In a well-lit, beautifully decorated large room, a mild and calming scent permeated the air, creating a serene sanctuary away from the harsh realities of the outside world. Leylin Farlier sat comfortably on a luxurious couch, lazily swirling a cup of freshly brewed, fragrant tea.
"Spirit Flaming Kaser... You certainly know how to impress someone, Nina. It is quite delicious," Leylin said with a light, genuine smile, looking toward the gorgeous female Magus sitting close to him.
The Spirit Flaming Kaser was one of the many premium herbal resources plundered from the Eternal River Secret Plane. When properly brewed, its properties were extremely soothing, providing a stabilizing effect on a Magus's spiritual force.
"It is my greatest honor to serve you, sir," Nina replied immediately, her fair cheeks blushing a deep crimson at Leylin's casual compliment.
Dressed in a sweeping black gown woven with intricate crimson designs, she looked exceptionally enchanting. Her olive-colored hair cascaded neatly past her shoulders, framing impressive, striking curves and exposing a pair of long, flawless legs that shifted slightly beneath her skirt.
Leylin turned his full attention toward her face, looking straight into her vibrant eyes. He took another slow sip of his tea before asking the question that had been lingering in his mind.
"Nina, I can easily see why you have dressed like this tonight, but there is still something I don't quite understand." He paused, setting the wooden cup down on the low table. "Why? I mean, I would completely get it if it were anyone else in your position. But looking deep into your eyes, I see no desire to impress me for status, no greed for my resources, no hunger for my recognition, and not even a trace of an attempt to seduce me to secure personal benefits."
He leaned forward slightly, his eyes twinkling with a touch of curiosity. "Rather, in your gaze, I see nothing but respect, and a certain innocence. Can you answer this question for me?"
Nina looked momentarily stunned, caught entirely off guard by how effortlessly her inner thoughts had been read.
However, she quickly regained her composure, her eyes shining with even more brilliant fervor as she looked at him. "You are truly so smart, Lord Leylin. I respect you from the bottom of my heart. To me, you are the idol."
Leylin tilted his head a little, gesturing for her to continue.
"I have meticulously studied your entire story," Nina began, her voice gaining a passionate, rhythmic tempo. "You came from humble beginnings, a lone traveler hungry for knowledge with absolutely no family or backing to support your path. Yet, against all odds, you scratched and clawed your way through the mud to become a prominent young acolyte, showcasing talent in the field of potioneering. Then, risking your life without a hint of fear, you participated in the brutal bloodbath between the rival academies, coming out of the meatgrinder alive and stronger."
The more Nina spoke, the more her pitch increased, her initial shyness entirely evaporating as she practically screamed her adoration into the room. "At an incredibly young age, you shattered your bottlenecks to break through to Rank 1, demonstrating a terrifying pool of knowledge and capability! In a tiny span of a mere two to three years, you earned the direct tutelage of a mighty Rank 3 Magus. You scaled your way to Peak Rank 1 in record time, later demonstrating your peerless combat prowess within the secret plane. For an illustrious Rank 3 Magus to officially appoint you as the second-in-command of the entire Astral Requiem speaks volumes about your capabilities!"
She took a sharp breath, her eyes wide with fanatical devotion. "And then, while still in your twenties, you broke through to Rank 2! You single-handedly demolished multiple powerful foes, swaggering through the battlefield like an ghost... a phantom! Your strength is so supreme that all your enemies can do is concede in despair, and your speed is so instant that your opponents can only pray to the heavens for their lives! You are the brightest star of the contemporary era, bridging the divide between Light and Dark!"
"Okay, okay! I understand," Leylin interrupted smoothly, shaking his head with an amused chuckle to halt her rapid-fire monologue.
Although it undeniably felt good to be praised so thoroughly especially by a beautiful girl who genuinely believed every single word she uttered was an fact, it was still a bit weird to hear such a mountain of grand flattery hurled directly at his face.
"I am sorry, sir," Nina murmured, immediately hanging her head as her shoulders slumped, looking thoroughly despondent that she had overstepped her boundaries.
Leylin smiled warmly. This time, his smile was not the polite mask he usually wore to navigate the waters of Magi politics; rather, it was a relaxed expression.
"Tell me, Nina, what is your primary area of study?" Leylin asked, his tone turning a bit more serious as he signaled for her to move closer and sit right beside him on the plush cushions.
She looked a little awkward for a split second, but she sat down without a single complaint, her long legs brushing against his dark robes.
"Well... it is Transmutation, sir," Nina answered. As she spoke the word, an intense shine flared up within her eyes. Leylin recognized that distinct glow instantly; it was the insatiable hunger for knowledge.
"Transmutation, huh? I happen to know a fair bit about that topic," Leylin replied.
"Sir, would you mind..." Nina started, but halfway through her sentence, she realized Leylin's demeanor meant he had already agreed to guide her.
