translucent.

This material was the best to make magic beings. After elemental modification, flesh not only retained its original defensive and offensive abilities, it could use spells without obstructions.

In just a short period of time, this was all Leylin could tell. For things on a deeper level, he would need to do more experiments and dissection.

"This… lord, thank you for… your help!"

At this moment, Leylin noticed the young adventurer collapsed on the ground at the side. He was evidently a Magus, though he had a very low rank. This was all the strength he had, and yet had come to explore. He was rather lucky not to die from the mechanisms or curses.

"Hm? This language?" His thanks meant nothing to Leylin, but the language he spoke in delighted Leylin.

"It's very similar to the Twilight Language, though there are minute differences in pronunciation. There's no need to learn a new language!"

Leylin was surprised, but then found this reasonable. Twilight Zone was a part of the subterranean world, and was only isolated because of the battle between two Morning Stars. Before that happened, they must have been using the same language and writing as the subterranean world.

"Mm. What's your name?" Since the issue with language was solved, Leylin had no desire to search his soul.

The information he needed was too high-levelled, and someone with such a tiny role would not know much.

With Leylin's Dreamscape force field, he was confident he could make this person reveal basic information on the culture and geography unwittingly.

"My– My name is Jo– Jorgian!" The young Magus was silent for a while and then stated his name.

"Your name is very unique!" Leylin commented. It wasn't unexpected for the social customs of the underground world to be different from Magi on the surface.

"By the way, where is this… What's the world outside like?"

Leylin asked without holding back. A hazy force field was produced from his body. This was the ability he had gained after undergoing dreamscape modification, and he possessed powerful illusory strength.

Ever since he had gotten this, Leylin would not search souls or any similar methods unless it was truly necessary.

A Magus who played around with souls would not have a good name in the Magus World. When unnecessary, Leylin still wished to maintain his reputation.

A good reputation was still a benefit. If used well, he might even obtain unexpected rewards.

"This is the Thunderbird region, and rumoured to be the holyland of the Lyas family…" After Leylin's words, Jorgian first looked daze, eyes losing focus, before he began to disclose everything unwittingly.

The more he heard, the more Leylin looked solemn.

"Poor little guy! He's been enticed into adventuring into someone else's restricted area…" After he'd listened to everything, Leylin watched Jorgian, eyes full of pity.

'This little guy has definitely fallen into some huge conspiracy…'

However, this was none of his business. He'd found out that this was the territory of the Arthur Empire underground, and this was a massive empire. There were large numbers of other races outside, and had a surface area countless times larger than Twilight Zone.

In the Arthur Empire, there had never been a lack of Morning Star ranks. There were even rumours of Radiant Moon Magi.

Such good news allowed Leylin to confirm that there was a huge possibility of this place being the complete first layer of the underground.

"Hm?" After Leylin got all the intel he wanted, Jorgian immediately looked alert, and then turned sorrowful, "My apologies… at the thought of my companions, I became absent-minded…"

In his memories, Leylin had only asked why he had come to these ruins. He, who thought back to his comrades, was lost in thought.

A sad feeling rose in his heart, and he did not suspect any changes to his memories.

When it came to manipulating memories, Leylin was at the level of a grandmaster. This little Magus had had his memories altered and yet not discovered it at all.

As long as Leylin wanted to, he could work out a brand new set of memories from childhood to adulthood for any Magus below Morning Star without the other party noticing.

This was obviously something normal Radiant Moons or even Breaking Dawn Monarchs could do, but with the A.I. Chip's abilities to simulate reality, it just took more time and effort on Leylin's end.

"Alright, Mister Jorgian! I understand all you've gone through. Forgive me for my bluntness, but this is a place you really shouldn't be in. It's better for you to leave with me!"

Leylin took several steps forward. In exchange for the intel he had been given, he didn't mind saving the boy on the way and send him out of the ruins.

"Mm, thank you so much, my lord!" Jorgian's eyes were full of gratitude as he followed closely behind Leylin, as if afraid he would be left behind.

After all the dangers today, he knew very well that if Leylin did not bring him along, he would be trapped in the ruins sooner or later and die by the hands of the mechanisms.

...

*Hualala!* Numerous pitch-black lightning formed a cage with all types of beasts roaring.

A black dot the size of sesame constantly grew in size amidst the lightning and eventually turned into two figures, dashing out while braving the lightning.

"Alright, we're out!"

Leylin shook his robes and put Jorgian, who was in his arms, down.

"We're… out?" He still looked dazed. He had never known how dangerous the ruins were. Things had been smooth-sailing when he had entered, but while exiting, they had met with many dangers, especially the lightning jail at the exit. He'd remembered that when he had first arrived, there was no such spell pattern sealed here.

Seeing this, he was extremely relieved. If not for Leylin, he would probably die in the ruins even if he had nine lives.

Jorgian couldn't help but look at the black structures behind him. The ruins were now like a monster with its mouth wide open, swallowing the lives of all adventurers.

"My lord, do you think… we should… leave now?"

Jorgian asked carefully. He'd grown to understand Leylin's terrifying abilities after following him around.

"That's not possible now."

Leylin shook his head.

"Why?" Jorgian could not understand, and his expression quickly changed.

A few streaks of blue figures appeared around them at some point, surrounding them.

Thorned Thunderbird

"How brazen of you, intruding into the restricted area of the Lyers Family!" The Magi surrounding Leylin and Jorgian wore robes and had long, ocean blue hair. To his surprise, these silver-pupiled, fair-skinned people had an obvious aura from a bloodline on them. They were a group of Warlocks!

'Bloodline Warlocks! I never thought there'd be Warlock inheritances in the subterranean world!' Light flashed in Leylin's eyes.

'No, this is only to be expected. After all, the subterranean world is much more vast than the surface world, and it's normal for there to be ancient Warlock inheritances. I just never expected that there would be Warlocks protecting the other side of the tunnel in the Eternal Plains pocket dimension…'

Leylin surveyed his surroundings. The Warlocks surrounding them looked very young, but this was a side-effect of their bloodlines. They were in face much older, and the aged aura created a huge contrast with their handsome faces.

'They're at least rank 2… Also, this bloodline?' A light blue tint covered Leylin's eyes. The surrounding Warlocks were just as shocked seeing that two people had been able to exit the restricted area.

;A.I. Chip, scan their bloodlines and match it with the database!; Leylin commanded inside his mind.

These Warlocks were under Morning Star, and did not notice any of Leylin's actions. The A.I. Chip quickly obtained what he wanted.

[Collection of bloodline data complete. Comparing with database… Determined to be ancient Thorned Thunderbird.]

Immediately after, the A.I. Chip showed all information on the ancient Thorned Thunderbird.

[Beep! Ancient Thorned Thunderbird, rank 6 being! Rumoured to be descendant of the primordial Thunderbird. Possesses powerful thunder and lightning abilities and soundwave attacks. Likes to dwell in areas with plentiful metal elementals. Evaluation: Incomparably dangerous. The nemesis of ancient metal race!]

"Bloodline Warlocks from rank 6 beings! No wonder I felt the bloodline giving me some slight pressure!"

Leylin watched the surrounding Warlocks with some pity in his eyes, "It's a pity that the Warlocks' bloodlines have weakened quite a bit and can't be purified to its original rank 6!"

The Warlocks surrounding Leylin might have bloodline from a rank 6 ancient Thorned Thunderbird, but their status was similar to the Black Horrall Snake Warlocks of the Ouroboros Clan. The bloodline had weakened and lost all the power from their ancestors.

"However, since they exist, there must be powerful people within this Warlock family. I should be able to purify their bloodline…"

Leylin shot a glance at these Warlocks with malicious intent, giving them a feeling as if calamity loomed.

"However, this is the Lyers family's restricted area, and you intentionally got these adventurers to enter. Seems like there's some unspeakable secret inside…"

Leylin thought about it for a while and did not eliminate the possibility of the Lyers family giving out this news in order to get blood sacrifices, attracting adventurers to come and explore.

If that was the case, it would explain why Jorgian and his crew were obviously low-ranked, but could enter the ruins without obstructions.

"Why are you still talking to them? All Magi who sully our Lyers Family have only the ending of death!"

The Warlocks of the Lyers family were urged on by someone like a leader and immediately chose to attack without hesitation. Fine, minute static electricity force field were produced from their bodies, forming a powerful domain that kept Leylin and Jorgian within. Leylin could practically feel their bloodlust, and they evidently wanted to keep them here no matter the cost.

"This spell?" Seeing these Warlocks all having blue electricity shooting everywhere that formed a large-scaled static electricity field that merged and amplified each other, Leylin looked slightly interested.

[Rank 1 spell: Static electricity field! Determined to be opponent's rank 1 innate spell that can produce static electricity force field on a large scale. Energy consumption at the minimum, and has effects of amplifying each other.]

The A.I. Chip transmitted the functions of the spell at this moment.

"Kill him!" The leader donned a layer of lightning armour, and two gigantic blue bright wings stretched behind his back, causing his speed to suddenly increase. He almost turned into a streak of blue lightning.

[Rank 2 Thorned Thunderbird Warlock Bloodline Spell determined to be: Lightning Armour, rank 3 bloodline spell: Wings of Lightning.]

Through the opponent's bloodline activities and spells, the A.I. Chip managed to gather much information, and large amounts of data was showed in front of Leylin.

"As expected of an ancient rank 6 bloodline. These innate abilities are very practical!"

