Chapter 476: Blazeforge Mountains
Leon was utterly stunned, unable to utter a single word. This was true luxury—just seeing a few high-ranking Title Archmages or Sword Saints in all of Auckland was rare enough. The Fifth Rank Title Archmage was a watershed; before the fifth rank, all were considered low-ranking Title Archmages, but after the fifth, they were high-ranking, and the difference in strength between the two was immense.
Now, the seven elders before him were all high-ranking Title Archmages and Sword Saints. The sheer power gathered here was terrifying.
Before coming to the Ancestral Grounds, the number of high-ranking experts Leon had met could be counted on one hand. There was simply no way around it—those at this level were far too rare.
"Ryan, it seems you've forgotten to introduce yourself..."
Sitting directly across the wooden table, Orren Merlin gave a faint smile and looked at Leon. "This is Ryan Merlin. He became a Title Archmage two hundred years ago and is now at the peak of Eighth Rank Title Archmage—one of the most promising candidates to reach Sky Rank in the entire Ancestral Grounds. And Matthew Merlin, welcome to the Family Council!"
The old man's voice was gentle, but carried an indescribable authority. Facing him, Leon couldn't help but feel a touch of nervousness, yet he still voiced his doubt: "What is the Family Council...?"
"Heh... I almost forgot. In truth, the Family Council is the true seat of power in the Merlin Family. It controls not only the outer branches, but also the Ancestral Grounds, the major planes, and every branch scattered throughout the Northend World. Everything is governed by the Family Council—and now, you are officially its eighth member."
In fact, after Rion Merlin led Leon inside, he hadn't left, but stood nearby, quietly listening. When he heard Orren Merlin's words, Rion nearly bit his tongue in shock, unable to help but glance at Leon, his gaze filled with envy. This was the Family Council, after all!
Having spent centuries in the Ancestral Grounds, Rion Merlin knew well what the Family Council represented: it was the symbol of supreme authority, controlling the fate of the entire Merlin Family. He truly hadn't expected that this young man named Matthew Merlin, on his very first entry into the Guardian Spire, would become a member of the Family Council...
If not for the constraints of his status, Rion Merlin really wanted to say, isn't this a bit too hasty?
After all, this was the Family Council...
How could they just let anyone join so casually?
Just look at the seven present—every one of them has lived for centuries, with impeccable qualifications and strength. As members of the Family Council, their positions are well-deserved. But this Matthew Merlin is barely in his twenties, has been in the Merlin Family Manor for less than half a year, and is already a council member. It feels like a dream.
Still, recalling his recent duel with the young mage, Rion Merlin couldn't help but shiver. Perhaps Lord Orren's decision was correct—this young man was indeed extraordinary. Clearly just a Fifth Rank Archmage, yet his combat power was overwhelming, even Rion himself, a Fifth Rank Title Archmage, was no match.
A genius of this caliber, if he fully matures, might become the Merlin Family's fourth Sky Rank powerhouse, just like Thornton Merlin!
Moreover, whether in action or speech, the young mage always seemed so seasoned—nothing like someone in his early twenties. At this point, Rion Merlin had almost come to terms with Leon joining the Family Council, even feeling a hint of anticipation. How far could this young man go in the future?
Now, when Rion Merlin looked at Leon, his gaze had completely changed—deep wariness. Their brief interactions had made it clear: this young man held grudges easily, and now that he was a council member, Rion had better not provoke him in the future.
"Now that I'm a member of the Family Council, do I have the right to know the true strength of the Merlin Family...?" Leon touched his nose as he spoke. Orren Merlin's words may have sounded casual, but they left Leon no room to accept or refuse—the decision was made, and he was now the eighth council member.
Still, this was clearly a good thing...
He could see it clearly now—the identity of a Family Council member carried immense weight, making one a true power holder of the Merlin Family. To be honest, when he first arrived at the Merlin Family, he hadn't cared much at all; he'd just planned to leave after the Bloodline Rite.
But now, after delving deeper into the Merlin Family, his view had changed. This truly was a formidable force—even looking across the whole Northend World, the ancient Merlin Family could easily hold its own.
“Of course you’re qualified…” Orren Merlin smiled. “In the past thousand years, the Merlin Family has produced three Heavenly Rank powerhouses, but none are currently in the Ancestral Grounds. Thornton Merlin is in a slightly better situation—he appeared in the Bloodmoon Plane not long ago. As for the other two, there’s no news at all. As for the number of Title Archmages and Sword Saints, I can’t say for sure, but it’s probably over three hundred! The Merlin Family currently owns about thirty private planes, with more than a dozen still being conquered. What you’ve seen so far is just the tip of the iceberg—a portion of our strongest mages aren’t even in the Ancestral Grounds, but are scattered across various planes in battle, or branching out somewhere in the Northend World.”
“As for the army, I’ll have Ryan Merlin take you to see it later. Well then, young man, do you have any other questions?” Orren’s tone was flat, as if he were narrating something trivial.
“Lord Orren, I want to know about the Blazeforge Realm…”
After listening to Orren Merlin’s introduction to the family, Leon was silent for over ten seconds before he finally spoke. Truthfully, he’d prepared himself for the answer when he asked about the Merlin Family’s strength, but he was still stunned—over three hundred Title Archmages, and more than thirty private planes…
Was this really the Merlin Family he thought he knew…?
