At the hotel at the end of Greenleaf Road, Yeru and a group of others were waiting.
"Young Master, His Majesty the King was ambushed by a demon at Lord Lin Lei's estate. The palace guards, along with knights from many noble families, have all gone to protect His Majesty," a blonde-haired man said respectfully before Yeru.
Yeru's heart lurched.
He knew Lin Lei intended to kill Clyde. Now Clyde was being assassinated — chances were it had something to do with Lin Lei.
"I wonder if that so-called 'demon' is the third brother," Yeru murmured, fretful.
But there was nothing Yeru could do here but wait quietly. Before long, another servant came running with news: "Young Master Yeru, that demon is on a killing spree! Far too many people have died — Lord Lin Lei's estate is a river of blood, and the entire compound is covered in corpses!"
Yeru's heart clenched with alarm.
"The third brother really is something. I just hope he can get out alive in the end," Yeru told himself, settling in for a long wait as report after report trickled in.
"Young Master Yeru, that demon's purple divine sword is terrifying — a flash of purple light and another bunch drop dead. There are too many casualties in the estate. Entire squads and companies of the palace knight order have been wiped out."
Hearing this, Yeru was now almost certain.
"A purple divine sword? Could it be that Purple Blood?" Yeru, Rein, and George all knew that Lin Lei had obtained a divine sword called 'Purple Blood.' The thought of Lin Lei's family struck Yeru in particular: the Baruch Family — a Dragon Blood Warrior lineage. Could Lin Lei have transformed into a Dragon Blood Warrior?
The demon's form was very likely that of a Dragon Blood Warrior.
The thought of his beloved brother being besieged by tens of thousands of soldiers, slaughtering his way through them, filled Yeru with dread.
"Third brother!"
Yeru's fists clenched and unclenched, clenched and unclenched again — his tension so palpable that even the servants around him could feel it.
"Young Master Yeru, His Holiness the Pope has appeared! He gravely wounded the demon. The demon has been taken away by the Church of Light and brought back to the Light Temple." The final piece of news arrived, draining all color from Yeru's face.
The moment he heard 'His Holiness the Pope,' Yeru knew things had gone terribly wrong.
*Squeak squeak~~* A dark blur materialized suddenly in the hotel.
"Bei Bei!" Yeru spotted the Shadow Mouse and rushed over immediately.
"Bei Bei — where's the third brother?" Yeru looked to the Shadow Mouse, his voice tight with anxiety.
Bei Bei, the Shadow Mouse, was nothing like his usual cheerful self. He merely gazed at Yeru and let out a few low, sorrowful whimpers. The grief and pain in those tiny eyes — even Yeru could feel them. Though Bei Bei was a magical beast, his intelligence was no less than that of any human.
*Whoosh.* Bei Bei's small form darted forward and vanished into the ground before Yeru's eyes.
Yeru stood frozen for a moment.
"Young Master Yeru," a servant beside him said softly.
"Take me back — to my second uncle." Yeru suddenly rose to his feet and issued the order.
---
In a secluded chamber on the ninth level of the Light Temple, Lin Lei had been tossed inside like a carcass. The fact that he was being held within the Light Temple itself spoke to how seriously the Church of Light regarded him.
The Light Temple — the very heart of the Church of Light.
Not even a Saint Realm powerhouse would dare break in here.
"Agh." The scales that had covered Lin Lei's body had already retracted beneath his skin. Now he was drenched in blood, his body bearing more than a dozen wounds — all inflicted by the Pope of Light, Hightines. His external injuries were severe, but the internal damage was far worse.
Every bone in his limbs was shattered. Lin Lei could only clench his teeth and struggle to shift his body, managing at last to lean his head against the wall.
"Lin Lei."
Derinkoort's form drifted out of the Coiling Dragon Ring and hovered before him, gazing down at Lin Lei with nothing but fondness and helplessness in his eyes.
"Grandpa Derinkoort." Lin Lei looked toward the old mage.
Derinkoort sighed and transmitted through his soul: "Lin Lei, do you have regrets?"
"Regrets?"
Lin Lei shook his head. "No. The truth is, I've only ever had two wishes in this life. The first is to restore my family's glory. The second is to reach the very pinnacle of cultivation. But if I hadn't sought revenge, I never would have slept well again — I'd have suffered for the rest of my life."
Derinkoort nodded. He understood exactly what Lin Lei meant.
"I lost. Haha — I lost."
Lin Lei laughed softly, feeling the pain coursing through every inch of his body. Right now, anyone who wandered in could probably tear him apart without effort.
He had lost.
The moment the Pope of Light had appeared, Lin Lei had known it.
To lose meant to die.
Lin Lei had long since made peace with that. People died every day in this world, and he had never assumed he would be the exception.
"Lin Lei, you may not die," Derinkoort said.
"Hm?" Lin Lei looked at Derinkoort in confusion.
Derinkoort smiled faintly. "If that Pope of Light truly wanted you dead, he would have killed you already. Why would he have struck you multiple times, wounding you each time but never delivering the killing blow? Besides… didn't it occur to you? The allure of a single kingdom's king is probably less to him than you are."
Something suddenly clicked in Lin Lei's mind.
"You are the second most talented mage in history, and it's virtually certain you'll reach the Saint Realm as a mage. On top of that, the Pope of Light has discovered you're a Dragon Blood Warrior. He can't bear to kill you any less now. Dragon Blood Warriors are ultimate warriors — once one steps into the Saint Realm, they are absolutely the strongest within it. In terms of pure offensive power, you'd be no less formidable than the Pope of Light himself!" Derinkoort declared with conviction.
Ultimate warriors were terrifying.
Ordinary people who entered the Saint Realm still had to contend with the distinctions of early-stage Saint, mid-stage Saint, and peak Saint.