Leylin sighed slightly. It was a pity that there were no Morning Star Warlocks in their midst. No matter how useful a spell, they were pointless if they did not reach a certain level.

"Break!" Leylin spat out a syllable and terrifying darkness-type elemental particles spread like a rising tide.

Surging energy particles thundered as they turned into a giant beast with a weapon, attacking the opponents' joint static electricity forcefield.

*Tss tss!* Blue sparks flashed and mixed with streams of black gas. Immediately after, there was a dull sound of thunder, and even the ground shook.

Miserable cries rose and fell in succession, and the Thunderbird Warlocks who were only rank 1 and 2 crumpled to the ground.

*Chiu chiu!* The leader in the air who saw this emitted a piercing cry, turning and then transforming into lightning and leaving.

"Get down here!"

Leylin's eyes were never on him, but a faint image of a double-headed black snake had already appeared on him, four blood-red eyes giving him a dead stare.

"Hss hss!" The snake kept flicking its tongue and quickly drew this leader into its mouth. Blue lightning flashed everywhere and then disappeared.

The double-headed black snake meandered to the ground and spat out the leader. However, he had already fainted, and the lightning around his body had disappeared without a trace.

"Too weak. Much too weak! This extent…"

Leylin narrowed his eyes. A bloodline like this wasn't enough to even arouse his interest to extract it.

"My- my lord! We…" At the other side, Jorgian, who had seen Leylin and Lyers fighting had been so afraid that he'd fainted before.

The Lyers family's reputation was like a sun in the sky within the Arthur Empire. It was said they had a Morning Sar in charge. Wasn't this Magus seeking death by provoking him?

However, the crux of the issue was that whether Leylin or the Lyers family, Jorgian could not afford to offend either side and almost burst into tears.

"I'll wait for a while more here. Leave first!" Leylin shooed him away.

"How– How can I leave my lord behind to confront the Lyers family?" He hesitated, but Leylin obviously could tell.

"Once their reinforcements come, it wouldn't be just these sort of low-ranked characters. What, you mean you're thinking of going against the Lyers family with me?"

Leylin had a half-smile on his face as he watched Jorgian.

"No, no, my lord! I shall take my leave first!" He immediately turned pale and fled at lightning-speed after bowing, as if there was some ferocious beast chasing him.

Watching his back, Leylin shook his head. He was just a tiny character after all, and if he really did stay, unafraid of death, he'd definitely be affected . Choosing to leave was a rather sensible decision.

Now, Leylin could not be bothered with this boy. He watched a trace of lightning shooting over from the distance, a smile lighting up his face slightly.

"Chiu chiu!" It was as if tens of thousands of birds were calling at the same time. When the lightning disappeared, there was another figure in the sky.

"You attacked them?" The newcomer was very young, and his brows were furrowed in his anger. He'd evidently been angered by the miserable state of the many Lyers family Warlocks on the ground.

"They offended me. I've been benevolent enough not to kill them. If I did things like I usually do, they can only descend to the underworld and repent for their sins!" Leylin shrugged.

*Huala!* White electric current streaked past, as if tearing through the sky. In mid air, the Warlock's overbearing and furious words could be heard, "Good, very good! Then I'll let you see a bit of my 'benevolence'!"

Terrifying energy from someone who had reached the realm of a rank 4 Warlock and attaining Morning Star burst from his body. Countless dark clouds converged, enveloping the whole region.

*Rumble!* Eight blue pillars of light instantly descended. Boundless lightning shot out from the pillars, forming a large purgatory.

Lightning and fire gathered in purgatory and trapped Leylin within.

[Rank 4 Thorned Thunderbird Warlock Bloodline Spell determined to be: Berserk Lightning Prison.] The A.I. Chip projected the opponent's spell before Leylin at this moment.

"A rank 4 spell. Looks like I have to get a little serious!"

Leylin's expression became grimmer. He, who now was struck by the Curse Mark of Ten Thousand Snakes, could only display Morning Star strength and was on par with the opponent.

*Chi chi! Huala!* Numerous electricity snakes surrounded by flames opened their mouths full of blood and devoured Leylin.

Dazzling lightning was very harsh on the eyes, but a hint of black rays leaked from the electricity.

The black radiance grew until it cut through the lightning, turning into an illusory, terrifying giant serpent and appeared behind Leylin.

"Hss…" The serpent had shackles with metallic stings, but it still paid that no mind as it snarled at the lightning clouds in the sky.

"Warlock? Such a terrifying an evil bloodline force?"

From within the thunderclouds, the Warlocks' bewildered voice could be heard. Following which, the voice silenced and turned into the piercing sounds of rumbling.

*Chiu chiu!*

A streak of dazzling blue radiance abruptly burst forth from the clouds, landing on Leylin's shoulder.

"Booming Thunderclap!" The opponent's voice only reached Leylin after the electricity struck Leylin.

Meeting and Sneak Attack

Since he was struck by an attack that was faster than the speed of sound, Leylin could only hear it after the fact. His expression showed his confusion as he glanced at his shoulder.

His black scholar robes had already been torn up, revealing fine snake scales. However, they were now charred, and a few pieces had even fallen off. Traces of dark red could be seen where he was wounded.

"Not bad, you could break through my defences!" Leylin looked slightly stunned. Following that, terrifying black streams of gas converged on the serpentine figure behind him. It swelled up, flicking its tail forth.

*Boom!* A pillar of lightning broke down, and as if some chain reaction had been triggered the seven other pillars of lightning fell in succession, causing the Berserk Lightning Prison to crumble.

The giant serpent bellowed with rage, the sound waves engulfing the entire area and causing the thunderclouds in the air to be torn apart to reveal a tremendous bird.

The giant bird was dark blue, with each spike of a feather lustrous like steel. Streaks of blue lightning twirled around the bird, and it seemed magnificent, its eyes glinting with wisdom.

"The ancient Thorned Thunderbird? No, it's just an immature one that still isn't at its final stage." Warlocks with high-ranked bloodlines might have Morning Star Arcane Arts that allowed atavism, but they could only transform into a young version of their source creature. Bevis was the same. The Misty Fog Giant he'd transformed into was only an adolescent. Only after reaching the peak of their bloodline could a Warlock have the full might of the ancient creature.

The Thorned Thunderbird was a rank 6 being in ancient times, while the Warlock here was only at rank 4. The Thorned Thunderbird that he'd transformed into was naturally still young and immature.

However, it was a rank 6 being after all, and even if it was at its immature phase, it still surpassed many rank 4 beings.

*Chiu chiu!* The tremendous thunderbird called out as it soared in the air. Boundless lightning fell with each flap of its wings.

The electric arcs on his body grew increasingly dazzling till they enveloped his whole body and turned him into a large lightning bird. With ear-piercing rumbling, the lightning bird swooped down. Lightning flashed in the surrounding area constantly, creating a terrifying region of lightning.

"Interesting!" A smile adorned Leylin's lips and the Kemoyin Emperor's figure grew even more distinct, as if the ancient creature had truly come to this world.

"Hss…" The giant serpent snarled and collided with the lightning bird, giving rise to countless ripples.

*Rumble!* The earth tremored and energy undulations swept through the region. The smoke in the air formed a huge mushroom cloud, frightening power extending into the sky. The bedrock cracked, and large amounts of boulders that were tens of thousands of tonnes tumbled down to form giant pits upon collision.

Once all the smoke and dust settled, the area where Leylin had been now only had a large depression and pit. Much of the rock had just melted to form a unique crystal.

"Hah, hah…" One figure walked out from within the pit holding a black one.

"Damn it! If it weren't for the Allsnake Curse, this mere Morning Star Warlock wouldn't be able to harm me at all!" Fury was evident in Leylin's expression. Most of his clothes had been damaged, revealing the muscles below. He cut a sorry figure.

The opposing Morning Star Warlock, on the other hand, had completely fainted and was now held in Leylin's hands.

"Based on the intel from before, this Morning Star Warlock is only an elder in the Lyers family. There's still a Warlock who's surpassed Morning Star…" Leylin turned grim, "Kid, you're in luck! You might not have to die here today, but…"

*Pak!* Leylin tossed him to the ground casually, and a large syringe appeared in his hands.

"Though your body is only at rank 4, the blood concentration isn't half bad. It's enough to be used for samples and as a guinea pig."

...

A short distance away from these black ruins were dark hills. Lights were reflected from atop the hills, making it as dazzling as crystal. These hills had peaks made out of metal, and had at their heart a metallic castle that stood tall.

This was the Lyers Warlock Family's main base and where their headquarters was.

"It's rumoured that the Thorned Thunderbird likes places where high-grade metallic ores are in the surroundings. Looks like it's true!" Leylin floated in the air, observing the large castle. The Warlock from before looked dispirited while being held in Leylin's hand, eyes full of terror.

"Your humble servant, Leylin Farlier, is here to greet the Lyers family!" Leylin transmitted with a thick and low voice, not bothering with the Warlock in his hands. His voice resounded in the castle, making contact with endless spiritual force and soul force.

"Who is it?" "What a terrifying and sinister bloodline aura!" "Hm? Look who he has in his hands!" "He dares take an elder of our Lyers family captive. How bold!"

Various roars mixed with spiritual force charged out, but Leylin easily evaded them.

These people who were a dime a dozen obviously could not draw his interest. What Leylin focused on was the aura hidden deep inside the castle. This person had obviously passed through the threshold of Morning Star and entered rank 5.

Leylin floated in the air and waited for a long while. There were quite a few Warlocks with varying abilities that came out, but the owner of that aura wasn't even alarmed.

