Retrieving Land
Every Magus possessed knowledge and wisdom that far surpassed that of ordinary men. How could any such person knowingly provoke a rank 5?
There were only two ways that such a thing would happen. They were either absolutely confident in victory, or had a trump card that guaranteed them their lives.
Though this Morning Star couldn’t guess what trump card Leylin and the rest had, he could tell that the situation today was not in his favour.
“Alright! Give me five minutes, and I’ll order all my Magi to withdraw. I’ll leave Greenflame City to you,” he relented, albeit grudgingly.
The city and territory were all small matters to him. His Magi were what truly mattered, and he did not hesitate to make this choice even if he was unwilling.
“There’s no need for that. Whatever the Ouroboros Clan lost, we will retrieve it with our own strength.” Gilbert shook his head and rejected the other party’s suggestion.
“Also, even if it’s you, whoever dares offend our Ouroboros Clan will need to pay the price,” Leylin added from the core of the group of Warlocks.
“What?” The enemy Morning Star Magus was enraged. “The nerve! You dare threaten me?”
He had been infuriated. Morning Star Magi lorded over the central continent. With their Morning Star Arcane Arts, they had trump cards capable of taking their opponents down with them, and they’d thus developed a pride rooted in the belief that they were unrivalled.
He acknowledged that he had been defeated, and taking the initiative and withdrawing was already giving his opponent face. However, the Warlocks of the Ouroboros Clan wanted him to pay a price?
“Lunatics! You bunch of Kemoyin Warlocks are all lunatics!” The Morning Star’s expression turned frosty.
If he knew of Leylin’s previous battle achievements, he wouldn’t dare say things like this.
Now, however, the Magus was determined to teach Leylin a lesson, and terrifying elemental energy gathered on his body as rings of light formed one after the other.
“Morning Star Arcane Art!” Paul and the others exclaimed in shock.
“That’s right… Since you don’t know what’s good for you, then let this area be completely destroyed!” The Morning Star Magus yelled maniacally. If a Morning Star were to disregard everything, the Ouroboros Clan’s territory would be ruined.
“Stand down. Let me do this.”
Unexpectedly, the Warlocks opposing him had not withdrawn from his threats. Instead, Leylin had stepped out.
“A mere newly-advanced Morning Star is going to stop me?” This Morning Star suddenly had the urge to laugh.
Soon enough, though, this smile turned stiff.
*Hsssss!*” Along with large amounts of demonic black flames, the giant phantom of a serpent appeared behind Leylin’s back. This large serpent was quite similar to the Giant Kemoyin Serpent of the Ouroboros Clan, but there were red patterns on the scales and large amounts of black flames twining around its body. It was as if it was wreathed in a layer of flaming armour.
A forcefield even more terrifying than those of ancient rank 4 beings spread out, covering him.
*Crack!* The rings of light broke, and the energy of this Morning Star Magus’ point mass began to seep out and enter the black flames.
“Wha– What monster is this?!” The Morning Star Magus’ expression changed, regret filling his mind. He now knew that this newly-advanced Morning Star was the most terrifying of this group of Warlocks!
“Hssss!” The huge serpent snarled and devoured the Morning Star…
*Rumble!* Air shook and created shockwaves. Gilbert, Emma and the rest shot glances at each other and began to stabilise the space around them.
*Whoosh!* A moment later, a blue figure escaped from the giant phantom serpent, making a strange sound as he fled pitifully.
Leylin stood quietly where he was, not even a wrinkle in his clothes or a strand of stray hair jutting out. He did not proceed to give chase.
“Why did you let him go?” Gilbert and Emma asked. They knew it was intentional on Leylin’s part, after all they had personally seen his prowess.
“Our goal right now is to regain our territory. Now isn’t the time to start wars with others. Battles between Morning Stars would attract the attention of Breaking Dawn Monarchs.”
Leylin shook his head, “Besides, the injuries to his body will take a few hundred years to heal. There’s no need to take notice of him in the future!”
It had to be said that Leylin was very meticulous in some matters. Gilbert and Emma looked to give him their approval.
“Ley– Leylin, you’re so amazing? Goodnes! That was a Morning Star!” Philip was gaping. He had to admit that what he had seen today was just too amazing, and something rarely seen even in his long life.
Leylin could actually forcefully suppress a Magus by interrupting them while they were performing their Morning Star Arcane Art. He had even gravely injured his opponent, and was confident in killing them!
This was not a strength that belonged to rank 4s. It was the might that only great rank 5 Magi possessed!
“Leylin, Your Grace. Have you advanced to rank 5 already?” Paul asked a question that Gilbert and Emma wanted to enquire about as well.