Brushing aside any lingering embarrassment, she eagerly dived into her notes, her mind ecstatic at the rare opportunity to seek knowledge from a master. "Sir, I have been deeply studying the mechanics of transmutation at the soul level, specifically regarding the long-term implications of soul empowerment on my latest research, but I hit a massive wall..."
For the next several hours, a fluid, back-and-forth dialogue echoed through the well-lit chamber.
Nina kept asking highly complex, theoretical questions, and Leylin answered every single one with.
At this moment, Leylin operated as a true sage across the entirety of the South Coast, possessed of a gigantic number of ancient books, forbidden scrolls, stored within the memory banks of his A.I. Chip. The depth of its knowledge crossed into multiple departments and experimental branches of Magi studies.
As the debate progressed, even Leylin found himself quietly surprised by Nina, her innate talents in the intricate field of Transmutation were indeed profoundly impressive.
"With all things considered," Leylin said nonchalantly after a long moment of debate, leaning back against the armrest, "I firmly believe that the pinnacle of Transmutation lies within the Path of the Bloodline: Warlock."
"Warlock!?" Nina gasped, her interest instantly peaking.
"Hmm," Leylin nodded slowly. He reached into his robes and pulled out a heavy, dark iron token intricately carved with the image of a gigantic, coiled serpent emerging from a human skull. He casually tossed the metal piece into Nina's lap.
"This is my personal token. With this in hand, you are granted permission to explore the central archives and restricted libraries at our Headquarters. I believe your unique research talents can be fully nurtured and maximized there. Think about it."
Currently, the Astral Requiem undoubtedly possessed the largest, most comprehensive library across the entire South Coast. Leylin actively supported various independent research projects, consistently welcoming true knowledge seekers and genius researchers into his organization.
He knew very well that the primary reason the Magus world had managed to achieve terrifying, world-conquering success across the vast universe and multiple dimensions was entirely due to the ingenious ideas, innovative methods, and thorough research of dedicated Magi.
One should never undermine these quiet knowledge seekers; you could never know what wonders might eventually come your way because of their discoveries.
"Sir..." Nina whispered, her eyes widening to their as her fingers traced the cold metal of the token.
She knew exactly what this represented. In their harsh world, knowledge was the ultimate form of power and wealth; the gesture was an monumental favor Leylin had bestowed upon her.
Leylin smiled, his gaze dropping to her flushed face. He leaned inward, closing the physical distance between them, and smoothly locked his lips against her rosy, trembling lips.
Nina stiffened for a single heartbeat, before her expression immediately morphed into a state of bliss, her arms wrapping around his neck.
'Well, perhaps I was the one who was successfully seduced in the end,' Leylin thought with a silent chuckle, shifting his weight to lift the beautiful girl into his arms, carrying her steadily toward the enormous, canopy bed across the room.....
____
Swish!
"The time has finally come. I am quite looking forward to seeing what the Twilight Zone has to offer," Leylin murmured, his sharp eyes scanning the quiet, desolate landscape around him.
He had officially left the Desolate Manor, rejecting the eager hospitality of Elder Armani and the rest of the branch leaders who had begged him to prolong his stay.
Leylin journeyed to the remote, isolated boundaries of the small town where the Old Devil had originally brought him years ago on an expedition to find the Ancient Spirit Slaying Sect.
He had returned to this specific sector to carefully inspect the ancient teleportation spell formation once again.
Although Nina had been noticeably sad to see him depart so early from her bed, she had maintained her composure, offering no complaints.
She understood perfectly that Leylin had achieved his terrifying, legendary status precisely because he never allowed himself to stagnate, choosing to continuously strive for greater heights of power.
Inspired by his drive, she had internally resolved to completely invest her entire being into her new research projects at the headquarters.
The small town had long since been reduced to a quiet expanse of crumbling stone and scorched wood.
Immediately after the situation began to settle down within the Eternal River Secret Plane, Leylin had used the RebelHearts to formally claim this desolate domain as his private territory, isolating it completely from the public maps.
Thick, murky green vines now crept lazily around the town's ruins, within which the occasional shapes of wild animals could be seen flitting past the debris.
However, there were absolutely no remaining traces of human life left anywhere in the sector.
During the initial chaos, the Eternal River Secret Plane had just been made public knowledge to the entire continent, concentrating the defensive forces of the Light Magi entirely around the resource vaults.
Consequently, no one had the luxury or interest to bother investigating a desolate little town suspected of minor dark Magi activities—especially since no official casualties had been reported to the council.
Once the territory was formally locked under the jurisdiction of the RebelHearts of Astral Requiem, the Light alliance completely put it out of their minds, letting things drag out to this current state.
Without any external support or economic trade, the original residents had naturally chosen to abandon their homes, leaving the ruins entirely to the wild.
To Leylin, however, this abandoned site was a goldmine; the ancient teleportation spell formation hidden beneath the floorboards was exceptionally valuable.
The spatial distance of its teleportation loop was vast, capable of spanning a trajectory several times greater than the entire width of the South Coast, with a high probability of leading directly into an entirely separate world.