Leylin thought about it for a while, and his rank 5 Kemoyin Emperor figure appeared behind him. A trace of his Half Moon soul force surged out like a huge dragon.

The power of someone at the same rank immediately got the other party's attention. Violent lightning caused the earth to rumble and mountains to break as a powerful conscient came over.

"Who dares disturb my sleep?" Terrifying rank 5 aura was transmitted, wreaking havoc like a storm. Those Warlocks knelt down respectfully, "Grand Elder!"

A streak of lightning was like a godly sword that broke through the first floor and appeared in the air, revealing the figure of a middle-aged man.

His features were characteristic of the Lyers family— Dark blue long hair, silver pupils and slightly pale skin. However, his expression was ripe with arrogance, as if nothing in the world was worth troubling himself over.

After seeing Leylin, his expression grew less intense, "A rank 5 Warlock?! Why have you come to create trouble in our Lyers family? Hm, no, that aura…"

"My friend, how about we go to a remote area to discuss this further?" Leylin chuckled and flung the Warlock in his hands into the group of people, creating chaos amongst their ranks.

"Come with me!" The Warlock took a look at Leylin and disappeared like lightning, moving like a meteor.

Leylin followed behind him, large amounts of black gas surrounding his body. He did not move urgently, but while he didn't seem fast he kept up with the Warlock with no signs of falling behind.

The Warlock ahead brought Leylin along to a large oceanic lake before stopping.

"Good day, Sir. I am Leylin Farlier, and I hope…" Leylin began to speak, but his expression suddenly changed.

Dark blue lightning crashed down once more, and an attack that surpassed the Morning Star realm struck down. Booming Thunderclap appeared once more.

However, this time the spell's destructive ability was far more powerful than before. There were now five rays that attacked from different angles, sealing off Leylin's path of retreat. Afterwards, a gigantic Thorned Thunderbird phantom appeared behind Eam, widening its sharp beak in Leylin's direction.

Terrifying sound waves brought with them the power of thunder and lightning, "Rank 5 spell— Thorned Thundercry!"

The opponent had cast the spells quickly, and each one was hidden quite well. He practically didn't have to think at all. If this was a regular rank 5 Warlock, not having enough time to defend would be a very dangerous problem. However, Leylin was different, and his thoughts moved faster than electricity.

Just at the moment the lightning was about to reach his body, the tremendous phantom of a Kemoyin Emperor burst forth and wound itself around Leylin. A gigantic black hole began to form in the snake's mouth.

"Rank 5 Kemoin Emperor innate skill— Devour!" The five streaks of lightning were instantly sucked into the black hole, turning into an unending stream of life force.

Following that, piercing sound waves that were mixed with lightning and fire rushed forth and smashed into the large Kemoyin Emperor. Scales flew everywhere, but then regenerated at a rapid pace.

After these two waves of attacks passed, the Kemoyin Emperor figure dissipated to reveal Leylin who was not the least bit injured.

"Sir… What is the meaning of this?" Leylin asked in a cold voice, the iciness extending to his gaze.

'A.I. Chip, if I completely undo the seal, how long can I fight?' Leylin asked inside his head. His bloodline was still sealed, and dealing with a Morning Star Warlock was already quite tough on him. With a rank 5 bloodline Warlock with the bloodline of the ancient Thorned Thunderbird against him, things were even worse.

However, if the opponent wasn't tactful, Leylin had no choice but to completely unseal himself and teach him an unforgettable lesson, perhaps by ensuring his fall.

[Beep! Allsnake Curse will increase absorption rate if Host undoes seal. Maximum resistance time: 7min 34s] the A.I. Chip loyally intoned.

'In other words, after I undo my seal, I'll need to eliminate the opponent in seven minutes and then reseal my bloodline? Even if I manage that, there should be terrible consequences. A.I. Chip!'

[Beep! Each unsealing will reduce the time left to the curse flaring up by 7 months, even if successfully resealed.] the A.I. Chip intoned.

Enhancing Lightning Runes

Leylin had previously sealed off his bloodline force to stop the curse from flaring up. Naturally, he could undo the seal in times of danger and restore his strength to the peak of rank 5. However, the curse would absorb even more energy from him every time he did so.

Even if he successfully sealed himself up again, the time he had left would be brought down by about seven months. Leylin had only two years left. Unless it was absolutely necessary, he definitely would not do this.

However, he would have no choice but to use this method in times of crisis, even if the temporary help resulted in long-term danger. Leylin's cold pupils were fixed on the rank 5 Warlock in front of him.

"Good, very good! Since you were able to take on my attack, you have the right to speak to me on equal grounds!"

Unexpectedly, the great elder revealed a rigid smile, "Let me introduce myself. My name is Eam, Eam Lyers. Rank 5 Warlock and the grand elder of the Lyers family!"

Seeing the opponent withdrawing all the electricity around his body, Leylin was rendered speechless. He could tell that this Eam was definitely a very arrogant Warlock. Unless he showed enough power to threaten him, it would be impossible to speak to him on equal terms.

Now, after attacking and finding out Leylin's abilities, he suddenly was more approachable.

Though still on his guard, Leylin was more than willing to avoid needless conflicts, "I've already introduced myself before. My name is Leylin! Lord Eam's way of greeting others is really quite unique."

"Hehe…" Eam merely smiled in answer to Leylin's words and did not address them. Instead, he observed Leylin with interest, "You aren't a Magus of the subterranean world, are you?"

"Indeed." There was no way for Leylin to hide this. Were he a rank 2 or 3 Magus, he could conceal himself from Eam since it would make sense for there to be no mention of him anywhere. But a rank 5 Warlock of unknown origins was rather suspicious.

Given that this was an inherited bloodline, how could there be no information on it? Would the Lyers family not know beforehand about a Warlock family with a rank 5 serpent bloodline?

Leylin had burst out of nowhere, and this rank 5 Warlock had no information about him. That led Eam to his conclusion.

"As expected, my Lord is a Magus from the world above ground!" Seeing Leylin admitting this, Eam nodded and looked confident.

"Yes, I do come from the surface, and I'm the head of the Magi organisations in control of the passage to the surface. Lord Eam shouldn't be any ordinary Warlock, right? The passage in the Thunderbird Holy Land…" Leylin shot Eam a glance.

To expand the passage between the surface and underground, he needed to find something like a spokesperson here. It seemed that Eam and the Lyers Family suited this role well.

Not only was he very powerful, there was nothing he didn't know about the passage. More importantly, they had long since gained control of the exit.

"We obviously know about it. In actuality, it's a secret that my ancestor found out. Ever since then, our Lyers family has settled here, and we've been trying to make contact with the surface that's been sealed from us…" Though Eam was speaking in very vague terms, Leylin could imagine the carnage involved. Things like vying for this territory, trying to damage the seal and attracting adventurers to become blood sacrifices here were perhaps merely the tip of the iceberg.

There was still much that was unknown regarding what they had attempted on the sly. What was most crucial was the fact that they had persevered for so long.

"Since you were able to come over, the seal at the surface world should be about to crumble right?" Eam looked at Leylin, frowning slightly, "Based on my estimations, the seal should still hold for a period of time…"

"Actually, I secretly came over through a crack in the seal. On the surface, the seal can still hold for about a century…"

"A century? That seems rather long. Did anything go wrong with the sacrifices? Or was the construction of coordinates on both ends not done well, resulting in a huge energy consumption?" Eam's expression went dark while Leylin maintained his silence, not admitting that he'd tampered with it.

"But for Sir Leylin to pass through the cracks in the seal must mean that your attainments in spell formations must be at the level of grandmasters…" Eam's gaze towards Leylin had now turned more gentle. People who were grandmasters in fields of magic were highly regarded.

"This tiny ability really isn't worth mentioning. Well then… Since we own one end of the passage each and both have great influence in our respective regions…" Leylin mentioned what he had been preparing to say for a long time.

"Forming an alliance is beneficial to both of us!" Eam spoke straightforwardly, the smile on his arrogant face widening. He stepped forward while beaming and extended his right arm towards Leylin. "Welcome, partner!"

"It's my honour," Leylin grinned and extended his right arm as well.

The two hands grasped each other, and golden light flowed out. Fine golden letters were like ants as they crawled everywhere.

An alliance between Magi was even more important and solemn than an agreement. Most of the time, a very serious ceremony would be conducted, and even a third party would be invited to be the witness.

Leylin and Eam were both rank 5 Warlocks. While they didn't need to go to the trouble and do all that, a basic oath was required. However, what they were agreeing to now was a general purpose oath, and the details would be determined through discussions afterwards by their subordinates.

After the oath was done with, the two of them had gained a tacit understanding. They laughed, feeling like their relationship had gotten better.

Though this sort of oath could be violated, they each had control of their sides of the passage, which signified a great amount of benefits. Leylin would not want to destroy this unless he'd gone mad.

As for how things would progress after this… That probably wouldn't have much to do with him anymore.

By that time, he would either have broken through his bloodline shackles and soared into the sky leaving Eam in the dust, or be sealed to death by the curse mark. He, whose bloodline force had been completely severed from him, would die.

Whatever happened, there would not be any issues here.

"Sir Eam…" Leylin laughed as he spoke.

"Just call me Eam, Leylin, you're qualified to do so!" Eam chuckled, though his facial muscles were obviously a little stiff. However, that just made this moment all the more rare.

"Alright, Eam! I'm quite interested in the spell you used just now and that instantaneous effect…" Leylin smiled and asked.