But soon he remembered the Blazeforge Realm. After witnessing the Merlin Family’s true power, even without thinking, he knew—this struggle for the Blazeforge Realm would be anything but simple. Otherwise, Ryan Merlin wouldn’t have personally come to the Merlin Family Manor months ago to announce himself as one of the commanders.
The Family Council’s intense concern over the Blazeforge Realm was a red flag in itself—not to mention, this time they were cooperating with the Watson Family.
You have to understand, the Watson Family is an enemy force. For over three hundred years, they even joined with the Charlotte Family to suppress the Merlin Family outside the Ancestral Grounds. If not for the young prodigy Thornton Merlin, who turned the tide after entering the Ancestral Grounds, the Merlin Family outside might have been crushed completely by the Watsons.
Of course, after learning some of the inside story, Leon realized that the true Merlin Family could never be defeated so easily.
Facing old enemies, it’s already a blessing not to tear each other apart—let alone cooperate. Clearly, there are secrets here that no one’s talking about.
“Leon, do you know about the Dragon-Slaying War?” Unexpectedly, the usually straightforward Orren Merlin didn’t answer Leon’s question directly, but instead asked something seemingly unrelated to the Blazeforge Realm.
But at that moment, Orren Merlin’s relaxed expression had vanished, replaced by a heavy seriousness. The atmosphere in the council hall was even more solemn than when Leon was made a Family Council member.
“Of course I do…”
Leon nodded without hesitation. How could he not have heard of the legendary Dragon-Slaying War in Northend’s history? It was an epic battle, gathering countless human powerhouses, and by then, the Nesser Dynasty was already nearing its end—the era ruled by Five-Colored Dragons and pureblood elves was on the brink of collapse.
All the dragons that appeared in the Dragon-Slaying War were Five-Colored Dragons. Once they reached adulthood, they possessed Heavenly Rank power—and among them were terrifying beings like the Three-Headed Golden Dragon.
That epic battle marked the beginning of the end for the Nesser Dynasty. Humanity won, but paid a terrible price—countless powerhouses fell.
During his journey in the Apocalypse Plane, his cousin William obtained a Merlin Family Crest. After seeing that crest, Leon began to suspect that the Merlin Family’s ancestor might have participated in the Dragon-Slaying War. After all, only families who fought in that war were allowed to use that crest after the founding of the Third Dynasty—it represented immense honor.
Now, hearing Orren Merlin mention the Dragon-Slaying War, Leon couldn’t help but wonder if the Merlin Family ancestor really was involved.
“Good, you know it. Actually, the Merlin Family’s true ancestor can be traced back to the late Nesser Dynasty. That ancestor was an incredibly powerful figure—far stronger than anyone could imagine. Some records even suggest he surpassed Emperor Charles. Back then, he nearly decided the outcome of the Dragon-Slaying War single-handedly.” Orren Merlin’s face grew animated. “But to this day, clues about that ancestor remain incomplete, and his true identity is unknown. In the early Third Dynasty, the Merlin Family enjoyed a long period of glory, but after that ancestor vanished and a series of incidents occurred, the family began to decline…”
“What exactly happened that led to the Merlin Family’s decline?”
This time, Leon was surprisingly calm. Although he’d been shocked at first, he’d already gathered plenty of clues before—especially the Well of Stars and that family crest—which made him suspect the Sage of Azure was the Merlin Family’s ancestor. So by the time Orren Merlin revealed these secrets, Leon was already numb to it all…
It seemed his guess wasn’t so wild after all—the Sage of Azure was almost certainly the Merlin Family’s ancestor. Even if not, they were inextricably linked.
“Records show that ancestor had several disciples. After the ancestor disappeared, one of those disciples brazenly attacked the Merlin Family and stole part of his legacy. That’s why the Merlin Family lost a portion of its inheritance and began to decline. To this day, we don’t even know the ancestor’s true identity.” Orren Merlin’s aged face showed a trace of anger. “It wasn’t until a thousand years ago, when my father Lorel Merlin emerged from the Ancestral Grounds, that the Merlin Family gradually recovered.”
“Forgive me for asking, but what does this have to do with the Blazeforge Realm…?” Leon interrupted Orren Merlin, a little embarrassed.
“Heh…”
Orren Merlin chuckled, his anger fading, and shot Leon a glare. “I haven’t finished yet. How do you know it’s unrelated to the Blazeforge Realm? That disciple’s surname was Watson—the ancestor of today’s Auckland Watson Family! He stole half of the ancestor’s legacy, which is how the Watson Family came to be. The truth behind the Watsons’ suppression of the Merlin Family centuries ago is that they wanted the rest of the legacy. You must be wondering why the Merlin Family would cooperate with such a mortal enemy, right? There’s a reason—the key lies in that legacy.”
“That legacy… does it have something to do with the Blazeforge Realm?” Leon ventured, finally catching on.
“Yes…”
Orren Merlin nodded, taking a deep breath. “Back then, our ancestor left behind a relic in the Blazeforge Realm, but the clues to its whereabouts have long since been lost. Only by cooperating with the Watson Family can we hope to find it. To be precise, the relic is located in the Flameflow Mountains of the Blazeforge Realm.”
“Flameflow Mountains…”
As he spoke, Orren Merlin pulled out a torn map from his pocket and laid it out in front of Leon. After staring at it for several seconds, Leon was left dumbstruck—he could hardly believe it.
It really was the Flameflow Mountains!