The fat man asked in confusion, "Hey, based on what you two are saying, this Wotton sounds pretty impressive. A guy like that should've gotten famous already. So why hasn't anyone ever heard of him?"
The bald-headed man nodded. "That same question bothered me back then too. So I did some digging. This Wotton hasn't entered any competitions at Obren Academy all these years, nor has he fought any notable fighters. That's why he has absolutely no reputation."
"Having real skill but never showing it," both the green-haired man and the fat man sighed.
"Forget about the past," the bald man said confidently. "After the seventh-grade competition at Obren Academy this time, that Wotton is sure to become even more dazzling."
In a quiet tavern, Lin Lei savored a fine wine, a smile spreading across his face.
"Little Wotton, two meters two already? He's taller than me now."
Back when Wotton left Wushan Town, he was only six years old, still a little kid with tiger teeth, utterly adorable. In the blink of an eye, eleven years had passed.
"Little Wotton!"
A wave of warmth surged through Lin Lei's heart — the bond of brotherly love.
"Wotton's Dragon Blood Warrior bloodline concentration is even higher than mine, and his warrior talent surpasses mine too. Defeating an eighth-grade warrior at seventeen? Hmm... I'd guess Wotton reached seventh-grade warrior level two or three years ago."
Lin Lei's guess was exactly right.
When Wotton was only six, he traveled with the butler Xili all the way to Obren Academy. With Wotton's talent, he was admitted effortlessly.
But the butler Xili understood that the Baruch Family still belonged to the Holy Alliance. So he had Wotton hide his strength the whole time, never revealing it carelessly. If Wotton's brilliance became too conspicuous, Obren Academy might not let him return to the Holy Alliance so easily after graduation.
Wotton strictly followed Xili's instructions. When he was young, he occasionally let a bit of his strength slip, but being so small, no one paid attention. Once he was old enough to understand, he naturally learned to keep his abilities hidden.
Years of bitter training.
Especially within Obren Academy — at the premier institution of the number one warrior nation — Wotton's cultivation efficiency was extraordinarily high.
When Wotton turned fourteen, Hillman came to Obren Academy on Lin Lei's behalf.
In truth, by the time Hillman arrived at the imperial capital, the Day of Destruction had long since occurred. The royal family and other high-ranking nobles had already learned of it through the Empire's special communication system. Obren Academy, being an elite academy of the Empire, had naturally learned of it early as well.
When Hillman reached the capital, Wotton already knew about the Day of Destruction.
Hillman told Wotton about Hogg's death and about how his elder brother Lin Lei had decided to seek revenge. Wotton was completely stunned. He had no idea what to do.
With Hillman and the butler Xili by his side, along with the war blade 'Slaughter' that Lin Lei had sent with Hillman, Wotton resolved to shoulder the family's responsibility. But in his heart, Wotton kept worrying about his big brother 'Lin Lei' — he had no idea how his brother was doing.
The distance between the Holy Alliance and the O'Brien Empire was simply too vast. The journey alone would take a full year.
Fortunately, the Dawson Trading Company found Wotton later and delivered a secret letter to him.
The letter was written by Yeru, detailing the grudge between Lin Lei and the Church of Light, as well as克莱德. It also told Wotton that Lin Lei was fine and had simply begun a long period of solitary training.
When Wotton learned this, a weight lifted from his heart.
But Wotton also grew ever prouder of his elder brother. At the same time, he resolved to train even harder so that one day he could stand side by side with his brother. Wotton had already been hardworking in the past, but over the following three years he trained with even greater intensity. At fifteen, Wotton reached the seventh-grade warrior level.
At seventeen, when Wotton used the war blade 'Slaughter' and felt that his blade technique had reached a new level, he finally decided to enter the grade competition. In that single tournament, Wotton stunned everyone and instantly became the most dazzling new star in the capital. The Emperor himself bestowed upon him the title of Baron.
Lin Lei sat in a corner of the tavern, feeling more joyful than he had in ages.
"Boss, Wotton? That's your little brother, right?" Bei Bei was curled up on a chair, his gleaming little eyes fixed on Lin Lei.
Lin Lei nodded with a smile.
"That little brat can actually beat eighth-grade warriors now?" Bei Bei exclaimed. "Boss, your little brother can also transform into a Dragon Blood Warrior, right?"
"Of course."
Lin Lei was immensely proud of his younger brother. "Bei Bei, I activated my Dragon Blood Warrior bloodline by drinking the blood of the Armored Spiky Dragon. My brother's Dragon Blood Warrior bloodline concentration is far higher than mine — he can transform directly. But his transformation is different from mine."
Lin Lei still remembered what the family records said about the Dragon Blood Warriors.
When a Dragon Blood Warrior's bloodline concentration is sufficiently high and they cultivate the Dragon Blood Secret Manual, they can transform into a Dragon Blood Warrior directly. In their normal transformed state, they have azure dragon scales, an azure dragon tail, and a single dragon horn on their forehead.
Lin Lei's form, however, was different — black dragon scales covering his entire body, with black spikes on his forehead, back, elbows, and knees, and a black dragon tail.
"One bottle of Emerald Green for everyone," called out a voice Lin Lei knew well through the tavern.
"Is that...?"
Lin Lei froze as if struck by lightning, his entire body going rigid for a moment. Then he immediately sent a soul transmission to Bei Bei: "Bei Bei, come over here to me. Don't stick your head out." Lin Lei placed Bei Bei on the chair beside him, hidden inside.
The tavern was quite dim.
Moreover, each table was separated by folding screens. Lin Lei's body was almost entirely hidden behind the screens, and that familiar person couldn't see him.
Lin Lei turned his head slightly and peered out with just a sliver of his eyes—
That rotund figure, those eyes that crinkled into slits when he smiled.
"It's really him."
Lin Lei immediately pulled back. "Cardinal Lampson — what is he doing in the O'Brien Empire? And the people beside him aren't weak either. One of them is exactly that ascetic who was at the very top of the Church of Light."
That ascetic was one of those who had helped Heidins set up the formation back then — a ninth-grade powerhouse.
Lampson alone and that ascetic made two ninth-grade powerhouses.