The instantaneous lightning spell was very frightening, and Eam had been able to produce five streaks. Leylin was very interested in this technique.

"Oh, this?" Eam nodded, "We of the Lyers family inherited the bloodline of the Thorned Thunderbird, which means we're proficient in lightning-type spells. Booming Thunderclap is one of the Arcane Arts we created from experiments where Warlocks at Morning Star and above combine different innate spells. While the might isn't as powerful as a real Morning Star Arcane Art, it's quite effective."

Leylin couldn't help but nod. Experiments of combining bloodline spells and creating a correct Arcane Art might sound easy, but was definitely far from it.

A Morning Star Arcane Art was the fusion of rank 1 to 4 innate spells. The opponent's Booming Lightning Thunder only used one or two bloodline spells and, matched with specific energy undulations and other spell models, formed a unique Arcane Art.

"Though I don't mind telling you the principle behind the Arcane Art, it's a pity that you aren't of the bloodline of the Thorned Thunderbird. You can't use it…" Arcane Arts like these usually needed specific bloodline spells, and some needed the usage of bloodline force. That was why Eam wasn't afraid of revealing this information.

"Actually, I don't want to know about that. Rather, I'm interested in the technique where you amplified a streak of lightning five times…" Leylin said as he hastily shook his head. He could not express interest in bloodline spells, or else he'd be thought to be coveting Eam's bloodline. No matter how good their relationship might be, this would entail burying a thorn in Eam's heart.

What Leylin truly wanted to know was how he had amplified the lightning force.

With the A.I. Chip, he could clearly see that Eam had only produced one Booming Thunderclap, and it was only slightly more powerful than that of the Morning Star Warlock. However, it had transformed after passing through some carved inscription that was like a spell formation, and been amplified till it was almost terrifying.

"Oh, that!" Eam patted his Magus robes in pride, a ring of dazzling light floating around his body and creating a gigantic ring of lightning. Unbelievably large lightning runes that exceeded Leylin's expectations undulated out with a complicated radiance.

"This is one of the works that I'm most proud of!" Eam watched the complicated lightning runes and seemed to be intoxicated.

"These are runes that I obtained from a primordial lightning tree. It seemed to have been created naturally, yet held some mysterious strength. I couldn't copy the strength, so all I could do was embroider it onto my robes…"

The silver lightning ring spell formation returned and shrank to become a dazzling silver rune, emitting a splendid luster on Eam's Magus robes.

"With this Primordial Magic Robe, other lightning type spells are amplified a little as well, but it can increase the might of Booming Thunderclap fivefold!" Eam lovingly touched the robes he was wearing, completely engrossed.

"If being in bliss is an ability, then Eam, you must be the darling of the heavens!" Leylin smiled slightly and spoke flatteringly, a trace of blue flashing in his eyes.

Alliance and The Return

A magic robe made from an antique oddity was extremely fear-inducing, even though the effect of amplifying the spell fivefold was only unique to a certain type of spell.

Leylin, of course, wouldn't be so silly as to ask Eam for the Primordial Magic Robe so that he could study it for a while. He would definitely be met with rejection. He didn't even entertain such a thought, instead using a better method to study the spell formation.

'A.I. Chip, how's it going?' Leylin asked secretly.

[Beep! Magic robe spell formation has been recorded. Determined to be an antique lightning rune, 89.7% of it usable!]

The A.I. Chip sent its feedback faithfully. At the same time, a humongous collection of lightning ring spell formation images was projected in front of Leylin's eyes. Over a hundred thousand lightning runes were clustered together, densely packed and appearing incomparably exquisite.

'Such a spell formation… It shouldn't be limited to just Booming Thunderclap or even lightning spells; it should be able to be used at other levels as well…' Leylin's pupils shone brightly. 'Eam can't do it himself. Even though he has the spell formation he can't perform a systematic break-down or derivations. After all, the brain of a Magus cannot be compared to a technologically-advanced brain. The operational load involved is sufficient to make him crumble in despair, but all of this isn't a problem for me!'

At this thought, a smear of excitement spread across his face.

"Great! Let's return, Leylin. In order to celebrate our alliance, I intend to hold a majestic banquet at my residence!"

Eam's pupils contained a joyous look, and he seemed to think that Leylin was also in high-spirits because of their strong alliance.

"I would be honored!" Leylin smiled modestly, as his body floated up and he returned alongside Eam to the Lyers family's headquarters, which was a castle in the Metal Mountains.

...

Night fell. Although the subterranean world didn't have a concept of night and day, Leylin continued to artificially use spells or sun stones to adjust his biological clock to work and rest.

The lights went out in order, or rather became more dim. The castle, where the grand feast was just held, started to quiet down as though it had entered a deep sleep.

Leylin, who was cordially received by the Lyers family, was now in a luxurious bedroom. The bedroom was decorated exquisitely. All the objects in it showed indications of being maintained by spells, and they appeared to be very precious.

After sending away a beautiful maid, Leylin laid on the sofa by himself, his pupils twinkling with the radiance of the A.I. Chip.

[Beep! Antique amplification lightning rune has been recorded. Beginning analysis…] With the A.I. Chip's horrifyingly fast operational capacity, the lightning spell formation that Leylin had scanned previously was now being broken down continuously at lightning speed. The many lightning runes distorted themselves and looked just like tadpoles. They were firmly recorded by the A.I. Chip, which analyzed their specific functions.

Although this spell formation contained over a hundred thousand runes, and could be said to be extremely complicated and refined, it was an easy task for Leylin, who had the A.I. Chip. It was only a matter of time.

Leylin, who was temporarily idle, recalled the scene during the banquet, and a smile couldn't help but creep onto the corners of his lips.

The Lyers family was certainly not very well-adjusted to this unfamiliar Magus. Previously, he'd fought so hard with them, but after a trip out he had turned into a distinguished guest.

This was especially so for the Warlock that Leylin had held captive previously. Seeing Leylin was practically like meeting a ghost, and he almost made a run for it, which was a great blunder.

Regardless, Magi and Warlocks were all humans who turned superior and skillful with age. After Eam announced the news of his alliance with Leylin and the other affiliated powers, they had lost themselves initially but managed to adjust themselves to it soon after.

Even the Morning Star Warlocks who had committed a mistake earlier specially came over to apologize later on, and regained the graceful bearing unique to Morning Star Warlocks. This left Leylin secretly impressed.

Furthermore, although Eam had kept the information about Leylin hailing from the surface confidential, he didn't cover up Leylin's identity as a rank 5 Warlock. After all, not any random Magus was able to form an alliance with the Lyers family.

When Leylin's status as a rank 5 Warlock was declared, the other elders from the Lyers family immediately cleared their doubts about Eam's decision, who was their Grand Elder.

This was a rank 5 Warlock! Such a big shot was not a common sight in the Arthur Empire. For example, the only rank 5 in their entire family was their Grand Elder, Eam.

On average, the strength of a Warlock far exceeded that of a Magus of the same rank. There was simply no doubt about that. Therefore, Leylin alone was qualified enough to be an ally of the Lyers family. Even without elder Eam's subtle revelations to back him up, Leylin the Warlock possessed a great amount of influence.

"However… They're really being overly enthusiastic…" Leylin stroked his chin. Recalling the unmasked anticipation in the maids' eyes, he sighed rather helplessly.

He was now busy analyzing the ancient lightning runes. Where would he find the time and effort to do such things?

Besides, although bloodline Warlocks could bear successors with bloodline energy when coupling with Magi or even some humans, for some unknown reason Warlocks with differing bloodlines could never produce descendants of mixed-blood.

According to Leylin's conjectures, this was because the bloodline energies of both parties would fight too much, and thus mixed-blood descendants were not possible.

But if their bloodlines were from identical sources, such as if they were both Kemoyin Warlocks, for example, this wouldn't pose a problem, and the purity and saturation of their descendants' bloodline was guaranteed.

Leylin thought about something else. 'If Eam doesn't mind, I could probably intermarry an average Magus in the future, and obtain the bloodline of the Thorned Thunderbird. After all, this is the ancient bloodline of a rank 6 creature. Even if they want our Giant Kemoyin Serpent bloodline in exchange, it would be worth it…'

Although the Ouroboros Clan was made up of descendants of Kemoyin Warlocks and other bloodlines, there were no Warlocks within a few external organizations.

Leylin had only transformed Krupp's bloodline in the south coast. There were others who had gathered by his side over these few days, people who were initially descendants of the Farlier Family. Most of them were average humans, but it was still feasible if they were to intermarry with this bloodline.

'But why does it not seem very possible? Even if it's a concubine's child, it's not very possible that they would allow them to marry out of their family. Many Warlocks are incomparably prejudiced when it comes to the orthodox practice of protecting their family's bloodline and preventing it from leaking out…' Leylin felt rather glad after tossing this thought out of this head in an instant.

Fortunately, he hadn't been discovered when he was extracting bloodlines today. Even that Morning Star Warlock was in a disoriented state and had been confused by Leylin's Dreamscape forcefield, leading him to believe that he was weak because of his grave injuries. If Eam knew about this, perhaps there would be more trouble.

'No! He might already know about this, just that he's restraining his emotions. If that's the case, I'll have to adopt some measures in preparation…' Leylin stroked his chin, his pupils showing that he was in deep thought.

Even though they had already established an alliance, he didn't trust Eam very much, and it was probably the same for Eam as well.

