A group of warriors who rushed in right behind the Ice Cold Snow Lion were stunned by the scene in the courtyard.
"What kind of monster is that?"
In the courtyard stood a creature covered head to tail in black scales. Rows of spikes ran along its back, each one gleaming with a cold, metallic sheen. A long, steel-whip dragon tail lashed back and forth behind it. When the "monster" turned to look at them, every warrior noticed those eerie, dark-golden eyes.
Inside those dark-golden pupils lay nothing but ruthlessness, cold indifference, and killing intent!
"Roar!" The Ice Cold Snow Lion showed not a shred of fear and was the first to charge at the "monster" in everyone's eyes.
A volley of azure-blue conical projectiles burst from the Ice Cold Snow Lion's mouth, yet the "monster" didn't dodge in the slightest, letting them crash into its scales. Cracking and shattering sounds rang out one after another. The attacks failed to wound it even slightly.
"Get lost!" A hoarse, guttural roar erupted from the monster's throat.
Its right leg carved a shadowy arc through the air and slammed savagely into the Ice Cold Snow Lion's body. The Ice Cold Snow Lion was sent flying. This was an eighth-level magical beast, and it had been kicked aside with a single blow.
How could they possibly know that after complete dragon transformation, Lin Lei had already stepped into the threshold of the ninth level?
"Kill him! Kill him for me!!!" Klaide shouted furiously.
The experts who had been momentarily stunned by the sight finally snapped back to reality. One after another they roared, drawing their weapons and charging toward Lin Lei. At the same time, the magical beasts each expert had brought along surged forward as well.
Snow Wolves, Crimson Blood War Horses, Mammoth Elephants, Blue Wind Carvings...
Magical beasts poured toward Lin Lei from the ground and the sky in a relentless tide. Lin Lei was like a maelstrom, drawing every warrior and beast around him inward. This sheer overwhelming numbers was truly terrifying.
Lin Lei's gaze remained locked on Klaide ahead.
"Klaide. Today, I will kill you." Lin Lei paid absolutely no attention to the warriors around him. The strongest among them was only an eighth-level warrior. Although Lin Lei's dragon transformation had only just entered the ninth level, he had inherited the greatest advantage of the "Thornback Iron Armor Dragon" — a defense so terrifying it defied belief!
An eighth-level attack, against the scales covering Lin Lei's entire body, could not wound him in the slightest.
"Haaa~~" A burly warrior, well over two meters tall with a broad back and powerful frame, raised a massive war axe and brought it crashing down toward Lin Lei. The axe blade blazed with a fiery red glow, so intense that the temperature of the surrounding air rose.
"Get lost."
Lin Lei didn't dodge. His claws clenched into an iron fist, the fist piercing through the air and smashing into the axe blade at a staggering speed.
"BOOM!"
The solid, immensely heavy war axe shattered to pieces under Lin Lei's punch. The fist, unimpeded, drove straight through the burly warrior's chest. And as it pierced through, Lin Lei's other hand plunged in at Rapid speed as well— "Haaa~~~"
With a mighty exertion of both arms, Lin Lei tore the burly warrior clean in half from the center. Blood drenched Lin Lei's scaled armor, making him look like a demon risen straight from the depths of hell.
"Second Brother!"
The remaining three warriors immediately screamed in fury. The one Lin Lei had killed was one of the four eighth-level warriors. Their eyes turned red with rage, and they charged at Lin Lei alongside their magical beasts.
"CRACK!" Lin Lei's dragon tail suddenly lashed sideways with devastating force.
A tall, lean blond man who had been attempting to ambush Lin Lei from behind had his skull caved in by the tail's impact. Blood sprayed into the air.
"He's a demon! A demon! Everyone, kill him!" Those who had been completely terrified by Lin Lei began screaming.
By now, more and more people were pouring into the courtyard from every direction. Even the guards originally stationed at Lin Lei's estate had rushed over to attack him. Because his scales covered his entire body — his face included — no one had any idea that this monster was, in fact, Lin Lei!
In everyone's eyes, this was a horrifying demon!
Kill!
"Your Majesty, please escape quickly!" Two eighth-level warriors leapt to Klaide's side. But before the words had even left their mouths, a black shadow lunged at one of them. Both eighth-level warriors reacted with incredible speed, their bodies blurring into afterimages.
"Aagh!"
A chunk of flesh was ripped clean off one warrior's shoulder. The black shadow continued its relentless assault on one of the eighth-level warriors. Using claws and fangs, it tore away more than a dozen chunks of flesh in mere moments. Blood sprayed without end.
Excessive blood loss and shredded muscles made the eighth-level warrior stagger on his feet.
"CRACK!"
A razor-sharp palm smashed directly onto his skull. His forehead crumbled, and he died on the spot.
"Bei Bei, attack Klaide!" Lin Lei's voice echoed in Bei Bei's mind.
"Got it, Boss!"
"WHOOSH!" Klaide seized the chance and vaulted out of the courtyard.
"YIP!" Bei Bei's piercing shriek rang out once more as the little beast transformed into a streak of Rapid black shadow, crashing straight into the courtyard wall. The already-cracked wall crumbled apart instantly. Bei Bei burst through and hurtled toward Klaide, attacking furiously.
"Kill this demon! Everyone, kill him for me!" Klaide bellowed.
"Your Majesty!"
The crowd swarming into Lin Lei's estate had grown to a staggering size. Several thousand soldiers from the palace had already rushed over to protect the king. A number of nobles who had noticed the commotion also immediately dispatched their own men to safeguard His Majesty. The number of people crammed into Lin Lei's estate had reached the point of a sea of bodies.
People were everywhere!
"Glory!"
"Glory!"
The knights of the Church of Light charged to Klaide's side. Every knight struck simultaneously at the black shadow that flickered at Rapid speed, darting from place to place. To protect the king, countless soldiers were willing to sacrifice their own lives.
"YIP~~~"
Bei Bei's cry soared even higher. Its speed increased yet again. The little beast's uncanny, unpredictable movements, its razor-sharp claws and fangs, and its monstrous defense turned Bei Bei into a synonym for death itself. Warriors fell one after another.
Some had their chests pierced straight through, others had their throats severed and heads sent flying, still others simply had their skulls shattered...
Bei Bei wove through the crowd again and again, striking at Klaide each time. Klaide could feel his energy being drained with every passing moment.
"Lin Lei's pet... it's far too terrifying." Only now, at this point, did Klaide truly comprehend Lin Lei's strength.
And Lin Lei himself was by now completely hemmed in by a sea of humanity. His power was formidable, yes, but with so many warriors and so many magical beasts swarming him, even if he could kill one with a single blow each time, it would still take a considerable while.