“Of course not!” Leylin shook his head, but that only gave Paul the feeling that he was enigmatic and unmeasurable.
“Alright! Since the Morning Star has already been chased off, Greenflame City shall return to the arms of our Ouroboros Clan!”
Gilbert said a few words to a secret imprint, and soon enough troops formed of multiple high-ranked Warlocks arrived at the place.
Having already been attacked by a rank 4 spell and seeing their Morning Star flee in defeat, the high-ranked Magi of the enemy had no plans of fighting on. Teleportation portals flashed and people flew away as they fled.
Greenflame City returned to the Warlocks’ control in less than an hour.
“I remember that this place once belonged to the Mair Family, right?” Emma spoke, implying something.
“Yes! As the Mair Family did not guard their territory properly, I suggest we reduce their land and take Greenflame City, giving it to other bloodline nobility!” Gilbert immediately spoke.
This was a reshuffling of power. With Leylin’s powerful, abrupt rise, as well as the fall of the original First Elder, there were definitely conflicts of interest when it came to the allocation of benefits. The war was a perfect excuse to make changes to this.
Leylin stood silently at the side, not seeming to have any intentions of seizing power. However, even outsiders like Paul and Philip could tell that most of the territories that were being reclaimed would definitely be placed under Leylin’s Farlier Family and Freya’s Blood Serpent Family.
After the war, the Blood Serpent and Farlier Families would immediately rise in power. There was no doubt about that.
“Alright, let’s get to the next area!” Once all affairs at Greenflame City were taken care of, a few Warlocks immediately continued on a new journey.
With Leylin along with Gilbert and Emma as support, the organisations that relied on Jupiter’s Lightning and had merely one or two Morning Star Magi were swept through.
While Philip and Paul did not do anything, just their presence represented the stance of the Warlock Union. Even Rank 5 Magi had to reconsider the consequences.
Hence, the frontlines were pushed forward smoothly. In less than a month, all the land that had been occupied had returned to the high-ranked Warlocks of the Ouroboros Clan. Of course, there were naturally changes when it came to allocation, but no Warlock dared complain.
“Hah… Onyx Castle! I’m back!”
Leylin stood above Onyx Castle in his territory, and was speechless.
The Magus Tower not far away had long since been overturned by the Oakheart family. Of course, they had immediately compensated Leylin with a brand new Morning Star Magus Tower.
The Onyx Castle below had obviously been destroyed and reconstructed. That must have been the Oakheart Family trying to curry favour with him since they were already here.
“Are you very familiar with the Azure Mountain King? The moment you arrived, he immediately withdrew his troops, and even looked impatient in doing it!”
“I just have something on him, so we’re temporary allies.” Leylin shook his head and chuckled.
“Temporary?” Emma observed Leylin’s profound smile, suddenly feeling like the breeze in the skies was slightly chilly. She began to mourn for the Oakheart Family.
“News has come in that the Green Snake Marshes have been taken back. Our Ouroboros Clan has now regained all its past territory!” Gilbert’s figure appeared by Leylin side, a sigh in his tone. “What should we do next?”
“Nothing. Just work on consolidating our original territories.”
Leylin knew when to stop. Though he did not know if it was his existence or the intimidation of the Warlock Union, Jupiter’s Lightning had displayed a high degree of tolerance towards the Ouroboros Clan’s recent activities, and practically did not interfere at all. This was also why Leylin and the rest had been able to reclaim their territories so quickly.
Of course, Leylin did not believe that they were afraid of him or the union.
Zegna probably had something more important to focus on, which was why he was temporarily enduring his activities. As long as he killed Leylin, the Ouroboros Clan would quickly fall apart even if they took up half of the central continent.
Leylin always had his guard up against this Radiant Moon.
……
“The Ouroboros Clan has completely expelled our organisations and restored their territories!”
“In the Lava World, Wayde has brought a group of high-ranked Warlocks and is going around annihilating the Mobius Organisation!”
“Damn it, Damn it, DAMN IT! Leylin, Wayde… One day, I’ll bury your skulls under my palace’s steps, and have your souls wailing within the flames of my lights…”
Zegna’s eyes were bloodshot as he sent the reporting Morning Star Magus away. Recently, all that was being delivered to him was bad news.
Wayde had actually gotten the coordinates to the Lava World, bringing a whole group and vying for territory with him. His previous actions had lost him his friendship with Scarlet Eye, and Archibald had become hostile with him after this matter as well.
While Zegna was in terrible shape worrying over these, Leylin had meanwhile reclaimed all the territory that had once belonged to the Ouroboros Clan!