In actuality, if not for the fact that both of them happened to be situated at both ends of the passage, each controlling the other's weak point, this alliance wouldn't have been established so easily.

Both parties would put up the necessary preventive measures.

...

"Leylin, are you serious about not staying here longer?"

"No, it's really fine!"

Leylin and Eam were now standing where the Thunderbird Holy Land used to be, outside the palace where the passage was.

After briefly inspecting the area, Leylin had gained some knowledge about this region. He wanted to return above ground on the pretext of the energy needed to sustain passage crack being on the verge of exhaustion, and was bidding Eam goodbye.

"The trade between the underground and the surface poses tremendous profits. I believe that both of us will have endless benefits from this exchange. With cooperation from both sides, we can maintain this mode of transport for our benefits!"

Before he departed, Leylin looked at Eam with a sincere expression in his eyes. "Of course, perhaps you might want to come with me and see what it's like above ground. Although the Magus World above ground has declined for a long time, it has gradually begun to regain its glory from the ancient times, and there are beings who are not in the least inferior to King Arthur…"

King Arthur was the legendary founder of the Arthur Empire, and was also a Magus of at least rank 6, an equivalent of a Monarch in the central continent.

There was movement in Eam's pupils. Upon hearing that there were Magi above ground who were not inferior to King Arthur, it seemed as though a different kind of radiance flashed in his shining eyes, a complex emotion that was an amalgamation of restraining fear, anticipation and traces of dread all mixed together.

Eam thought for a while, before shaking his head and refused. "Alright, but that will require a bit of time. There's a lot of family affairs that I need to tend to due to my long sleep, as well as some preparations before we begin trade. It's all complicated…

"Actually, I hope that the people above ground can cooperate with us to break through the seal together. In this manner, things will be a lot more effortless on my end, and we'll be able to bring forward the time of the passage opening, bringing us much more profits…"

"Of course! I will start on the tasks in this aspect once I return."

Leylin nodded and gave a slight salute. His actions were incomparably smooth, and his etiquette was so perfect that there was nothing to be picked on, just like an ancient nobleman who had put in hard work and numerous revisions. "Farewell then, Mister Eam!" As he spoke, a ray of light that formed an arched door had already formed behind Leylin.

"I look forward to meeting you again!" Eam nodded, his face expressionless as he resumed his previously proud and aloof image.

Leylin smiled and stepped into the arched door. The radiance vanished with a puff as the place reverted to its dark and tranquil state. Eam stood there, stupefied, his pupils occasionally flashing with all kinds of light. His thoughts were a mystery…

Secretly Sneaking Back

Light flashed as Leylin's figure appeared in the central hall of the Eternal River pocket dimension.

Enormous white stone pillars stood erect across the hall, and through the circular open space at the top one could see the light from a Morning Star spell formation.

'This expedition underground was really successful!' Leylin looked around his surroundings. The four void assassins were still strictly adhering to his previous order. He couldn't help but laugh before putting the void assassins and defensive spell formations away.

"Lord Leylin!"

"How's the situation, my Lord?" Once the mechanisms outside were removed, two silhouettes rushed in. They were the highest ranks of the light and dark Magi, Nonov and Anye respectively. The impatience was clear on their faces, yet there was nothing they could do except wait outside.

"This won't do. The seal has been badly damaged. Although I tried my best to mend it, it's still hard to predict whether it can be delayed by a century like I said before. We might only have a few decades left, or even less time…" Leylin said with a straight face, making both Nonov and Anye turn grim.

"Is there no other way, my Lord?" Nonov asked, one last glimmer of hope in his voice, But the only reply he got was a slow shake of Leylin's head.

...

Time flew by in the blink of an eye, and more than ten days had passed. Leylin had also concluded his investigation into the Eternal Plains pocket dimension, and returned to his hometown in the Chernobyl Islands.

Krupp had led a few of the remaining Farlier descendants there, successfully regaining control of the territory that originally belonged to the Farlier Family. Under the assistance of numerous external forces, not only had he acquired their old territory back but he'd also expanded it, preparing to build an empire that would belong entirely to the Farlier Family.

Leylin had waited outside the castle that initially belonged to the Farlier Family for days, receiving all of the descendants of the Farlier family. It was only after he put a good deal of arrangements in place that he vanished mysteriously.

What the Farlier family proclaimed to the outside world was that their ancestor had already left the south coast, and had gone to a vaster part of the Magus World.

Although they didn't know if Leylin's departure was true or false, and couldn't confirm whether he would return in the future, both the dark and light Magi heaved a unanimous sigh of relief.

To them, Leylin was a representation of the realisation of a higher realm, but he was also a pair of shackles that bound them.

There was simply no room for a being of Morning Star status in the tiny south coast.

Even the historical Great Magus Serholm mysteriously disappeared after his glory days. According to speculations by Magi later on, he had gone away in search of more vast worlds.

Leylin did not leave behind any methods to break through to Morning Star, which made a few rank 3 Magi feel that it was a great pity. However, having one less contender suppressing them was like taking a burden off their shoulders.

The influential groups within the dark and light Magi cast their sights on the empty land left behind by the Spirit Slaying Sect after they were eliminated. After so many years of unrest, as well as the sudden collapse of the Spirit Slaying Sect after the Gargamel's extermination, an exceedingly plentiful amount of space was left for the dark and light Magi.

Open rivalry and veiled strife centered around the inheritance of the Spirit Slaying Sect, which caused numerous ripples within the dark and light Magi.

The real influential powers such as the Ennea Ivory Ring Tower and the Lighthouse of the Night watched on with a detached point of view, and were even secretly pulling back their powers, preparing to move at any moment.

For these deep-rooted Magus powers, the few decades that Leylin had given them previously was not particularly sufficient for them to move. Just the search for an environment suitable for Magi to survive in outside of the south coast was enough to give them a headache.

Of course, no matter how unpredictable the changes in the south coast would be, the dark and light Magi—and even other wandering Magi— did not dare to evoke the wrath of the Farlier Family.

It was a family that was sheltered by a Morning Star Magus! Krupp, who had been promoted to a rank 2 Warlock, was not someone to be belittled, much less Leylin who might return at any moment. Besides, who knew if Sir Leylin had left some kind of trump card for his own family?

Theoretically, as long as that Magus had bestowed a few of those transparent servants to the Farlier family, they could suppress the entire south coast.

Hence, the powers within the dark and light Magi had unanimously placed the Farlier Family at the top of their lists of people they could not provoke. The entire Chernobyl Islands was even seen as out of bounds to all Magi. The Farlier Family, along with the empire that they had established, grew stronger and more prosperous with the passing of time…

A bright flame lit up in a pitch-black environment, bringing white light to its surroundings. Numerous more flames started to burn more and more vigorously, until they eventually formed an arched door.

A masked figure stepped out from the arched door, his body immediately shrouded by a layer of dense black fog.

"Disperse!" Following the voice coming from the figure, the rays of light and undulations immediately faded until they disappeared completely.

"Secret technique: Shadow Stealth!" The figure seemed to be at unease. A rune representing concealment and hiding suddenly flashed within the fog.

Soon after, the entire cloud of fog shook and became completely transparent, blending in with the surroundings.

Under the cover of the fog, the entire silhouette seemed to have penetrated into the shadows in the cracks, making its way through the ruins at lightning speed and avoiding a large number of Warlocks from the Lyers family.

Even a few of the Morning Star elders did not discover the silhouette's aura, allowing him to escape successfully.

After he was far away from the Thunderbird Holy Land, the dense fog transformed into a black ray of light, and streaked across the horizon like a meteor. It was only after fleeing for a few hours that the silhouette finally revealed himself.

The man wore golden robes and had a black mask over his face. There was an air of elegance about him, giving him a sense of mystery.

"It doesn't seem like I'll be tracked down here," Leylin exhaled gently. The preparations that the Lyers family had put in place to guard against him were not what he had expected. They weren't too strict, instead too relaxed.

'It makes sense anyway. With Eam's haughty temperament, he must have been certain that even if I could access the passage, I would still have to go through him to interact with the subterranean world, or even dump my goods and establish commercial trade here. Thus, he must have felt secure with the knowledge that he has the upper hand. What a pity that he had the wrong idea from the start…'

Leylin stroked his chin. Entering the subterranean world was a decision that he had made after careful deliberation.

He needed the Purgatory World's coordinates to travel to it. There were far too many highly-ranked Magi in the central continent, and Leylin could not be at ease at all. Furthermore, not only were the Twilight Zone and the south coast both small in size, the density of elemental particles was too low.

Initially, Leylin was prepared to find a random spot in the endless ocean to build the astral gate and attempt to search for the Purgatory World. But after seeing the Eternal Plains pocket dimension, he instantly saw a better alternative.

What was different from the worlds above ground was that the first subterranean level was very covert. Even if Magi came chasing after Leylin specifically and followed his footsteps, they might not be able to discover this place.

Besides, the rest of the subterranean world wasn't like the Twilight Zone from before. Even though it was the first level, the area of all the land added together was about the same as the entire central continent. If those Magi wanted to find Leylin here, it would be no different from finding a needle in a haystack.

"Everything has been settled. What's left is the Allsnake Curse…" Leylin inhaled deeply, and his entire being transformed into a ray of light than disappeared into the horizon.

More than ten days later, in a mountain range. This was a desolate mountain commonly seen underground. As it lacked plants and the radiance from a sunstone, the entire mountain was bare. Only a few fungi and vines that didn't require sunlight continued to grow sporadically.