Throughout the history of the Magus World, there existed several mighty worlds and independent planes; in ancient times, the ancient Magi routinely conquered one world after another, meticulously analyzing the unique laws of those alternate dimensions to continuously strengthen their own individual foundations.
"I wonder how Lancey is handling things on the other side right now?" Leylin mused, gently stroking his chin.
A few months ago, Leylin had formally commanded Lancey, Dexter, Freed, and Garvin, alongside a unit of six elite bloodline knights, to step through the array and visit the Twilight Zone ahead of him to accomplish a series of foundational tasks.
To ensure their survival against the terrifying spatial turbulence and crushing gravitational pressure experienced during such a vast teleportation sequence, he had personally crafted specialized protection charms for each of them, infused with his own potent Rank 2 Warlock blood essence.
Lancey was currently a full-fledged Peak Rank 1 Magus, actively accumulating to trigger her next breakthrough. The pristine, untouched landscape of the Twilight Zone would provide her with a wealth of rare resources and, more importantly, access to a great amount of High Meditation Techniques to unravel a far greater, more stable cultivation path for herself.
With the computational assistance of her internal mini-chip, breaking through to the Rank 2 level would not be a very challenging obstacle for her.
Meanwhile, Dexter, Garvin, and Freed were all veteran Saint Knights handling her security.
Originally, it was Ivy Langster who was slated to accompany Lancey as her primary vanguard, given her terrifying, strength as a Stage 2 Bloodline Knight.
However, right before the deployment, Ivy had formally requested permission to launch a personal death march.
She wanted to exact total vengeance against the Yale family—the ancestral blood rivals who had orchestrated the destruction of her lineage.
Leylin had granted her wish. Not long ago, Leylin had received official intelligence confirmation detailing Ivy's decimation of her arch-nemesis; she had transformed herself into a veritable Rakshas on the battlefield to tear the Yale family apart root and stem.
Because her journey back from the border states would take a few months, she was to be officially reinstated to her post as the Earth Dragons captain upon her arrival.
Leylin had also left behind an advanced inheritance blueprint to guide her eventual breakthrough to the status of a Blood Sovereign, though whether she could successfully cross that threshold depended entirely on her own drive and fortune.
Following Leylin's personal breakthrough to the level of a Spirit Knight, an entirely new evolutionary door had opened for the Saint Knights under his command.
The very first warrior to successfully take a step forward into this new realm was Stewart Anna, who had recently managed to reach the level of Spiritual Convergence, marking her ascension to the second stage of a Saint Knight's power.
In truth, this breakthrough was not achieved through her personal talent alone; Leylin had invested a massive amount of alchemical resources and stabilizing potions to forcefully elevate her strength.
As the Stewart of the entire organization, she needed to maintain face and authority before the ranks.
Anna had been formally appointed as the Managing Director of the Astral Requiem, granting her administrative authority over the automated network of the formation genie.
Although her standalone personal strength was not powerful within the group, especially now with a few Rank 2 Magi within their domains swearing allegiance to the Astral Requiem.
Still Anna held the highest authority within the central Headquarters. The master command codes for the primary defense formation were held firmly in her hands.
With this, she could easily manipulate the spatial grids to bar the entry of any invading Rank 3 Magus or even fatally wound them on the spot, let alone effortlessly subdue any rebellious Rank 2 Magi.
Leaving the future of the South Coast securely in her hands, Leylin focused his mind entirely on the path ahead, intent on reaching a far greater level of existence: the realm of a Rank 4 Magus.
In ancient times, Magi who successfully achieved this specific level of power had another legendary term coined after them, Morning Star Magi!
Even during the apex of the ancient eras, Rank 4 Magi operated as the undisputed rulers of geographical regions.
At this level, a Magus could genuinely control the devastating, world-shaking powers required to flip entire mountain ranges and burn vast oceans with a single spell.
Attempting to use a sea of low-level people to exhaust such a powerhouse was entirely ineffective; a single Morning Star Magus could easily rival the existence of an entire army of lower-level Magi combined.
'I can't wait to touch that threshold and go beyond it.'
Relying on the memory logs of his A.I. Chip, Leylin navigated the ruined landscape with familiarity, tracking the overgrown path leading toward what had once been the town's central square.
He came to a halt directly before a weathered, rotting two-story wooden house. The structure was incredibly remote, thick spiderwebs and heavy layers of ancient dust strewn across the entrance.
He calmly raised his index finger, a brilliant, concentrated white glow of magical light converging at the tip of his skin.
Weng Weng!
Soon covert, ancient runes began to materialize out of the wood, crawling along the floorboards like a swarm of golden ants, centering perfectly around where Leylin's boots stood.
Without a hint of hesitation, he stepped inside and walked up the creaking stairs to the second level, stopping directly before a large oil painting depicting an upper-class lady.
Moments later, Leylin once again emerged within the perimeter of the Ancient Spirit Slaying Sect's secret plane.
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