Vast quantities of black rocks and bare soil lay exposed outside the place. There weren't any large organisms on the entire mountain, and even the smaller darkness creatures were basically extinct.

A few rooms had been opened up temporarily in the belly of this place. Remnants of clay made from mud and the radiance from everlasting spell effects were left on the walls. It was obvious that it hadn't been long since the work here was finished.

Some of the rooms here had been remodelled into bedrooms and study rooms, while the one in the center had been transformed into a gigantic laboratory. A starry blue radiance illuminated the place, but was obstructed by the energy absorption rune on the wall.

In the heart of the laboratory was a simple and unadorned door made of stone. Blue gems studded the door, just like stars.

Leylin looked at the A.I. Chip's report and the energy composition chart, and couldn't help but exhale a deep breath, "Phew… Finally done. I was running out of materials…"

In front of him was an astral gate which had undergone several transformations by the A.I. Chip, one which Leylin had invested a great amount of his life and family possessions in. It was his hope of breaking through his bloodline shackles!

Upon the thought of his bloodline shackles, Leylin's expression became somewhat gloomy.

"How much time do I have left?" Leylin's voice seemed rather hoarse.

[Beep! According to the current condition of the host body, the countdown to the activation of the Allsnake Curse is 2 years, 4 months, 13 days, 8h 55min 43s.]

The A.I. Chip projected a series of numbers. From the years to the seconds, the numbers were all arranged clearly, and the 'second' counter was constantly adjusting itself, making Leylin's eyelids palpitate.

"I still have two years…" Leylin stroked his chin and started to mutter irresolutely to himself.

The Allsnake Curse was a curse belonging to the Snake Dowager, and was also the nightmare of all Serpent Warlocks. Apart from the Snake Dowager herself personally freeing the person, one could only rely on the help of a rank 9 being or break through the bloodline shackles oneself to escape it.

But to Leylin, the Snake Dowager and rank 9 beings both represented a dead end. It was only through actually breaking the chains on his own bloodline that he could free himself from the Allsnake Curse and completely regain freedom.

And the hope to smashing his bloodline shackles lay in the Purgatory World!

Hence, no matter how much danger the Purgatory World contained, he had to go there…

Remodelling the Mask

"Ah, the Purgatory World..."

Light seemed to flash in Leylin's eyes, "In the ancient times, it was an extremely famous and formidable world. Not only does it have the Snake Dowager, but there are also numerous existences of the same rank keeping watch there. Moreover, the Purgatory World has not completely declined like the Magus World, as it still possesses the strength of ancient times…"

'Forget the dangers of the place itself, even finding the Purgatory World's coordinates is already a considerably huge problem!' Leylin rubbed his chin in thought, 'According to the information from the legacy left behind by the Ouroboros clan's ancestors, it is fundamentally possible to confirm that the Purgatory World is located in the Calm Jade constellation. However, the specific positioning is still a problem!'

The Snake Dowager's bloodline shackles were still present, and the Ouroboros Clan's ancestors had never given up on exploring the astral plane.

From the information and experience that they accumulated from generation to generation, and adding the A.I. Chip's analysis and deduction, it was already possible to lock down the coordinates of the Purgatory World to within one region.

It was a pity that the Calm Jade constellation was just too big. Finding the Purgatory World in it was like finding Leylin's old Earth in the Milky Way.

And what Leylin now wanted to do, was to ascertain the position of that 'earth' within the galaxy's myriad of stars, planets and other celestial bodies.

Without having to be said, this was an extraordinarily tremendous undertaking. Even though Leylin had the A.I. Chip's assistance, he also needed to wait for a very long time. But now, the Snake Dowager's curse evidently did not afford him that luxury.

'And even if the coordinates of the Purgatory World have been found… This curse!' Leylin couldn't help but reach up to his cheeks, feeling the icy sensation emitted by the Mask of the Dreamless.

Although this mask had prevented him from being drawn into Dreamscape, he constantly felt the ill intent from the dream world. This intention possessed tremendous cruelty, and there were constant attacks on the mask's defenses. It appeared like they were waiting for Leylin to relax, or the Mask of the Dreamless to shatter one day.

'The Snake Dowager is the master of the bloodline, I'm afraid her response towards my descendants will be incomparably cruel. Not to mention the Allsnake Curse… Once I appear in the Purgatory World, what if she realises it? Won't I be delivering myself to her door?'

Leylin's face darkened. Despite how much her power had been suppressed in reaching out to the Magus World, she'd still managed to leave him with a fate worse than death as she'd pleased. If he entered the Purgatory World…

Consequently, before going to the Purgatory World, it was absolutely necessary to have an effective method to conceal himself.

"A. I Chip! Establish mission, conceal my aura. Find a way to prevent discovery by the Snake Dowager!" Leylin commanded.

[Beep! Mission established, beginning to collect data, establishing simulation...] The A.I. Chip's feedback was very prompt.

'The preparation needed to leave for the Purgatory World is really too much…' Leylin knitted his brows in vexation, 'I need to look for the world's coordinates, develop a concealment technique, and also find time for space concealment technology. I then need to hide myself, and find a method to avoid piquing the interest of the World Will, and then try to escape the guardians…'

If it was a normal small scale world, these inconveniences could be reduced a little, but the Purgatory World that Leylin wanted to go to was a gigantic world. In the ancient era it was second only to the Magus World and the Astral World, and there existed many at or above rank 7 there. One misstep would mean death… Actually even death would be a luxury, so Leylin absolutely couldn't afford to be careless.

[Simulation complete! Possibility of hiding from the Snake Dowager: 89.7%!] the A.I. Chip rapidly projected the results, putting a smile on Leylin's face.

"The probability is quite good, what do I need to do?"

[Exporting program… the host needs to commence modification of spiritual force and soul force, and the Mask of the Dreamless must correspondingly be remodelled...]

The A.I. Chip specifically laid out the steps one by one, forming a checklist that appeared in Leylin's consciousness.

'Mm… The A.I. Chip has stored materials and the required techniques. All I need is time…' Leylin stroked his chin: "I don't have much time left, it is necessary to act as quickly as possible…"

...

Several months had passed in a flash. Leylin had remained inside the belly of the mountain in this period, sequestered from the outside world.

With regards to Leylin, although the subterranean world's resources and enormous knowledge attracted him greatly, under the effect of the Allsnake Curse his priorities had been made clear.

If he couldn't resolve the Allsnake Curse and break through the bloodline shackles then his path forwards would be completely cut off. This was a situation that Leylin absolutely could not endure! Thus, he put his utmost enthusiasm into his work, throwing himself into the preparations…

'I've worked hard for several months, but there's still two things left to do…' Leylin looked at the black petri dish in front of him, within which a lump of dark brown liquid was spreading continuously.

"The mix of corrosive water from the Pool of Lamentation, and ground ancient bones…" White powder was thrown into the petri dish, making the dark brown liquid swell up at once.

"Weeping spirits who creep in the Abyss, in the name of the Nefarious Filthbird, I summon the power of chaos…" The ancient curse was cast, and amidst the bleak and mysterious words the dark brown liquid suddenly transformed into a formless blue mass.

"Finished!" A hint of joy emerged from Leylin's eyes, and he gritted his teeth with resolution in his face.

*Bang!* He took off the Mask of the Dreamless, throwing it into the dark blue mass.

Very quickly, an evil intent arrived from a distant world. It was as if he was falling, and by the time Leylin understood what was happening he was already in a world of ice. White trees were everywhere, and the ceiling was dotted with shards of barb-like ice.

A white python flicked its scarlet tongue at Leylin.

"Alabaster Devilsnake, we meet again! I thought you would be replaced by a three-headed python this time!" Leylin laughed in the ugly face of the Alabaster Devilsnake, waves of dark red dreamforce appearing in his hands, "I do not have much time, I am afraid I cannot play with you for too long. I need to dispose of you quickly!

"Dreamforce spell—" Leylin's eyes flashed with a trace of blood red, and piercing rays of light were continuously released from his body.

Misty light wrapped Leylin up along with the Alabaster Devilsnake in a flash. Faint trembles spread to every corner of this dream world.

*Schlick!* The enormous serpent roared with that sound, and the misty light withdrew to reveal the silhouette of the Alabaster Devilsnake. Only, there were many pure white scales scattered on the floor, and there was a fresh wound in the serpent's skull. Scarlet blood continuously flowed out, dyeing the white snow red. It was a terrible scene,

"How could I waste the blood of a rank 5 creature?" Leylin lightly chuckled, and the blood floated up into the sky. It turned into crimson pearls that gathered in his palm, forming a ball of dark red.

*Hsss—* At this moment, the body of an enormous snake faintly emerged outside this icy world. It only exuded a tiny breath, but even that filled Leylin with a sense of heavy oppression.

'That should be an existence at rank 6 at the least. With these endless reinforcements, I'm afraid even the strongest enemies will be dragged down completely. What a pity…'

Leylin bowed his body a little, as if he was leaving the field. He then called out to the Alabaster Devilsnake and the existence outside, "Farewell, gentlemen!"

*Boom!* A gentle and pleasant light emerged, and Leylin's shadow disappeared into the light, leaving behind the useless roars of the two pythons.

[Beep! Set time has passed, beginning forceful awakening!] When Leylin heard the cold, mechanical sound of the A.I. Chip, it was more touching than any music.

"Phew… On the whole, there weren't any errors in my calculations." Leylin wiped his cold sweat, in reality, his actions today were certainly risky. Fortunately the end result was not bad, and it seemed as if fate was on his side.

A ball of dark red blood was floating in his hand, undulating with a frightening strength that was faintly mixed with dreamforce.

This was the Alabaster Devilsnake blood that Leylin had collected. Dreamscape was both illusory and real, and if this power of confusion could be used properly it was more frightening than any spell.

*Rumble! Rumble!* White bubbles frothed around the Mask of the Dreamless in the petri dish, and Leylin threw the ball of blood into it.

*Bang!* A layer of demonic blood-red flames burnt up the surface of the Mask of the Dreamless. Accompanied by special undulations, traces of golden-red patterns began to slowly appear on the mask.

'Once dreamforce is intercepted, it'll take a while for it to dissipate. I need to take advantage of this moment' Leylin's eyes reddened as he used many complex alchemy techniques on the mask. The entire laboratory was lit up with brilliant lights and colours.

At the last moment, the Mask of the Dreamless changed its appearance: It could still only cover half the face, but there were many fine lines on it now. On the surface of the mask were even strange patterns of red and gold.

[Beep! Mask of the Dreamless remodelling has been completed!] The A.I. Chip's voice rang out, and it even displayed the data of the redone mask.

[Magic Item— Mask of the Dreamless (Improved Model) Weight: 210g Materials: Loke Alloy, One-Eyed Snake fangs, Alabaster Devilsnake blood. Effects: 1. Can protect from the surveillance of Dreamscape, protect the truesoul from suffering invasion from Dreamscape. 2. Can release Alabaster Devilsnake bloodline and soul force undulations, and conceal the host's information…]

"Success!"

Leylin placed the ice-cold mask on his face, and with a single thought he emitted the aura of the Alabaster Devilsnake.

The Call of Another World

'I can still get past the common origin of our bloodline force to hide myself from the Snake Dowager like this…' Leylin stroked his chin in thought.

This was the solution the A.I. Chip had suggested previously. Using the original bloodline's power, he could interfere with the Snake Dowager's probes. The rank 5 bloodline of the Alabaster Devilsnake was clearly Leylin's best choice at present.

'The method to conceal myself has been resolved, next is the issue of the coordinates!' Leylin asked the A.I. Chip, 'How is the analysis of the ancient lightning runes going?'

These were the runes that he had secretly scanned from the Primordial Magic Robe worn by Eam, which had the frightening ability of amplification. Leylin was keenly aware that this kind of amplification ability could be applied to other things, and as a result had ordered the A.I. Chip to continue analysing it.

[Beep! Primordial Magic Robe analysis progress: 100%. 127651 lightning runes have been recorded, 112319 runes fully analyzed. Lightning Amplification spell formation has been completed. Possible to effectively increase the power of Lightning magic by 80-230%!] The A.I. Chip faithfully gave its analysis.

'So this is the result of the amplifying magic? After completely analysing it?' A tinge of regret coloured Leylin's eyes, 'Such a pity… I'm not a Magus who specialised in lightning. Even if I demand such Magi to give everything they own in exchange for this, they'll be willing…'

After analysing and reconstructing it, the A.I. Chip concluded that this Lightning Amplification spell formation wasn't just limited to Eam Lyers' Booming Thunderclap. Rather, it could be used to amplify all lightning magic!

Having adapted it for that purpose, the value of these runes increased a millionfold.

As for attracting those Magi who specialised in lightning, it was a given. Even Leylin, who wasn't attuned to the lightning element, could exceed many lightning Magi with the use of this formation.

"The result weren't bad… Allocate this information to the primary database," Leylin commanded. "Also. how's the progress on improving it?"

[Beep! Data has been recorded at the highest grade of confidentiality. New spell formation setup is at 87.99%, has been constructed using data from Ancient Amplification Runes, Aufker Techniques, High-grade Spell Formation Theory…] The A.I. Chip projected the progress report directly into Leylin's consciousness.

Already half done, the A.I. Chip had used a multitude of resources, the information on ancient runes occupying first place.

This was the task that Leylin had laid down from the beginning, even though the ancient runes could only be used to amplify the strength of lightning-type Magi, but with further understanding by comparison, and adding the A.I. Chip's huge database and deduction abilities, creating another type of speical amplification rune was a very achievable matter.

Leylin's brows relaxed somewhat, and he shortly asked, "Name the new model of spell formation the Destiny Spell Formation'. A.I. Chip, simulate the extent of the Destiny Spell Formation's amplification ability."

[Beep! Mission established, Investigating data… Not enough information on Destiny Spell Formation. Beginning simulation, experiment has started...]

A strange spell formation immediately appeared in front of Leylin, the upper part of the runes looking like delicate and twisting tadpoles full of the characteristics of ancient runes. It looked completely different from normal formations.

[Beep! Simulation test complete! Estimate: Destiny Spell Formation can amplify normal spells by around 50%, and for the effects of unique magical items, the amplification can increase to above 80%.]

"Very good! Discarding the other amplifications, if it is focused only on unique magic items, is it possible for its power to increase further?"

[If discarding all other amplification runes, the power of unique magical items will be amplified by over 100%.] The complex operation was completed in a flash, and the A.I. Chip immediately gave a reply.

"Very good, do it! As for unique magic items, just use this as a template!" A great amount of soul force was sent out from Leylin's body, entering all the data from a magic item into the A.I. Chip.

Before the Destiny Spell Formation was thoroughly completed, such a modification was still very feasible.

The reason why Leylin did not hesitate to face certain danger from stealing the ancient runes from Eam was largely for this purpose. It could be said that, after obtaining this amplification spell formation, the final weak point in Leylin's plans had been mended.

[Beep! Data has been imported, starting to modify the structure. Estimated completion time: 58 hours 32 minutes 41 seconds.] The A.I. Chip immediately reported.

"Very good! Two of the most important preparations are almost done. Next will be some other experiments and planning…"

Leylin touched the substantially modified Mask of the Dreamless on his face, caught in the middle of a more intense experiment….

...

Time unwittingly passed by. In the middle of the experiment room, the radiance of the gate to the astral plane became increasingly dazzling. The rays of light above the star gems seemed connected by invisible threads, emitting even more dazzling brilliant rays.

Bang! A doll-like puppet was caught by Leylin's hand, letting out a human like giggle.

"The puppet clone has been completed!"

After the puppets had been put away, Leylin let out a relieved sigh, to make the trip to the Purgatory World, he had done an extraordinary amount of preparations. However there was not a lot of certainty.

According to A.I. Chip's most optimistic calculations, even if there was this much preparation, his probability of succeeding of around 5% was already not bad.

However, if he did not try and struggle, then it would absolutely fail, and as a result of this great probability, it was worth Leylin gambling on it.

However, in light of Leylin's cautious personality, it was certain that before taking risks, all of the preparatory work would be done to the highest standard.

"Lucky spell formation and Mask of the Dreamless are both completed, as well as my clone puppet and so on. As for the remainder, finally there is only this!"

From within another instantaneously opened summoning chamber, the surrounding walls were covered with a huge amount of binding runes, it was a technique with the power to isolate dimensions, every single rune was incomparably complex and precise, to the point where it could make a rank 1 Magus or rank 2 Magus immediately faint.

In the very center of the summoning room, was a black pentagram breathing out the terrifying power of evil which was continuously lingering, and from time to time it generated a flow of black air above the matrix.

*Crash!* After a flash of light, Leylin received two white eggs of light.

*Ka-cha!* *Ka-cha!* Numerous cracks appeared on the eggs of light, and they finally broke open, exposing two stony imprints.

One by one, the evil runes above twisted, full of strange feelings, so much that even the center of the pentagram was attracted, the black stream of air above intensified, and even let out a terrible whining sound.

"Gluttony imprint!"

Leylin's eyes flashed a glimmer of light, these two runes were impressively from when he first gathered the leftover fragments of the Gluttony Monarch Beelzebub's doppelganger.

From his senior Robin and from the Quicksand tomb, Leylin had in total obtained two pieces of these imprints, every piece contained a mysterious will and evil power, although it could help a Magus breakthrough the Morning Star boundary, yet it could cause the Magus himself to be contaminated by the Gluttony King, and finally become Beelzebub's doppelganger.

[Beep! Binding the entire open matrix, starting isolation of dimension energy technique!] The A.I. Chip's voice sounded at this moment, and even though it was a matchless machine, it made Leylin feel nervous.

"Go! Two pieces of the stony imprints suddenly flew, without entering the pentagram array.

*Bang!* Dark black light suddenly skyrocketed, finally taking shape as an enormous portal.

The keen soul power of the Half Moon made Leylin tense up, he could clearly feel a deeply terrifying will. Attracted by the array and runes, it descended!

Lord Beelzebub! You are the ruler of Gluttony! And the god of all demons! The original power of gluttony will forever linger on in your domain, becoming the most shining star on your crown..."

Like a ballad, and like the sound of a funeral march, suddenly the entire summoning room was full of sound. Although it was in an unknown language, Leylin could still completely understand the meaning.

"This is some sort of language of ancient laws, and similar to the ancient Byron language, it is the language of laws! As long as the soul power reaches a certain level, it is possible to naturally understand!"

Leylin's expression was solemn and respectful, commanding the A.I. Chip to record this unknown language of laws.

"Mortal! We meet again! Thou dare to take the initiative to call me! It makes me respect your boldness!"

Illusory black flames suddenly formed into a tall shadow, it was naturally a growing twelve pairs of wings, with horns on its head and multiple pairs of eyes demon, otherwise known as– the devil!

The power of evil dispelled continuously from Beelzebub's every pore, and from somewhere suddenly came the power of a law.

"Gluttony... the law of gluttony?" Leylin's eyes radiated light.

Beelzebub was clearly an existence from an unknown dimension or world's rank 7 laws, and had already completely understood one type of law, even though it was only a doppelganger arriving, this type of level was able to be clearly expressed.

Yes! You are the sovereign king of Gluttony! The ruler of existence, but what of it? This is the Magus World! The most powerful world, so how much have you been suppressed? And besides, in this summoning room I have arranged binding runes, at the very least it can block 50% of your power from passing through… This is only your doppelganger, how much strength do you have left?"

"In fact, I admire you as well. Fully aware that this was a trap, you still dared to come." Following Leylin's words, blood-red light burst forth from the summoning room's four walls.

Ready To Go

The demonic wings on the back of Beelzebub spread out, and wings of bone wrapped by a black membranous film collided with the wall. It let out a piercing light of thunderous lightning followed by an immense amount of blood-red and white smoke. Leylin's facial expression turned completely gloomy.

Soon after, Beelzebub's many compound eyes let out a strange light: "How can a mortal know the thoughts of a God?"

"The Gods?!" Leylin was surprised, but assumed a sneering expression: "In my view, you are just prey! Just this and nothing more! And so, Sovereign King of Gluttony Beelzebub, until we meet again!"

Leylin placed his hand on his chest and executed a graceful aristocratic bow with irreproachable form. However with this motion, the entire room was quickly swallowed up by bloody lightning.

"Rank 5 Emperor Serpent Innate Skill- Devour!" His body shrunk by several times, but the shadow of a Kemoyin Serpent Emperor appeared solidly behind Leylin's back. Although it was still constrained by thorny chains, it did not reveal any trace of fatigue and instead, a frightening black hole materialised in front of Leylin.

Ka-cha! Ka-cha! Piercing lightning struck without pause, tearing apart the flesh on Beelzebub's body.

Gigantic chunks of flesh entered the black hole without stopping, and finally became a terrifying blood-red life energy.

Leylin's face flushed a little, but he did not completely absorb the energy, instead using his innate skill Devour to continuously purify Beelzebub's energy essence, until it finally became a small bottle's worth of red liquid.

"Mortal! Vile magus! I will not let you go! I vow this in my name, in the name of Beelzebub!"

In the prison of bloody lightning, Beelzebub's voice and struggling became smaller and smaller, and finally faded away.

When Beelzebub had completely disappeared, the entire pentagram star array and powerful runes on the surrounding walls had collapsed in an instant. There were even a lot of bite marks left, as if some terrifying creature had devastated the area.

The existence of this type of law, even though it was only a doppelganger, it was still not easy to handle.

However. Leylin resided in the Magus World and could borrow the entire word's strength to suppress Beelzebub, so he firmly held the advantage. Through the array and binding runes, Beelzebub's strength was continuously suppressed, and finally it had become an excessively weak clone.

In the original history of the central continent, Beelzebub had several clones wreaking havoc. Finally he was suppressed but his body had been splintered into fragments, leaving behind these Gluttony imprints.

And so Leylin's current power was still on the strong side even in the ancient times. Consequently, handling a weakened clone was not an issue at all.

When Beelzebub's voice had entirely disappeared from the secret cell, and even the laws of gluttony had completely vanished, only then did Leylin stroke his chin, with a trace of a smile on his lips, "A god?! This statement is quite interesting…"

Having vaguely guessed Beelzebub's origin, Leylin did not take his warning and curses to heart, but instead looked at the dark red liquid in his hand.

The extremely dense dark red pus seemed to have the tendency to crystallize, and its evil aura continuously lingered around the area of the test tube, which seemed very terrifying.

[Beep! Unknown body of energy! High purity! Contains the intense power of laws. Rich in corrosive energy, not recommended for use by the host!] The A.I. Chip scanned the substance and immediately gave its feedback.

"As expected, even after purification and being stripped by the innate skill Devour, this type of energy from the clone contained the original Beelzebub's genes and energy particles information?" Leylin stroked his chin in thought.

With the existence of the laws above, it was already possible to brand his own imprint on his soul, flesh and even his energy, as well as anything else.

Even this projected clone contained Beelzebub's imprint, just like with the Icy World's female bronze giant, even if there was only one drop of blood, after traversing worlds it was still possible to open the spirit, and rebirth into a new life.

If Leylin were to use this type of energy essence, although he would gain huge advantages in a short space of time, and even understand the laws of Gluttony, in the end he was certain that he would resemble history's many Magi, such as Robin.

Leylin was fully aware of this corrupt practice, and of course would not be that reckless.

Layer upon layer of sealing techniques appeared, revolving around the sides of the test tube. It sealed the power of the original dark red energy and only after completing this was Leylin able to put the test tube away with relief.

"The final step of the preparations has been completed!"

After finishing everything, Leylin did not immediately attempt his last-ditch effort, but on the contrary, he returned to his bedroom and slept very well.

A sleep without meditation, without calculations and without any burdens, relaxed Leylin's body and mind greatly.

Soon after, he found a quiet room and slowly began to recall his memories.

From the beginning of his birth in his previous world, growth and after his final anti-matter experiment failed and his passing, and from the Chernobyl Islands to his apprenticeship at the Abyssal Bone Forest Academy, Teljose City, Extreme Night City, and the Central Continent.

One by one, the fresh memories continuously emerged, along with the many people, friends and enemies. Through slowly combing through these memories, Leylin felt that the Half Moon ranked True Soul within his point mass had become even more pure and thorough, tending towards the change into the Full Moon rank.

This type of calm reflection continued for five or six days, Leylin's aura became weaker and weaker, and finally he resembled an ordinary person, with only the radiance in his eyes becoming more bright like the stars, and finally slowly and softly lessened, becoming like an ancient well without a single ripple— his innermost heart was peaceful and quiet, impervious to desires.

Until the last moment, Leylin's heart no longer had any nervousness or confusion, only the determination to dauntlessly move forwards.

He stood up suddenly, and went into the Star Realm laboratory.

The simple astral gate radiated a piercing light with a glittering blue flame forming a round arched door. Just like a silver-coloured spatial mirror, at its core was a complicated black vortex and opposite was a brilliant galaxy, leading to unknown places.

Beside the Astral Gate, there was a huge and complicated spell formation, and above it every rune was incomparably precise, minute and full of a sense of beauty. Over ten thousand of the runes seemed to swim like tadpoles, continuously sending out mysterious undulations.

At the core of this formation, there was a round groove, and what it was used for was unknown.

[Beep! The Lucky Spell Formation arrangement has been completed! Estimated amplification power: 107.6%! ] The A.I. Chip's feedback was promptly transmitted.

Leylin had created this amplification spell formation, according to the amplification techniques from ancient runes and with the A.I. Chip's terrifying deduction and simulation ability.

Due to discarding its universality and specially targeting a magical item's effect, it was amplified to over 100%! As for as Leylin was concerned, this could be considered an unexpected joy.

"Let's begin!" Leylin's eyes had a resolute appearance. Once you fly, you soar. Success involved completely breaking free of his bloodline shackles, an unexpected and frightening result!

[Beep! Astral Gate has been opened, searching coordinate database!]

Along with the A.I. Chip's voice, the brilliant river of light within the silver mirror drew constantly closer, until a star resembling a vortex appeared, and the screen's depiction ended there.

This was the Calm Jade constellation, the location of the Purgatory World. With the predecessor's data and adding the A.I. Chip's continuous deduction, it could only progress to this step.

Within the Calm Jade constellation were tens of thousands of worlds, along with many half-planets, different dimensions and broken spaces, their numbers were as vast as the numbers of stars in the sky. To find the location of the Purgatory World from so many possible coordinates was tantamount to fishing a needle from the sea.

Although Leylin had the A.I. Chip, he still needed a lot of time to do this.

And what he lacked now, unfortunately, was time!

"At this step! The role of the A.I. Chip and information has already been exhausted, I can only slowly search and rely on luck!"

Leylin seemingly sighed, and with a flash of golden light, a simple gold coin appeared in his hand.

This shape of the gold coin was very simple, and it was surrounded by a circle of dark golden light. One side of the coin had a skull on it, the other side the pattern of a lucky bird. The gold coin currently had several cracks, and it almost split the coin apart.

This was the unique magic item– Lucky Coin! It was Leylin's greatest gain from Extreme Night City, holding it was just like grasping a thread of the power of destiny!

Even in the field of Star Realm experimentation, the power of destiny could exert a terrifying might. Leylin was initially able to find the Black Rain World, obtaining Multilimb Strength, thanks to the power of destiny.

From that time onwards, Leylin had completely sealed the Lucky Coin and had not even used it despite several crises, preparing to get the most use out of it.

And now! It was time to use the coin!

"Go!" A golden arc flashed from Leylin's hands, the Lucky Coin streaked across space in a shining trajectory, into the groove in the center of the Lucky Spell Formation seamlessly, as if they were originally one.

Bzz! A great deal of light twinkled, threads of golden power were released from the spell formation, following the ritual into the Lucky Coin, making the coin's dark golden light become even more dazzling.

"Due to the material constraints of the Lucky Coin, it is only possible to make predictions up to the Morning Star level, but once it touches upon powers beyond Morning Stars, it will meet with a horrible backlash!

Leylin watched the dark golden light of the Lucky Coin intensify, a peculiar expression flashing in his eyes.